[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
ENSURING VA'S SECURITY: HOW
CAN CONGRESS BEST SUPPORT
VA'S LAW ENFORCEMENT?
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND
INVESTIGATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024
__________
Serial No. 118-64
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via http://govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
56-195 WASHINGTON : 2025
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
MIKE BOST, Illinois, Chairman
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, MARK TAKANO, California, Ranking
American Samoa, Vice-Chairwoman Member
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan JULIA BROWNLEY, California
NANCY MACE, South Carolina MIKE LEVIN, California
MATTHEW M. ROSENDALE, SR., Montana CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire
MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS, Iowa FRANK J. MRVAN, Indiana
GREGORY F. MURPHY, North Carolina SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK,
C. SCOTT FRANKLIN, Florida Florida
DERRICK VAN ORDEN, Wisconsin CHRISTOPHER R. DELUZIO,
MORGAN LUTTRELL, Texas Pennsylvania
JUAN CISCOMANI, Arizona MORGAN MCGARVEY, Kentucky
ELIJAH CRANE, Arizona DELIA C. RAMIREZ, Illinois
KEITH SELF, Texas GREG LANDSMAN, Ohio
JENNIFER A. KIGGANS, Virginia NIKKI BUDZINSKI, Illinois
Jon Clark, Staff Director
Matt Reel, Democratic Staff Director
SUBCOMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
JENNIFER A. KIGGANS, Virginia, Chairwoman
AUMUA AMATA COLEMAN RADEWAGEN, FRANK J. MRVAN, Indiana, Ranking
American Samoa Member
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan CHRIS PAPPAS, New Hampshire
MATTHEW M. ROSENDALE, SR., Montana SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK,
Florida
Pursuant to clause 2(e)(4) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House, public
hearing records of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs are also
published in electronic form. The printed hearing record remains the
official version. Because electronic submissions are used to prepare
both printed and electronic versions of the hearing record, the process
of converting between various electronic formats may introduce
unintentional errors or omissions. Such occurrences are inherent in the
current publication process and should diminish as the process is
further refined.
C O N T E N T S
----------
THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024
Page
OPENING STATEMENTS
The Honorable Jennifer A. Kiggans, Chairwoman.................... 1
The Honorable Frank J. Mrvan, Ranking Member..................... 2
WITNESSES
Panel I
Mr. Alfred Montoya, Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health
Operations, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs............................................... 4
Accompanied by:
Mr. Troy Brown, Senior Security Officer, Veterans Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Ms. Brandy Soto, Chief of Police, Little Rock, Arkansas
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs
Mr. George Chester, Chief of Police, Detroit, Michigan
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs
Mr. Bryan Hunt, President, AFGE Local #2384...................... 5
Panel II
Mr. Kapua Conley, Regional President, Sentara Healthcare System,
Hampton, Virginia.............................................. 18
Mr. Chuck Dowd, Vice President, Public Safety Broadband
Technology Association, Las Vegas, Nevada...................... 20
Mr. Jon Retzer, Assistant National Legislative Director, Disabled
American Veterans.............................................. 22
APPENDIX
Prepared Statements Of Witnesses
Mr. Alfred Montoya Prepared Statement............................ 35
Mr. Bryan Hunt Prepared Statement................................ 38
Mr. Kapua Conley Prepared Statement.............................. 42
Mr. Chuck Dowd Prepared Statement................................ 44
Mr. Jon Retzer Prepared Statement................................ 49
Statement For The Record
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Prepared Statement.. 51
ENSURING VA'S SECURITY: HOW
CAN CONGRESS BEST SUPPORT
VA'S LAW ENFORCEMENT?
----------
THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024
Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:03 p.m., in
room 390, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Jen Kiggans
[Chairwoman of the subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Kiggans, Bergman, Rosendale,
Luttrell, Mrvan, Pappas, and Cherfilus-McCormick.
OPENING STATEMENT OF JENNIFER A. KIGGANS, CHAIRWOMAN
Ms. Kiggans. Good afternoon. The subcommittee will come to
order. Thank you all for being here today for this oversight
hearing on the challenges and needs of the U.S. Department of
Veteran Affairs (VA) Police Force and how Congress can support
them in fulfilling their critical mission.
Before we proceed further, I ask unanimous consent for
Representative Morgan Luttrell to participate in this hearing.
This week we celebrate Police Week, and I am grateful for the
opportunity to highlight our brave men and women in uniform. VA
police do critical work to ensure our Nation's heroes safely
receive the care and benefits they have earned. I would like to
take a moment to say thank you to the current and former VA
police and other first responders who have joined us today. I
am excited to welcome Chief Soto and Chief Chester, along with
former VA police officer of the year, Mr. Hunt.
