Sleeping officers at U.S. monuments

NEWSFLASH!! Security Guards Bored at Their Jobs!!
So the saw a couple security guards reading a paper and talking on a cell phone, I hardly consider that newsworthy. You've got a 100 year old monument that really has no procedure for allowing visitors (they just sort of walk up to most of them), and you expect a security guard to do what? Have his binoculars out looking for that 1 terrorist in 100 years that will do what? Go jump on Lincoln's lap and blow himself up?  If your job was to watch a monument all day, I'm pretty sure you would pick up a newspaper too.

I have to agree with the person who said
"loose lips, sink the ships"  Yea why don't you just go ahead and tell the whole world where our most weak spots are at so then maybe they can attack there.  UMMMMM.  Maybe we should think before we talk

There are no terrorists except for Bush and his gang of thieves destroying this once great country. How is this news, should I care that some minimum wage rend a cop is sleeping whilst guarding a rock. This is just another propaganda story to hype the need for more security.

Im sick of this and I want my country back

Impeach Bush! Put him in jail and take all his money!

Wake up. Theres trash on these parks because humans, in general are irresponsible. Look at the history!!!! We need to seriously wake up and accept some sort of responsibility. You can only do right, when you knowingly admit you've done wrong. I don't know enough to form any objective opinion on the cost cutting subject, but it reminds me of when I helped my brother move. He offered us a couple beers, and after a couple gouges in furniture, I told him: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

They are only worried about the statue of liberty because it's the only supply of precious metal (copper) the government owns after selling all its gold to China.

On their watches, nothing has happened. That logic alone, applied to homeland security and the US military, has us spending our grandchildrens' money on weapons and soldiers rather than infrastructure, education and paying down the deficit.

To Imran, it doesn't take a genious to realize that a park ranger is sleeping and not protecting the publiC as he/she is paid to do. Any "terrorist" can figure that out.

So many of you commenters site budget cuts as the cause.  As someone who grew up in Washington and had several high shcool jobs in government agencies, I can tell you that a government employee doing his or her job is the exeption not the rule. In most cases spending more money on a broken agency just makes it worse. So if they are given less money to waist it doesn't hurt my feelings.  In a perfect world the waist would be stopped, poor employees would be fired and the agency would have enough money to do business, good luck getting that. If you have employees sleeping on the job do you think paying them more would change that, do you think hiring more employees would change that, I don't thinks so. All we can really do as taxpayers is demand more and give them less to waist.  No matter how much we take away they will continue to waist it, it isn't thier money, and no matter how much we give them it will never be enough, because it's not thier money.  It's the nature of governments and a good life lesson, learn it and stop blaming George Bush for the sun rise.

This whole administration has ruled by fear for the last 7 years. It has lied, cheated, wiped their feet on the Constitution, broken national and international laws, so what makes you think that it's going to be any different if you fire a bunch of inept private "security" guards?

Anything for a good Bush bashing.  Completely ignore the fact that the federal government has thwarted litterally HUNDREDS of attempts of terrorism inside the United States since 9/11, find all of the negative stories you can find, and if you can't find enough of them, make some up.  Don't these idiots realize that the moment they finally elect one of these communist 'leaders' they idolize so much, their own jobs, along with free speech, are gone?  Idots!  They are sharpening the swords of their own excutioners!

I have been to the Statue of Liberty twice last year. Both times security seemed good. Metal detector, sniffing machine-- you name it.  It did take forever to get through security. You had to have a ticket 24hrs in advance . You couldn't just walk up and take a tour.

I say allow a recession to take place...it spurns growth more slowly but would reenact Americans ability to depend on themselves...We have become to heavy with gimme gimme gimme...Appropriate funds where they are needed and stop filling the cash bags of the rich...To restore our dollar, we need to rely more heavily on American ingenuity, increased spending on higher education on lower levels and like in this report which is available to the world...Stop spending countless hours and billions on stupid studies...If you find a weakness, fix it...Dont hire 300 consultants to come in and tell you what you can plainly see or what is reported to you.

