DOI ignored critical reports

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2002

Reports dating back to the 1970s identify problems with the Department of Interior's law enforcement staff but no concrete action occurred until Secretary Gale Norton ordered reorganization.

But according to The New York Times, the effort is struggling. Larry R. Parkinson, a former senior F.B.I. official appointed by Norton to reform the department, has only been on the job for three months and lacks resources and staff.

Recently, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), said senior managers were resisting change. "We were fought tooth and nail," a National Park Service official said, referring to attempts to reform the system.

Get the Story:
Interior Department Struggles to Upgrade Its Police Forces (The New York Times 11/4)
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Relevant Documents:
Disquieting State of Disorder: An Assessment of Department of the Interior Law Enforcement (January 2002)

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