Audit Report: IG-0602

The Department of Energy and its contractors are responsible for protecting materials and
facilities critical to the Nation's nuclear defense program, as well as those used to support
scientific, research, and environmental-related missions. While the security of
Department sites has been a priority for many years, in the wake of the terrorist attacks of
September 11,2001, the Department took action to enhance security at its facilities. One
important aspect of this initiative was an increased need for additional protective force
personnel. For example, at National Nuclear Security Administration sites, authorized
positions increased by 17 percent, to 2,319 officers. Once all positions are filled, annual
security force costs for those sites are expected to exceed $251 million for the current
fiscal year, an increase of 67 percent.
In previous reports, the Office of Inspector General identified a number of efficiency
concerns relating to the Department's management of its protective forces. In light of
these concerns, we initiated this audit to evaluate the Department's management of its
protective force program.