Gov't doesn't work, if you let Republicans in gov't.

Why not have military personnel honor the national monuments by guarding them.  They could have special details like the Buckingham palace guards.  The changing of the guard would be something people would like to see.

The real problem is for everyone to take pride in their work regardless of what it is. I see a problem with any9one who signs a contract and agrees to do any job for a certain amount of money and then uses the excuse of low pay to avoid performing the duties they signed on for. If you are not going to like the job,if you will not be happy with the pay,  then do not sign on. If you do, then always do your best. If we all did that there would be fewer problems especially regarding who is responsible for what!

The chief tired of underbudgets???!!!  He got his job only because the past chief spoke up and she got fired for it!!  So, they found this guy who just stays and talk line and not doing anything about it.  Remember, no squeeky wheels get no attention.  He is keeping his job by not saying anything and by not DOING NOTHING. EWow, the monuments are standing...for now.   Yeah, not a lot to see here folks....just move on.

Test their coffee before you criticize them.

Sabbatage, or trying to get someone inappropriately fired needs to be ruled out

This is stupid, the monuments ARE still standing, why does anyone think that terrorists care about them? They just want to kill people, and high rise buildings make for much easier targets than slabs of marble.

SECURITY ?    LAW ENFORCEMENT don't pay a lot of $$$...but they R "trained"  however,  when it is
'contracted' most time the "trained" are let go
(because it is CHEAPER) and the contractor hires
[for the most part] a whole lot cheaper help...
Remember ~~~ CONTRACTORS are out to make money/
big bucks/ cutting corners etc..... I.E. - pay 1
person -school trained,so forth- say $23 hour OR
get 3 persons & give them a few hours of do's &
don'ts pay them $6 per hour... WELL hope U can se the results..........sleeping- WHY ? he just got done at a differant job maybe >>>>><<<<<
enough said=pay 'em  good, train'em right AND
FIRE them  for "dare ellection"  of duty if needed...........................
 

Mr.Popkin Senior Investigative Producer WOW you must have nothing to do.Why don't you investigate illegal aliens who take security jobs because americans don't want them then fall asleep on the job. If you want to investigate something investigate why there is still a hole in the ground at ground zero.  

Great - let's give everyone who would like to make us look like idiots a better shot at doing so.  Why would a terrorist attack these spots - because they are a symbol of our freedom!

Recently my family and I toured the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and found that the park staff was plentiful, helpful and attentive.  This visit happened over the Dr. Martin Luther King birthday weekend.  We had a great time and found the tour and exhibits at Ellis Island, espessially moving.

Yes, yes, you're all right.  Sleeping guards, disinterested guards, it's all because they're not paid enough money.  

Take a look at the Dept. of the Interior's budget for the last 10 years and then this article makes more sense.  I briefly worked for the NPS as a lifeguard supervisor after 7 people died the previous summer at one of the most dangerous stretches of beach along the Pacific coastline.  The next summer though, funding was cut.  I agree that those sleeping should be fired, but nothing will change unless the IG's report to Congress results in more funding.  Congress has the power of the purse, and they are using it to ruin our National Parks!

I think you guys are being too tough on these cops. Let them sleep! How would YOU feel if you weren't allowed to sleep at your job? This is america where we have this thing called FREEDOM! USA USA USA!!

I visited Liberty Island last week and the security was actually obnoxiously intrusive.  Airport style security at Battery Park, then airport style security plus bomb detecting air puffer machines before you go into the pedestal.  All of this doesn't mean that it's effective (and it's certainly security theater), but no one was asleep and there were plenty of park police.  Remember folks, you have the same chance of being struck by a meteor as you do of being killed by a terrorist.  100,000 people will die of the flu this year.  What are you afraid of?  Terrorists want to instill fear into us, and boy howdy have they ever succeeded.  Refuse to be terrorized!  