The VA police play a vital role in ensuring the safety and
security of VA facilities, employees, and the veterans they
serve. In fact, many VA police are veterans themselves. The
stakes are high, and VA police face unique challenges that make
it hard for them to carry out their duties. VA police are often
in dangerous and difficult situations. It is essential they
receive the training and support necessary to handle these
situations safely and effectively. As Senate Veterans Affairs
Ranking Member Moran pointed out in a recent letter, Congress
must explore ways to enhance training programs for VA police
officers and put the pressure on the VA to provide them with
tools and resources needed to protect themselves and others. VA
police are often the only individuals equipped to help a
veteran who enters the facility with the intent of taking their
own life. Suicide prevention training is paramount for all
police officers and is required by law, but recent data shows
it has not, so far, been a priority of the Department. Another
issue facing the VA police is the need for improved
coordination and communication with other law enforcement
agencies. The VA police, often in emergency situations, work
alongside other Federal, State, and local law enforcement
agencies, and it is crucial that they have effective
communication channels in place to coordinate their efforts and
respond to emergencies quickly.
Today, I hope to learn more about the technologies and best
practices that could help reduce these communication
challenges. On top of these issues, VA police have constant
issues with recruitment. Through the Sergeant First Class Heath
Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics
(PACT) Act, Congress authorized critical skills incentive
payments, which can help VA police with staffing shortages due
to pay. Congress, however, must continue to work with VA to
address staffing shortages and ensure VA police have the
resources they need to fulfill their mission.
VA police play a vital role in ensuring the safety and
security of VA facilities and the veterans they serve. As such,
Congress must make sure VA police have the tools they need to
carry out their critical mission. Thank you again for being
here today, I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on how
we can best support the VA police force.
With that, I now recognize Ranking Member Mrvan for his
opening comments.
OPENING STATEMENT OF FRANK J. MRVAN, RANKING MEMBER
Mr. Mrvan. Thank you, Chair Kiggans. I appreciate the
opportunity to discuss the issues impacting our VA police
officers and other essential security staff. This hearing is
very timely considering it is National Police Week.
I want to start by thanking those first responders, active
and retired, that are here today. Thank you for your dedication
to keeping our veterans, caregivers, and VA staff safe day in
and day out. The VA police have an important duty and great
responsibility in protecting veterans and the VA providers.
They also play a key role in ensuring VA facilities are a
welcoming community for every veteran, a community many belong
to themselves. Nearly 90 percent of VA police are veterans.
This committee has led several hearings and roundtables in
recent years to discuss the challenges facing the VA police
force. However, it is long overdue that Congress takes the
feedback we have received and creates solutions. For example,
over half of the medical facilities surveyed in Fiscal Year
2023 by VA's Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported a
severe police shortage, that is 73 facilities. These
significant shortages have persisted since at least Fiscal Year
2018 and partially driven by disparities in officer pay and
benefits. Based on exit survey data from 2021 and 2022, nearly
30 percent of respondents departed the VA police service due to
pay and benefit issues.
Today, our VA police force, our police officers, are still
not treated equitably with their other Federal law enforcement
counterparts. The bipartisan H.R. 1322, the Law Enforcement
Officers Equity Act, take steps toward creating that equity. In
granting these dedicated Federal employees their earned
retirement benefits, VA stands to create a significant gap in
institutional knowledge and expertise at the hands of
resolvable issues like pay and benefits. That is extremely
distressing considering our veterans and VA providers rely on
adequate security in order to access care and perform their
responsibilities.
I urge my colleagues in the Committee on Oversight and
Accountability to work with me to advance this bill. Further,
oversight performed by the Government Accountability Office and
VA's Office of Inspector General have identified serious
deficiencies in risk management efforts and actual physical
security outcomes. Both entities have indicated that the VA
lacks a comprehensive security strategy.
VA also has a convoluted and decentralized governance
structure. This has led to a lack of understanding of what is
required of both frontline workers and security administrators.
VA has reportedly begun the process to develop these documents,
but we have not yet received an update or plans of
implementation. Recent events, such as the tragedies in Atlanta
and Kansas City, underscore the need for increased attention to
policies, regulations, and trainings so we can strengthen VA
security.
I am extremely concerned about the reports that only one
third of VA police have completed their required suicide
prevention training. This Congress, this subcommittee has
considered legislative proposals to update weapons detection
technology at VA facilities across the enterprise. I have been
and continue to be supportive of the efforts to create a safer
VA. However, I believe these proposals must be driven first and
foremost by veterans and what they need to help them feel safe
at VA facilities.
We should also ensure that veterans feel that they can
access their care with ease. We need to work with VA providers
and security personnel to understand what solutions will
empower them to perform their job fully and safely. Finally, we
must study and incorporate best practices into VA security
strategies.
I look forward to hearing from the healthcare providers,
the organizations here today on these efforts. This week, we
learned that VA has taken steps to start piloting this
technology at VA medical centers across the country. While I
support VA taking proactive steps to improve safety and
security at its facilities, I am concerned that this is the
first time we are hearing about this pilot. To my knowledge, VA
has not yet brought veterans along with this change either. I
look forward to sitting down with Veterans Service
Organizations (VSOs) to hear what veterans want and need to
make them feel safer at all VA facilities. I urge the VA to do
the same.
Thank you, and I yield back.
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you, Ranking Member Mrvan. We will now
turn to witness testimony. Testifying before us today on our
first panel, we have, from the VA, Mr. Alfred Montoya, the
Deputy Assistant Undersecretary for Health Operations at the
VA. We have Mr. Troy Brown, Senior Security Officer at the VA.
