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The Bush administration has asked for a $3.3 million budget increase for the U.S. Park Police in fiscal 2005, a number that is well short of what the agency's embattled chief said is needed to combat funding and personnel shortfalls.

Chief Teresa Chambers said in December her 620-member force needs as many as 800 additional officers and up to $8 million more for the next fiscal year to deal with increased demands. The administration's budget request for the National Park Service, which was sent to Congress this week, however, only boosts the Park Police budget by $3.3 million to $81.2 million.

Park Service spokesman David Barna refuted Chambers' estimate Tuesday, saying the service will not know the true needs of the Park Police until an analysis is completed this March.

"There isn't any basis for her numbers," Barna said. "They're not based on any kind of study, so they don't really represent anything to us."

Chambers was put under a gag order and placed on administrative leave with pay after making her comments about the budget. Park Service Deputy Director Don Murphy charged Chambers with improper budget communications, making public remarks regarding security on federal property, improper disclosure of budget deliberations, improper lobbying, failure to carry out a supervisor's instructions, and failure to follow the chain of command.

Chambers immediately challenged the charges, saying they were illegal and unfounded, and has asked the Office of Special Counsel to reinstate her until a decision is rendered. Chambers' supporters, including a few members of Congress, have condemned the Park Service for reprimanding a high-level manager for speaking publicly about problems in a federal agency.

The Park Police are responsible for securing national landmarks ranging from the Statue of Liberty in New York City to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The bulk of the agency's work is in Washington, where Park Police patrol the National Mall, monuments, and federal parks and parkways.

James Austin, chairman of the Park Police Labor Committee, which represents officers at the agency, said the budget increase "falls well short of what our needs are."

"If you compare what's in the budget to what our needs are, that $3.3 million increase is not even getting you close to the tip of the iceberg," Austin said. "If that's all we get, that's going to be very disappointing."

One of the primary problems the Park Service faces is staffing shortages, according to Austin, and additional funding should be allocated to hire more officers and provide more training. He said the agency now must deal with more contingencies, especially when the nation's threat level is elevated to code orange or higher. The nation has gone to code orange five times since the terrorist attacks of September 2001 - the most recent alert lasting three weeks during the holidays in December and January.

The fiscal 2005 budget request includes $2 million for securing monuments and icons while the nation is at code yellow, and $1 million for security needs associated with the upcoming 2005 presidential inaugural ceremonies. The budget does not designate specific funding for security when the nation goes to code orange.

The Park Service's Barna said the Park Police will hire more officers in fiscal 2005, but does not yet know how many. But he said staffing is only one factor that affects security and increased demands. He said the right technology and equipment can also improve security and help reduce demands placed on the workforce. He added that the pending analysis of the Park Police would help determine if officers are doing tasks that should be performed by other agencies.

"It's about the level of security and the level of protection; it's not just about the number of people," Barna said.

COMMENTS

• When did the chief's estimates become the standard for comparison? I do not think the chief provides the best estimate of the budget because she is not independent and will tend to overestimate the needs. It is like saying that a guy that sat in a POW camp for many years is therefore qualified to be President of the USA. Don't mix sorrow with qualification. However, she was treated badly and should be reinstated and Murphy should be fired. GovExec.com reader Posted February 6, 2004 7:00 AM
• The United States Park Police budget is increased by $3.3 million. Of that, $2 million goes to level Orange staffing. Another $1 million goes to security for the 2005 Inauguration. That leaves $300,000. According to the article, Mr. Barna, the mouthpiece for the financial braintrust of the National Park Service, says "staffing is only one factor that affects security and increased demands" and that "the right technology and equipment can also improve security and help reduce demands placed on the workforce." In a ridiculous attempt to deflect attention from the matter of overall fiscal crisis, Mr. Barna would have us believe that the Park Police can acquire, deploy, and manage technological solutions for a mere $300,000. In reality, $300,000 would barely cover the cost of a study to examine the stupidity of his logic. Additionally, the Department of Interior took a 40% cut in IT funding in 2004, imposed by OMB because of inadequate planning for and administration of IT resources and passed along to all bureaus and agencies. Since the overall increase in budget of the Park Police seems to be already accounted for, it appears that there isn't even adequate funding to restore the Park Police IT budget to it's 2002 level. How in the world are they going to get more IT and other technologies with less money? Think through these things before you speak to the world, Mr. Barna! GovExec.com reader Posted February 4, 2004 7:26 PM
• It will take the death of an officer to convince Bruce Schaffer, Debbie Weatherly and Criag Crutchfield that more officers are needed. Round and round we go. How many more studies, work groups, task analysis is it going to take before the three amigos realize they are playing with peoples' lives? GovExec.com reader Posted February 4, 2004 3:13 PM