I'm sure all of you critics wouldn't need to catch a cat nap staring at an empty stone building overnight. I'm not saying it's right by any means but let's not be critical unless we've been put in that position ourselves. We're not talking about officers taking 8 hours of solid sleep. Most of us cant function on less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep as it is, let alone work overnight then have to stay up all day to keep our family life sane and happy. I have no problem with an officer ducking out for an hour to take a re-charger so long as its at a reasonable time. I would say from 3-4 or a slow overnight hour like that is fine. I understand the argument "if they can't hack it maybe they shouldnt have applied for a position that says willing to work overnights weekends and holidays" but lets not take for granted the family sacrafices they have to make either. In the end just remember, these guys are not super heroes. Theyre human beings with a biological clock too. Try staying up all night for a week sometime see how you react.

The security of our nation and our nation's assets cannot be left in the hands of bureaus and misfits feeding at the public trough. What a nation does in one thing, it does in all things.  A people that can conceive of the TSA ought not be surprised by overweight, sleeping gnomes on watch at our monuments.

Why not let Blackwater or Halliburton do it, their efficiency and ethics are legendary and I think Crawford,Texas gets a kickback.

We can cutback a little more on healthcare for children and it could be revenue neutral.

Having worked with and for the governmant over the past years makes one question who's running the store. I've witnessed countless violations ignored, swept under the rug. There is the radical fringe that blames the media because they haven't been there and are to stupid to see past their noses. It's harder to enter the Augusta National Golf course than any airport or monument in this country, maybe the security company that handles "The Masters" should handle our nations security.

Are you kidding?  I was at the statue of liberty the week before christmas.  We had to go through security to get on the ferry and again when we got off the ferry to see the statue.  It was more thorough than any airport security screening.  We waited in the freezing cold for over 2 hours in line and we were on the very first ferry of the day.  It was so secure that I'm not going to visit again because of the waiting.

Not sure whether this is all true or not, but the Government does have a problem hiring good people. We need to pay  people properly and hold those employees accountable for their jobs.  Need to be able to get rid of the bad ones and I know our government has problems doing that due to all the silly laws passed to protect the loser type employees.

Our last trip to DC, we saw a mixed bag. The Mall was in shabby condition with trash and long, un-mowed grass. I was sad to see that. In terms of security, I did not notice anything lacking. In fact  I would like to commend one guard at the White House Museum (A Nigerian gentleman I think) who took his job very seriously and made sure that no one broke the rules on his watch. The couple in front of us tried to ignore him and his repeated warnings against disallowed food, drink, etc. They were finally removed from the museum.

Doesn't surprise me.  I know of one Large governmental agency whose Senior member works his eBay sales site during Government working hours.  How do I know?  I bought from the guy!  I don't know if that's called double-dipping, but it really doesn't matter.  He'll never get caught.  Did you know that U.S. Government employees can play on the internet & even run businesses while at work?  Oh yeah.

Maybe, instead of blindly blaming the media for covering the story, perhaps you could actually *read* the story, and see that the information was in an Inspector General report released to the public by the Department.

Several years ago I spent a week visiting the Smithsonian museums in Washington D. C., and was amazed at the inattention of the museum guards.