We have Ms. Brandy Soto, the Chief of Police, Little Rock
Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Mr. George Chester, Chief of
Police, Detroit, Michigan Veterans Affairs Medical Center
(VAMC). From the American Federation of Government Employees
(AFGE), the 2012 VA Police Officer of the Year, Mr. Bryan Hunt,
AFGE President Local 2384.
[Witnesses sworn.]
Ms. Kiggans. Let the record reflect that the witnesses
answered in the affirmative. You may be seated. Mr. Montoya,
you are now recognized for 5 minutes to provide your testimony.
STATEMENT OF ALFRED MONTOYA
Mr. Montoya. Chairwoman Kiggans, Ranking Member Mrvan, and
members of the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to
join you during National Police Week to discuss the Department
of Veterans Affairs law enforcement and how Congress can best
support VA personnel in their efforts to serve and protect our
veterans, employees, and visitors on VA property. Your past
support has been imperative in ensuring we accomplish our
mission, and we look forward to continuing that close
collaboration.
I am joined today by Chiefs Troy Brown, VA's Senior
Security Officer; Brandy Soto of Little Rock, Arkansas; George
Chester of Detroit, Michigan. I would also like to recognize
Chief Troy Covington of Martinsburg, West Virginia and Major
Mark Moran, a physical security specialist, who are seated
behind me.
The VA police force is crucial in securing VA facilities
through specialized law enforcement. Its role is multifaceted,
encompassing law enforcement, security, and public safety
responsibilities across VA medical centers, regional offices,
and other facilities nationwide. Officers Jason Ledbetter and
Chief Gene Parker at the Kansas City, VA exemplify that role.
Without hesitation, they put themselves directly in harm's way
to safely disarm a veteran with a loaded pistol, his finger on
the trigger, the hammer cocked. Because of their quick action,
professionalism, and compassion, they got that veteran to
surrender, and he was later admitted to receive the mental
health care he needed.
Our officers are highly trained to handle various
situations, from patrols and emergency responses to crisis
intervention, while prioritizing the needs of veterans. We
strive for open, secure facilities while balancing visitor
access, threats, policies, and standards. Adequate security
requires planning to protect people, resources, and property,
prevent theft, and use aids like security screenings and body
cameras.
The Federal Law Enforcement Accreditation Board certifies
the VA's Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC), which offers a
variety of courses for students and staff. VA has also
partnered with law enforcement agencies and other government
organizations, including the National Institutes of Health, the
Department of Commerce, the Army, the Navy, and the Bureau of
Prisons.
Each of our officers is also proudly outfitted with body
cameras, which protect the rights and well beings of veterans
and staff members and foster a culture of trust and
professionalism within the VA community. By capturing critical
incidents and interactions. These cameras provide valuable
insights that can inform training, policies, and decision-
making processes, ultimately ensuring a safer and more secure
environment for all individuals at VA facilities.
VA police faces challenges in recruiting qualified law
enforcement candidates due to competition and negative
perceptions. To address this, VA has a dedicated recruiting
team that uses local initiatives, virtual events, and marketing
campaigns to position itself as an employer of choice. Ensuring
competitive pay to attract and retain qualified personnel is
challenging, as discrepancies between agencies or regions can
lead to retention issues. Federal law enforcement follows the
general schedule, or GS pay scale, with entry level officers
beginning at grades five or six and more experienced and
supervisory staff at higher grades.
Officers can progress through pay steps within their grade
and locality pay and availability pay apply as appropriate.
Pay parity and equity are crucial. Regular market analyses
and salary surveys can align compensation with industry
standards. Fiscal year 2022 saw difficulties in recruitment and
retention. VA developed a shortage occupation blueprint for VA
police to maximize incentives and implement referral programs.
The number of VA police officers--the number of police officers
in VA rather, increased by 7.4 percent in Fiscal Year 2023 and
5.1 percent in Fiscal Year 2024. Currently, there are 4,254
officers on the force. The retention efforts in Fiscal Year
2024 show a positive trend with losses being 20 percent less
than in Fiscal Year 2023 and 25 percent less than in Fiscal
Year 2022.
Our informed and intentional retention efforts have
directly impacted hundreds of officers' decisions to remain in
the VA police force, such as Officers Kara Morton, Timothy
Stanton, Jerome Bell, and Gwendolyn Smith at the Durham VA
Medical Center. These extraordinary officers answered the call
of a terrified veteran's wife whose husband, a veteran in
crisis, had overdosed in their car while sitting in a parking
garage. They saved that veteran's life thanks to their
compassion and quick action. Their actions exemplified the VA
police force's commitment to ensuring a safe and secure
environment for veterans, employees, and visitors alike.
In closing, VA is firmly committed to enhancing our
capabilities through ongoing training, modernization, and
resource allocation. The proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget will
support these efforts and enable us to attract the best talent,
invest in technology, and foster stronger partnerships.
Thank you for allowing me to be here today. My team and I
look forward to responding to your questions.
