Federal investigators found that the Department of Veterans Affairs failed to properly manage thousands of VA police officers who patrol its medical centers across the country, according to an article on the USA Today website,
The result is short-staffing and millions in overtime, as well as missed opportunities to ensure staff and veteran patients are protected.
National and regional VA security officials did not conduct required inspections for months to make sure firearm records were up to date, security plans were adequate and oversight of critical incidents was conducted appropriately, the investigators said.
“The governance problems stemmed from confusion about police program roles and authority and a lack of a centralized management or clearly designated staff within (Veterans Health Administration) to manage and oversee the police program,” according to an investigation report .