As I read through the article and then the comments the responses amazed me! I'm sure that during certain times of the year (holiday's inparticular) the security is good or when high profile activities surround the area. At the same time I'm also confident that many other times security is minimal at best. I do agree with several comments; the companies that are paid millions in multi-year contracts while providing minimum to subpar wages while certainly getting wealthier - name a large corporation that doesn't operate this way. As for terrorist I'm sure they are considered a target, but believe the response our country would give to these monuments would rival NY for what they stand for and are in  dense populated and high profile areas. But if you've been in the military at the ground level (no officers please) in multiple area's of the world, make no mistake they are considered. My concern lay's with our society of greed, little to no work ethic,commitment or value meters, and that goes from the top to bottom of our economic classes and is text book material for a failing society. Have's and have not's- I think the issue goes deeper, we expect what we pay for..what's the going rate eight to ten bucks an hour in an economic climate that cost 15 to 16 dollars minimum..we get what we pay for! How about the contract company, profit is up and so are stocks, oh their down you say, nothing changed for the security guards whether stocks are good or bad. They will get laid off if they drop to much to protect the fat at the top though. 36 of the top fortune 500 companies proved that in the early 2000's and corporate scandles that have existed for years prior. I wonder if they gave a 3% raise to keep up with the cost of living...I wonder what on the other hand we are willing to pay to maintain these icons? Everyone I know who owns a business is in it to make profit or would you be different...I wonder? I think if the contract company paid more and security was ever present how many would come out of the wood work to complain about the waste of pay for unneccesary security and why they arent spending the money more wisely or in other area's more at risk or in need, seems like a trap to me. Our nation and it's people really need to get our priorities strait, teach values and make a commitment and realize everything cost money we are not willing to pay! It's stone so give it a value appropriate to itself-I'd hate to lose it too but the nearby tourist and residence deserve a higher value. I can live with out one but not the other. The person who wants to pay what ever it takes is paranoid and the one who say's there is nothing to worry about is ignorant! We need to agree on a medium of value and put forth money and effort that has value and make sacrifices with measured managment! It never works if those tasked with overseeing have no integrity, values, character or are blinded by greed.

Since 9/11, many thousands of incredibly boring and mundane jobs have been created in the US--many of them are in the security sector.  The focus by various government agencies (DHS and the National Park Service among them) on increasing security at national monuments is just one of many costly, ineffective, and poorly conceived strategies implemented by the current administration.  I am no actuary, but I would bet that the Washington  monument or the Statue of Liberty has about the same chance of experiencing some huge and devastating attack as Mount Rushmore.  And Mount Rushmore would be more difficult to recreate.          When people fear enough for their safety that the visitor traffic to all of these inadequately secured monuments drops off significantly, then we  should address the problem.  When in America, you have a much better chance of being killed by a fellow American (at a university or a shopping  mall or just driving your car) than becoming a  victim of a terrorist at a national monument that you might visit once or twice in your lifetime.      I would rather the government reduce the national monument protection even further and take action  to reduce the national homicide rate.  Put the security forces out there where they will start taking live fire--it's hard to sleep on the job then.      

I would like to tell you about we veterans from Bravo (Brotherhood Rally of all Veterans Organisations) who freely protected the VV and other Memorials for 25 years before the NPA took away our first amendment rights.
Tim Swarbrick
Commander Bravo Delaware

Concerned American, Tampa, FL

Hopefully you tracked down where to send your entrance fee too.  You already admitted to stealing. Why? "Because the door was unlocked and everyone else was doing it too."

You're part of the problem.  A large part.

A terrorist would attack the monuments for the very reason that they are a symbol of our freedom. They don't need to blow themselves up to do it.

All they have to do is take out a few of these inept guards and put some explosives in the building. That could be done just about anywhere in the US.

Hey, where I live they pay a bunch of goons to guard an old abandoned Wall Mart store with no sign on it. It's a FEMA building.  Those guys have homeland security badges, but they are just security guards. Anyone could take over that building with very little effort, not that it matters. Fema can't even bother to put up a sign to say what the building is for.

I would hate to see what a madman with an M16 could do at a big airport. Somebody like that could probably kill 100 people before they got him. All you need is a good gun, lots of ammo and no fear of dying. Terrorists would send a bunch of guys like that if they all wanted to die. Just think of what someone with a deer rifle could do. Don't expect a bunch of low paid guards to protect you from terrorists.

Still this article was kind of funny. Sleeping guards at our national monuments? Just wait till Jay Leno reads this.