[The Prepared Statement Of Alfred Montoya Appears In The
Appendix]
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you, Mr. Montoya. Mr. Hunt, you are now
recognized for 5 minutes to provide your testimony.
STATEMENT OF BRYAN HUNT
Mr. Hunt. Chairwoman Kiggans, Ranking Member Mrvan, and
members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting AFGE to
participate in today's hearing. My name is Bryan Hunt and I
serve as the President of AFGE Local 2384 at the Louis A.
Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. I am a
U.S. Army combat veteran who proudly served our country during
Operation Iraqi Freedom in the global war on terrorism.
I am a service connected veteran who both works and
receives my health care at the VA. Additionally, for 12 of my
17 years at the VA, I served as a VA police officer, including
being named VA police officer of the year in 2012.
On behalf of AFGE and its National Veterans Affairs
Council, representing 304,000 VA employees, it is a privilege
to testify today. Specifically, I plan to focus my testimony on
the approximately 2500 VA police officers AFGE represents, 90
percent of whom are veterans themselves. AFGE has several
recommendations for the subcommittee that can help the VA with
recruitment and retention for VA police and help it better
serve veterans.
The single most effective action that Congress can take to
help with the recruitment and retention of the VA police force
is to extend law enforcement officer or LEO status to VA
police. The current definition of a law enforcement officer
relied upon in us code for LEO retirement does not include VA
police. In turn, VA police do not receive retirement benefits
on par with Federal law enforcement officers at other agencies.
AFGE strongly supports H.R. 1322, the Law Enforcement
Officers Equity Act, which would grant these benefits to VA
police. This bipartisan bill currently has 83 cosponsors,
including Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Takano, Ranking Member
Mrvan, Representative Pappas, and five other committee members.
Providing full LEO status to VA police would significantly help
the VA police with recruitment and retention.
Currently, the VA hires new recruits, sends them to the VA
Law Enforcement Training Center, and then sees these officers
depart the VA for police positions with other agencies that do
have these benefits or to State or local departments.
Granting full LEO status to VA police will diminish this
turnover, help the VA maintain a stronger and better trained
police department with higher morale. Additionally, it is
important to note that at a hearing before the subcommittee a
year ago, Tracey Therit, VA's Chief Human Capital Officer,
stated the VA very much supports the Law Enforcement Officer
Equity Act.
Speaking from my own experience, after serving 12 years
with the VA police, I reluctantly took another position at my
VA medical center. This position offered higher pay and room
for advancement. To be frank, if the VA police received LEO
benefits, I would not have left my position. I would still be a
VA police officer today, protecting my fellow veterans.
The VA police have a mission to protect those who served
and I am proud to have been a part of that mission. The VA
needs to recruit and retain a young and viable police force
where future officers are not faced with a difficult decision
that I had to make for me and my family. I urge members of this
committee to cosponsor H.R. 1322 and support its passage.
Next, the VA needs to improve the staffing levels of VA
police to address documented severe shortages. To address this,
VA has created GS-7 senior police officer positions and AFGE
urges VA to continue to improve upward mobility. Furthermore,
AFGE also supports changing statute to allow Federal police
officers to advance from GS-7 to GS-9 without a year as a GS-8,
which is currently required.
AFGE is also concerned about the broad discretion local
facility management has in its police department budget. AFGE
has heard reports that some directors are intentionally
characterizing their facilities in ways that justify having a
police force, a smaller police force than what is required. We
urge the VA to enforce its staffing models consistently.
Furthermore, AFGE wants to highlight that VA police are
funded from the same budgets as other medical center personnel.
Medical center directors are forced to choose between hiring
medical professionals or police officers. AFGE believes the
committee and VA should consider a dedicated funding source for
VA police to ensure that veterans protection is not a second
tier funding priority.
Finally, one of the key strengths of the VA police is the
level of training officers must undergo to serve the veteran
population, including crisis intervention training. This
training is an extremely important and specialized investment
that is intended to save lives. However, the high attrition
rates of VA police who undergo this training puts an added
strain on the VA resources when considering cost of training.
This is exemplified by the LETC charging over $14,000 for a VA
police officer standard training course taken out of the
medical center's budget and does not include the crisis
intervention training required by VA Veterans Comprehensive
Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment (COMPACT) Act.
AFGE urges the committee to study how much VA spends on
training, as well as a breakdown of costs for officers who
leave shortly after receiving training. Additionally, the VA
should calculate how it can save money by providing LEO
benefits and improved use of special salary rates and retention
bonuses. Improving retention would reduce the need for the VA
to repeatedly provide training to new officers who are back-
filling positions due to poor retention. AFGE looks forward to
working with the subcommittee to improve the recruitment,
retention and morale of the VA police.
Thank you and I am happy to answer any questions you may
have.
[The Prepared Statement Of Bryan Hunt Appears In The
Appendix]
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you, Mr. Hunt. We will now move to
questions, and I yield myself 5 minutes. Chief Soto, I am glad
to hear there has been a small uptick in VA police officers
nationwide. Have the VA's efforts helped with recruitment and
retention in Little Rock?
