Tuesday, June 24, 2008

US Capitol Police Fire 15 "red flagged" Recruits

Psych!

There was a new controversy brewing inside the U.S. Capitol Police Department, News4 reported on Monday. News4's Jackie Bensen reported that 15 newly-hired officers have been fired. The officers were allowed into the recruiting class despite red flags in their applications. This is the third major flap in the past eight months for the department charged with protecting Capitol Hill.

Sources told News4 that Capitol Police recruiters should have been aware of any issues with the officers' psychological evaluations and criminal background checks, which were done, according to the sources, months before the 15 officers were hired -- then abruptly fired.

On Friday, officials abruptly informed the 15 new officers, Bensen reported -- one-third of a recruit class training at a facility in Georgia -- that they should return to DC because of problems revealed as a result of their criminal background checks and psychological evaluations. Sources said Monday morning, they were told to resign or be fired.

[SNIP]

Earlier this year, it was learned that bomb squad officers initially failed to locate potential explosives components in the pickup truck of a man who was stopped near the Capitol carrying a shotgun. Last November, an officer was terminated after a series of mysterious restroom fires.


This is how we protect the US Capitol? The process of hiring and training people to work for the Federal Government is broken and needs complete overhaul. The money spent training these officers is wasted--and can you imagine the feeling of resentment in someone who shouldn't have been hired in the first place being told that the job they're training for in another state is no longer theirs? Someone somewhere hasn't fired the right people yet.

--WS

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