Dateline: 08/05/02

Year-old claims of missing guns and computers at the FBI, INS and three other federal law enforcement agencies were confirmed, as a Justice Department inspector general reported the agencies were missing more than 775 weapons and 400 laptop computers.

The items were reported to have been stolen, lost or gone missing mainly from the FBI over a two-year period, according to the report, Control Over Weapons & Laptop Computers, Report No. 02-31, released by Inspector General Glenn A. Fine.

"Our audits found significant deficiencies in the accountability for sensitive department property," stated Fine.

After a preliminary audit conducted in March 2001 found the INS listing over 500 missing weapons, a more complete audit of the INS, FBI, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Marshals Service was ordered.

In total, the five agencies audited reported total inventories of about 150,000 weapons and 25,000 laptop computers, including the missing items. The audits were conducted for the period October 1999 through January 2002.

In July 2002, Congress imposed special oversight over the FBI after string of high-profile security breaches and questionable operations plagued the agency. [See: House Slaps FBI with Special Oversight] 

The Missing Laptops
While the exact nature of the data contained on the 400 missing laptop computers was not known, the inspector general's report conceded that some of the missing data could be "sensitive in nature," and that its loss could, "result in danger to the public or could compromise national security or law enforcement activities."

Missing Weapons
Weapons missing, lost or stolen from the agencies involved were reported as follows: INS - 539; FBI - 221; DEA - 16; Marshals Service - 6, Bureau of Prisons - 2. 

In addition, the FBI reported an additional 211 weapons found to be missing over a time period not covered by the latest audit.

During the course of the audit, local police departments recovered 18 of the missing weapons while investigating crimes. Examples of these recoveries included:

• Local police recovered a handgun stolen from an FBI agent’s residence in New Orleans, Louisiana, from the pocket of a murder victim;
  
  
• Police in Atlanta, Georgia, recovered a stolen DEA weapon during a narcotics search at a suspect’s residence; and
  
  
• Police in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Tampa, Florida, recovered
  INS weapons that were used to commit armed robberies.

Along with recommending several steps the agencies should take to strengthen controls over weapons and laptop computers, the inspector general's report concluded, "We believe it is imperative for the Department and the components to improve the accountability and control of its weapons and laptop computers to protect the public and the integrity of its law enforcement activities."