Ms. Soto. Thank you for that question, madam. Our
recruitment efforts have definitely improved in Little Rock
with our efforts to be able to offer the relocation incentives,
the recruitment incentives, the benefit of having a CSI option
has definitely improved us as well. We go out and we market and
search for those great candidates to be able to come and join
our police force. Short answer, yes, ma'am, they have.
The retention is a problem when it comes to them--being
here in Little Rock, we have to offer more of a better benefit
to be able to keep them in our ranks as opposed to them jumping
to Little Rock Department or North Little Rock Department or a
civil or Federal agency. Part of the argument that Mr. Hunt, I
definitely appreciate that, and what Ranking Member Mrvan
specified when it comes to retention and retirement. That is a
very, very important tool that we need to be able to keep them
on board as well as training, giving them their training. It is
a benefit for us in Little Rock because we have LETC, the Law
Enforcement Training Center right next door. We offer we are
able to give them our--with the support from our Medical Center
Director, we are able to give them the opportunities to go and
have--be trained at the Law Enforcement Training Center.
Ms. Kiggans. Is the VA police force having the same
problems as our civilian police forces have, where they are
kind of robbing or trading with each other for positions? Are
you in the mix?
Ms. Soto. Yes, ma'am. We usually say we steal from Peter to
pay Paul. We definitely use that analogy. I have lost several
good officers to our local civilian law enforcement. I have
lost several good officers to the Parks Department, you know,
different types of Federal agencies because they are well
trained. They are very experienced. In Little Rock, I have a
dual campus, so they are able to get that experience under
their belt. Then they get advertised out and they go and
improve their work-life balance in a different agency.
Ms. Kiggans. We just do not have enough. Chief Chester,
along those same lines, how about in Detroit? What have you
been seeing?
Mr. Chester. Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Thing is that we have
had a chance to improve our recruitment because of the special
salary rate (SSR). Compared to Detroit Police Department that
received a raise, we were able to look at our SSR, get an
increase in our SSR to retain some of our officers. Because
prior to that, I did lose some of my officers to go to other
police agencies within our community.
Ms. Kiggans. Okay, good. Mr. Hunt, congrats, first of all,
on being honored as VA police officer of the year. We are happy
to have you here. I am glad you are still working at the VA. I
am sure the VA police would have loved to have kept you. I know
you talked a little bit about some of the things that, the
reasons you left and the law enforcement officer's status, and
some of the benefits and perhaps better pay and career growth
opportunities for you.
What would you say is the number one reform needed to keep
quality police officers like yourself in the police force?
Mr. Hunt. Thank you for the question, Congresswoman. I
would say the single most are the 6(c) LEO benefits. We just
cannot, the VA can just not compete with other Federal
agencies. When these officers get on with the VA, they realize
that, frankly, they are getting a raw deal, because they can go
to every Federal agency and get these benefits and they start
shopping around.
Ms. Kiggans. We will work on that. Then how about, Mr.
Brown? Before my Senate colleagues engaged you about compliance
with the Compact Act and its required suicide prevention
training, it is my understanding that a large majority of VA
police officers lacked the necessary training. What are you
doing to rectify this and make sure they get that important
training?
Mr. Brown. Madam, Chairwoman, thank you for the question.
Recently, we redesigned our training modules for crisis
intervention training. We have posted it on a SharePoint, our
talent management system, in order for us to better aggregate
the data and be able to provide that data. We do believe that
our data was low when we initially responded to those
questions. However, we had to develop ways to make sure we can
collect that data and provide accurate information.
We have a series of different things that are happening
where we are requiring the Medical Center Directors and Network
Directors to respond in attestation that they have ensured that
that training has been completed. Those, those responses are
due early June. We have a requirement for all training for not
only the 0083 police officer, the 4,200 that Mr. Al Montoya
quoted, but all 6,000 employees, including the Chiefs, the
Deputy Chiefs and the supervisory ranks. We anticipate for that
training to be completed before the end of the fiscal year. It
requires an interactive, interactive exercise with our
community law enforcement and our community partners, social
work and mental health. While many police officers have
completed the training, the modules, they are coordinating the
effort to get the community engagement interactive exercise
completed as well.
Ms. Kiggans. Who actually conducts that training?
Mr. Brown. It will be the police officers, our mental
health partners, our social work partners, along with the
community partners in the same occupational series or
occupation as in law enforcement, mental health, and social
work as well.
Ms. Kiggans. Part of it includes the simulation, right?
Mr. Brown. Yes, ma'am. Tabletop simulations, coordination.
Yes, ma'am.
Ms. Kiggans. Do you feel like the training is effective?
Mr. Brown. Yes. The training is in addition to what we are
leaning toward in a full effort, which is having each police
officer certified in crisis intervention through Crisis
Intervention Team (CIT) International. That is a larger
accomplishment that we need to work to achieve.
Meanwhile, while we are working toward the industry
standard of crisis intervention training, certification and/or
instructors, we have the CIT training modules that we have
vetted through CIT International. It includes behavioral
health, suicide prevention, deflection training, de-escalation
training. Every police officer who attends the Law Enforcement
Training Center as a new incumbent has to complete that
training. Every police officer will receive that training
annually, and we will also push toward the certifications and
instructor certifications as well.
