-Caveat Lector- ...for the government. INS audit says 61,000 items lost Hundreds of weapons, computers are missing 04/18/2001 Associated Press WASHINGTON – The Immigration and Naturalization Service could not account for hundreds of weapons and has not been keeping track of thousands of computers that may contain sensitive information, according to an audit. The weapons, including six guns that were eventually linked to crimes, were among 61,000 items worth nearly $70 million that auditors said were missing, the Justice Department's inspector general reported Tuesday. The investigation dates back to 1998. The report said the immigration agency "did not adequately safeguard property" and "without immediate corrective actions, property will remain at substantial risk." INS spokesman Greg Gagne said the report offered a "snapshot of a lot of our past inadequacies." The INS is now requiring more record-keeping and employee training, he said. "We're in a whole lot better shape than when this snapshot was taken," Mr. Gagne said. "We have tightened the entire process up." The agency, with 32,000 employees, operates under the Justice Department and is in charge of citizenship requests, border patrols and the deportation of illegal immigrants. Mr. Gagne said that INS employees who enforce immigration laws need to carry firearms. The audit included visits to the agency's Washington headquarters and 25 INS offices around the country, the report said. Among items that may have been lost or stolen, according to the inspector general, was a gas-grenade launcher at the San Diego border-patrol office. Thirty-nine automatic rifles or machine guns were missing, more than half from INS headquarters. The report identified 539 missing weapons, many from INS headquarters in Washington and its training facility in Glynco, Ga. The inspector general said a follow-up investigation found that six INS guns had been linked to crimes. Two guns were used in armed robberies, one was confiscated in a drug laboratory raid, two others were confiscated during arrests and one was being held as evidence in a homicide investigation, the report said. Mr. Gagne said bad record-keeping was a major problem. More than 100 of the weapons thought to be missing never existed, he said. The inspector general praised the agency for improving record-keeping over the last three years. Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/national/341879_ins_18nat.ART.html © 2001 DallasNews.com <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
