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The Federal Protective Service will offer voluntary early retirement to employees as it struggles to adjust to a $42 million fiscal 2006 budget shortfall and right itself in fiscal 2007, according to a memorandum circulated among officials at the agency and its parent organization, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

FPS also is reviewing its practices for providing security services or contracting for them on behalf of federal agencies. The memorandum, sent by FPS Director Paul Durette, said more information would be forthcoming regarding "contract guard management processes and how we acquire these critical services."

An ICE spokesman said the agency will not reduce the number of badge-carrying security personnel or discontinue its practice of contracting for security personnel at federal buildings nationwide. But a senior management official at FPS who asked not to be identified said officials were concerned about their ability to arrange security, given the agency's budget situation.

"Let [the Department of] Agriculture get their own security," the official said. "We're not getting enough to pay security."

Durette said in the memorandum that the agency is trying "to ensure that we are capturing the full costs of providing security services" in the future.

The memorandum, dated Aug. 29, said the agency will assess "the best use and deployment of personnel and resources." It also said FPS needs to ensure it can "provide a law enforcement response to demonstrations and emergencies, and to investigate crimes against federal property and employees."

The memo said five GS-13 special investigators at FPS will be detailed to ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility to conduct internal investigations in Boston, Houston, Dallas, Denver and Detroit.

Durette stated in the memo that voluntary early retirements will be offered to some employees, though he did not specify how many.

"We have no way of predicting or estimating how many people will ultimately take" the early retirement offer, said ICE spokesman Ronald Boyd.

The Department of Homeland Security reported financial woes at FPS in late June, requesting the authority to transfer $42 million to the agency. After that request was rejected, FPS turned to private auditors for help in addressing its funding problems.

The memorandum stated that ICE Chief Financial Officer Debra Bond will continue to seek a resolution to the funding shortfall.

COMMENTS

• How is it that one agency under ICE can offer up a tasty carrot like this, yet the other agencies get the empty sack? I'm not seeing the equity here, but then again, that's nothing new. If ICE/OI were to offer an early buyout -- that is one that had some merit to it (perhaps five years added to retirement and $50,000 cash) -- I'd say, "Get your crayons out and color me gone!" Instead I choose not to hold my hands to my hindquarters because they'll get attached. For an agency that can't afford to pay attention, I doubt the money exists to even ponder the possibility of that happening. Well it was a good dream while it lasted. GovExec.com reader Posted September 6, 2006 2:55 PM
• The early voluntary buyouts must be an effort to weed out the incompetent officers that have been hanging on since the beginning of the conversion from "guards" to police officers. If that is not the intent, why would an agency that is well below their congressionally mandated floor be willing to lose more law enforcement officers and then announce the difficulties that they face in meeting their assigned mission of securing some 8,000 facilities today? The only conclusion one can reach is that the "security" personnel be placed under the GSA/PBS and the sworn police officers assigned to other ICE sections, thereby eliminating the need for the FPS. This might save the taxpayers some money. GovExec.com reader Posted September 6, 2006 8:39 PM
• What a terrific article and kudos to Government Executive for shedding light on one of the most mismanaged, wasteful, and corrupt agencies currently under the umbrella of DHS/ICE. Hopefully Julie Myers will get the message and save taxpayer dollars by disintegrating FPS and integrating its personnel into a productive division within ICE. GovExec.com reader Posted September 6, 2006 3:31 PM