Ms. Kiggans. Good. Thank you very much for that answer. Now
I will yield 5 minutes to Ranking Member Mrvan.
Mr. Mrvan. Thank you, Chairwoman. Mr. Montoya, the VA data
indicated that the average vacancy rate across the Veterans
Integrated Service Network (VISN) for the department police
officer is about 31 percent. How does that compare to other
occupational series across the VA?
Mr. Montoya. Yes, Ranking Member Mrvan, thank you for that
question. You know, I think when we look at the vacancy rate
for our police officers, this is one where it is trending in
the right direction. Right now, we are actually seeing that at
about 22.1 percent. As far as how it compares to other
occupations, I will have to take that one back to the record to
be able to provide to the committee.
One thing, though, that I am very proud about right now is
that this last quarter, our quit rate amongst VA police
officers is at about 1.2 percent. I think we are really on
track to having that quit rate be less than 6 percent if we
keep along those lines, which last year that quit rate was just
about 8 percent.
Mr. Mrvan. Then to follow up, what has the VA learned from
the exit surveys from departing police officers? Are there any
trends in terms of reason why police officers are leaving VA?
Mr. Montoya. Yes, so that is, again, an excellent question.
I think I will turn back to my previous experience as a Medical
Center Director, where I actually met with police officers as
they were deciding to leave Federal service really asked them,
why. Why, you know, with a mission such as the VA, why would
you leave? Many times, it was based on pay. It was based on
opportunities related to pay. For those specific exit survey
questions, I would actually like to turn to Chief Brown, who I
think could answer that.
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir. Ranking Member Mrvan, what we noticed
in 2018 when assuming this position as a new role in VA, we
realized that we needed to modernize the police force. In old
Marine Corps terminology, we thought that it would be best to
tear the current system down to the ground and restart.
What we created was a modernization effort for each police
officer to be able to grow from a GS-5, for the lower level,
those who had minimum experience, to a GS-15, as well as having
varying pathways in different directions between training,
physical security, criminal investigations, and operations, to
give them an opportunity to use a path in their experience and
what they desire to grow within the organization.
What we are learning is that that created an opportunity
for them. People are retained. We are able to send police
officers to training outside of the Law Enforcement Training
Center. We have a new partnership with the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center, as well, in FLETC.
We have a partnership with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
for our SkillBridge program, where we go into the military
within the 6-months of a military personnel Expiration Term of
Service (ETS) and recruit and retain them into the police
department. We actually send them to a place that they desire
to live, and we place them in an area that they want to live in
with their family. It is a transition and military SkillBridge
program that we are instituting.
We are doing many things to be attractive, moving toward
21st century law enforcement. We are building the ecosystem
around the troops, having those resources that they desire. We
are moving in toward energy weapons. We want to make sure that
they understand the decision they have to make before they send
the bullet downrange. We want to make sure that we have
industry standard training available for the troops and be able
to provide those resources for them so they can want to stay,
and they want to grow within the VA system.
Mr. Mrvan. Mr. Hunt, thank you for sharing your experience
with the committee, and thank you for your service to the VA.
We greatly appreciate you being here today. Can you share again
why you decided to leave the VA police force?
Mr. Hunt. Thank you for the question, Congressman. Yes,
basically I was taking stock of my career. I would been at the
VA for 12 years. I enjoyed being a VA police officer. It is, I
will say, it is an honorable mission.
As I was taking into account the type of job, the things,
the requirements, what you are putting--the nature of the work,
and you realize that your pay and benefits are the same as the
other employees. Outside, at that time, outside the VA police,
there was a more opportunity for advancement to move up in your
career. That opportunity was not there. I made the decision
that based on that, to move on.
I did not want to leave the VA. As a veteran, I love
working in the VA and serving veterans, so I tried to stay
within the VA, but I had to move out of the police service in
order to advance my career.
Mr. Mrvan. If I could, the H.R. 1322, the Law Enforcement
Officers Equity Act, which I am proud to be a cosponsor,
expands the definition of Federal law enforcement officer to
include VA police officers. This would finally correct the
inequity between the VA and the Federal law enforcement
personnel with their retirement benefits. Can you speak to how
this legislation may help retention, the retention of the VA
police officers?
Mr. Hunt. Yes. Thank you for the question, Congressman.
Yes, as I stated earlier, we bring high-quality officers on. We
put them through this excellent training. The new officers,
sometimes they do not know these 6(c) benefits exist, or maybe
new to the Federal police force. They get on VA police, we
train them, we season them, and then they come to realize, it
is there, that they are kind of getting a raw deal because
their other Federal officer counterparts are receiving these
other benefits that they do not. Then they begin looking to
those agencies.
Mr. Mrvan. Thank you very much. With that, I yield back.
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you. The Chair now yields 5 minutes to
General Bergman.
Mr. Bergman. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. A perfect week,
since it is National Police Week, to have all of you in here. I
know there must be at least one Marine in the crowd because you
referenced the Marine Corps. How many military? All Marines,
Navy, Army, Air Force. All right. No space, no space cadets in
there yet right? Oh, space guardians. I am sorry.