Josh, baby!  I love you!  There are many things that I find scandalous.  But the most scandolous thing of all is how these people "in charge" and the media tell EVERYTHING!  Why don't they just use some wisdom?  It is mind boggling how many times I sit and listen to reports which could very easily carry the headig, "In Case You Haven't Thought of This."  What amazes me is that no one ever says, no to any of this craziness of broadcasting eveything that crosses their minds.  Unless it is an attempt to lure someone into a trap, (and I'm sure it's not) where is the logic of doing it?

These officers make less than 40,000 a year in the DC area.  Most of these officers have to work two jobs to make ends meet.  The parks are public land we can not tell someone they can not go there because they are homeless or they are dirty.  When we ticket these people and they go to federal court the federal prosecutor does not want to spend the time to prosecute someone that is panhandling or loitering. This brings down the morale of officers because they do the job and they will just throw it out anyway.  The IG should be at the Department of Veterans Affairs fixing them.  investigate why they pay 300 for a toilet seat or why our vets can't seem to get proper post war screening.  Why they can't get there compensation done in less than a year.  why they are so under staffed they can't see the oif/oaf war vets for months.  Why the mental ward is filled with elderly dementia patients, so the war vets that need mental help are turned away because of not enough beds.  Find out why they keep downsizing the mental health wards at the hospital and have staff that can't handle the problems that they are having with these younger vets.  investigat that!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright, alright. I've read all the last few comments and . . . seems to me that Yep! They're still standing! Honestly, how important are those structures in comparison to the death of thousands of people during the 9/11 attacks? How important are all those structures in comparison to immigration? How important are all those structures in comparison to our economy? Those structures mean nothing if we have no America for them to represent. I don't mean to belittle them, they mean alot to me, but let's not get our sentimentality before practicality. We want to blame Bush for everything!! Can he do ANYTHING RIGHT?!? He's increased border security. He handled one of the greatest catastrophes this country has EVER seen, and all we want to do is sit around Bush Bashing. Perhaps if we would unite behind our President and use COMMON SENSE our country would pull out of this downward spiral that is ever increasing in speed in. Defend the monuments . . . SURE!! But let's worry about maintaining our country FIRST!!

the park police chief's remarks are the epitimy of arogance and he shoul be fired.  Although his arrogance is pale in comparison to the arrogance and disrepect this administration has had for the people who put them in office. thank god Geo Bush's tenure is almost over. I can't believe our country has survived this man.

Who feels that they are a TRUE American? Let's pull the people's resources and create a team of volunteers to ensure that our children's children can enjoy these monuments and parks. I've been in the Army since 1996 and I know that if I lived near one of these areas, I would offer my free time to ensure they were safe and clean. How about it America? Let's do it together.

It seems that all I see anymore are people from other countries doing the work Americans should be doing. What happens if the enemy plants someone in one of these jobs and waits for the right moment.Boom, bye, bye. Lets take our country back.

Oh, nice going, let the whole world know. I think to much freedom of the press should get you put in jail.  Just the fact's ma'm just the facts. Lots of  reporters  I feel are traitors to our country..

Jimmy Crackhorn. You are right when it comes to your statement that it's the media we should be afraid of! It is They and NOT the administration who propagate the FEAR!

It never ceases to amaze me how people blame years and in some cases DECADES of low funding on a single presidential term.
Why aren't our national parks and monuments self-funding for security? Use the federal budget for capital improvements, but they should be able to pay for their operations out of revenues. But it's easier to hide the waste if all of the money is returned to the Treasury and doled out from a central location.
This isn't anything new, it's business as usual for government. There isn't one government program in history that has ever done what it was supposed to, never mind on-time and on-budget because government employees have no incentive to really make a difference.
We demand the least amount of efficiency out of government. With all of the billions spent on computers and other technologies why isn't government RADICALLY smaller? As the Board of Directors for this nation, we ought to insist on a return on our investments. WalMart provides better service than government and at a cheaper price. If a private company had the inept management and overhead of our nation the executives would be investigated by the SEC and charged with fraud. We the people need to force government to remember that they get their funding by the grace of the American taxpayer and not the other way around.