Federal Protective Service may cut hundreds of police jobs

Hundreds of police officers would see their positions eliminated under a plan being developed at the Homeland Security Department's Federal Protective Service to combat a budget shortfall that has grown to $80 million, agency sources said Wednesday.

The police officers could be offered the chance to transfer to positions within DHS' Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau, of which FPS is a part. But some might have to relocate to do so, the sources noted.

And under the plan, "some of them will be canned outright," one source said. "It's really going to downsize the little districts" that contain few major metropolitan areas.

FPS guards and investigates threats against more than 8,800 federal facilities nationwide.

The sources were basing new details on the cutbacks on an internal memorandum circulated among senior FPS managers via e-mail. The memo stated that during fiscal 2008, the agency will lose 259 police officers, 31 K-9 inspectors and 42 special agents. A total of 43 positions in financial, human resources and logistics support offices will be eliminated. Ninety-eight inspectors will be added for field operations.

Another agency source called the memo "predecisional," but added the numbers cited are an accurate representation of which job titles will be hardest hit by the next round of cuts.

Jamie Zuieback, who responded to questions on behalf of DHS, said the memo, which was obtained by Government Executive, is an initial draft and is inaccurate.

"The end goals of this plan are to strengthen FPS' capability to execute its mission more effectively," Zuieback said in an e-mail.

According to the memo, FPS will change some aspects of its work as well.

Ten cities would lose FPS K-9 teams used for detection and enforcement operations at federal buildings and 12 FPS special agents would be removed from the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, cutting the protective service's participation on that force in half.

Proactive patrol activities that "detect and deter suspicious and criminal activity" would be eliminated, even in cities such as New York and Washington. "Reporting of suspicious activity will depend on federal employees," the memo stated.

Security risk assessments now performed at some federal buildings would occur every six years instead of every four, the memo said.

In addition, the memo confirmed earlier reports by Government Executive that FPS is scaling back night and weekend service. Under the proposal, the agency would not provide "night or weekend police response or service anywhere," the memo stated. Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming will see the most reductions in staff.

"Major facilities … will be unprotected after normal business hours," said David Wright, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 981, which represents hundreds of FPS workers. "The agency has officially told me that police positions will be cut. I'm disturbed by the numbers I'm hearing about."