All right, well, you know, thanks to all of you and your
understanding of security beyond the level of what you are
doing now, because you got some good training in your
respective services and the responsibility for 400,000 VA
employees and roughly 7 million annual patients. I am not going
to be parochial on this, but I want to use as an example lower
Michigan. Chief Chester, you have got, you are Dingell. Yes? Or
are you at Ann Arbor?
Mr. Chester. Detroit, sir. John D. Dingell.
Mr. Bergman. Dingell. Okay, so you are at Dingell, you are
downtown Detroit. We have got Ann Arbor VA. We got Battle
Creek. We got Saginaw in the lower peninsula. Okay. We will not
even talk about Iron Mountain because, you know, that is a long
distance.
When it comes to your ability to recruit and more
importantly, retain, let us assume for the sake of discussion
here that you get a good police officer who, let us say they
are a Dingell and they want to move. They want to go up to
Saginaw or they want to go to Battle Creek or they want to go
west. Is it, do they have the, do you have the ability to
transfer people? Is there a program that exists? Again, this is
more about retention than it is anybody else. I mean, is that a
real thing? Or do we need to consider making it a real thing?
Or how does that help you?
Mr. Chester. Yes, sir. That is a real thing. We do have
officers that transfer. It is if I have a vacancy, I will post
it. Thing is, is that they can apply or we do have a direct
hire where we can do direct hires where that person can reach
out to us and submit their resume. I can look at it and then
from there it is submitted to HR is where they do resume
review. If they meet the criteria, they can transfer to our
facility. I am not sure if Mr. Montoya has something else that
he would like to add.
Mr. Montoya. Yes, sir. General Bergman, it is always good
to see you. We do have those authorities in place right now to
be able to move officers, should they wish to, from facility to
facility across VA.
Mr. Bergman. When you do that and when you talk about
standardization of training, standardization of procedures. If
they went from, let us say, Dingell to Ann Arbor to Saginaw to
Battle Creek, using that example, would they see the same
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)?
Mr. Montoya. Yes, so they generally would see the same
SOPs. I think what is great about this example that you are
using, as well, is that the organizational structure from VA
police to VA police department is the same. Right. That is a
standardized approach that Chief Brown was able to roll out and
really push across all VA police departments across the
country.
Mr. Bergman. How do we then, if we can transfer within and
you have got your, if you will, your career force, are we able
to be--where are the limiting factors in VA police force being
competitive when, let us say, Detroit Police or Ann Arbor
Police or, you know, Saginaw Police, or Battle Creek Police to,
you know, keep going down that road? Are we competing? Are we
losing people to those police departments?
Mr. Montoya. Yes, sir. As we are--thing is that we do lose
people to those police agencies because part of the issue is
just say, for instance, with a Detroit Police Department, they
go from a starting entry pay to top pay within 5 years. With us
there is the steps where it takes almost 18 years to get to a
step 10. That is part of the issue also. Like we may have a new
officer that comes on before he reached top pay to a GS-6, step
10 is 18 years. For a Detroit Police Officer, for him to go
from entry level to top pay is 5 years.
That is part of the issue. That is why we are losing some
of our police officers that come on board. They get well
trained, they are highly marketable, but then they go to some
other agencies where they can reach top pay in 5 years.
Mr. Bergman. Okay, well, thank you. I see my time is about
up. I think we may have an opportunity in using the four
examples of the VA hospitals to do, kind of, a comparison with
recruiting and retention when it comes to competing with the
other law enforcement agencies. With that, thank you again for
all you do and still doing it with a smile on your face and
helping those vets.
I yield back.
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you, General Bergman. The Chair now
yields 5 minutes to Mr. Pappas.
Mr. Pappas. Thanks very much, Madam Chair. It is good to
see you all here. Thank you all for your service and for what
you do for veterans each and every day. Mr. Montoya, thanks for
your testimony here. I have to say, you still have a lot of
fans in New Hampshire. We are grateful for the job that you did
at the Manchester VA, and I think you have a unique perspective
here to offer, and it came out in that last exchange, just as
someone who has been a Medical Center Director who has worked
with a variety of different personnel at VA, including our
police forces, and so we appreciate your contributions to this
discussion.
Mr. Hunt, maybe I could turn to you, and I think what you
provided the Committee was perhaps one of the best examples of
just testimony on the unique role of the VA police force. I am
wondering if you could chat a little bit more with us about the
training that prepares recruits to come into this unique
situation. Do you feel that it is adequate and are there any
other tools that Congress can help provide, as we think
specifically about the issue of veteran suicide to help equip
our VA police officers what they see each and every day?
Mr. Hunt. Thank you for the question, Congressman. Yes. The
thing that comes to mind for me are mental hygiene hold orders.
Those vary by state. In West Virginia, for example, where I
worked, if there was a suicidal veteran, and the staff reports
to me as a police officer or even other staff, hey, this
veteran, he is threatening suicide. He is leaving, he is
walking out the door. I do not have the, as a VA police officer
or any police officer really in West Virginia, have the
authority to stop him from leaving, and neither do the staff.
In West Virginia specifically, it requires a mental hygiene
order from a mental hygiene commissioner. Once that is issued,
then we can go intervene with the veteran. At that point, there
may have been--a tragedy may have taken place.
If there was some type of legislation that the VA could use
VA wide, how to handle, you know, hold orders for suicidal
veterans, I think that would be a great tool for the veterans,
the police, and the staff.
Mr. Pappas. I appreciate that. You mentioned in your
testimony the expense of sending new officers to the Law
Enforcement Training Center. You know, that is a cost and an
investment that is lost if an officer leaves, say, within the
first few weeks or first few months of their service. I am
wondering if it is reasonable to believe that other
investments, like in retirement benefits, some of the other
provisions that you mentioned in your testimony are smart with
respect to the retention issue that we are struggling with?
Mr. Hunt. Thank you for the question, Congressman. Yes, I
would--the short answer is yes. Higher retention rate equals
less money being spent on training. I said earlier that money
comes from the VA medical center's budget. The higher the
retention at the hospital, the more money the hospital has to
spend out of its own budget to send the police officers to be
trained. Yes, in my opinion, yes.
Mr. Pappas. Yes. Mr. Montoya, I do not know if you want to
reflect on that at all, in terms of where we stand with
retention, in particular. Have we seen any progress being made
in terms of the statistics the last few years?
Mr. Montoya. Yes. Congressman Pappas, it is also good to
see you. It has been a long time, but certainly enjoyed my time
there up in New Hampshire. In my oral testimony, I mentioned,
referenced our retention efforts and the work that has happened
so far. I actually think that we have been doing quite a good
job since 2022. When we think back to 2022, it was a hard
recruitment and retention time for VA police officers.
Thanks to Troy Brown and the Chiefs all coming together,
doing the Blueprint for VA police. It really allowed us to
bring forward those tools that we needed to decrease the
retention. What we have now is 7.4 percent. Our police officers
increased by 7.4 percent in Fiscal Year 2023, 5.1 percent in
Fiscal Year 2024. When we look at retention in Fiscal Year
2024, it showed a positive trend, with losses being 20 percent
less than Fiscal Year 2023. Now, compare that to 2022, and it
is actually 25 percent less. It definitely shows that the
Blueprint that has been created along with the recruitment
retention tools is definitely making an impact.
Mr. Pappas. Well, thanks for that. I hope you would also
agree that some of the other provisions that Mr. Hunt talked
about, some of the legislation that is pending, could also move
the needle with respect to recruitment and retention.
Mr. Montoya. Yes. The way I look at it, both in my role now
and in my previous role as a Medical Center Director, is that
you have to use all the tools in your toolbox to be able to
recruit and retain your staff. Whether that be the special
incentives or retention or special salary rates, certainly
everything that we have available is what we are throwing at
the retention issues and recruitment issues that we have.
Certainly anything extra would help toward that retention.
Mr. Pappas. Well, thanks very much. Mr. Brown, you had
mentioned about some responses that were due in June. I know I
am out of time now, but just to highlight that, I would
certainly be interested in seeing that, along with the other
subcommittee members here.
Mr. Brown. Yes, Congressman.
Mr. Pappas. Thanks very much. I yield back.
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir.
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you. The Chair now yields 5 minutes to
Mr. Luttrell.
Mr. Luttrell. Mr. Chester and Ms. Soto, Chiefs of Police at
your medical facilities, you are the senior officers at those
places, correct?
Ms. Soto. Yes, sir.
Mr. Luttrell. Who is your touchpoint when you go up into
the organization at Veterans Affairs? Would that be Mr. Brown?
Ms. Soto. You go through our VISN Chiefs and it ultimately
goes to Mr. Brown.
Mr. Luttrell. Mr. Brown, you are the ultimate touchpoint in
Veterans Affairs?
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir.
Mr. Luttrell. Do you communicate down and inside the
organizations at every single VA facility across the country?
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir. Absolutely.
Mr. Luttrell. We have out of 1300 or, excuse me, 4500
officers across the country. Roughly 1300 completed the suicide
prevention awareness training?
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir.
Mr. Luttrell. When we talk about crisis intervention that
they have to perform annually----
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir.
Mr. Luttrell [continuing]. do you have the numbers with you
on how many officers have completed the crisis intervention
program to date?
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir. As I mentioned earlier, every VA
police officer and new incumbent has to complete the CIT
training during the POST course, the police officer
standardized training course.
Mr. Luttrell. If they do it annually, so they have to do it
every single year. Even the current police officers?
Mr. Brown. Current police officers, the number is, the hard
number is 1295, which we responded to. Also, we had just
recently----
Mr. Luttrell. 1295 for suicide prevention. Is crisis
intervention and suicide prevention the same thing?
Mr. Brown. It is included in the module, sir. Yes, sir. Our
behavioral health sciences and suicide prevention is all
combined inside of our Law Enforcement Training Center training
during that police officer training certification. It is a 400-
hour certification course to become a police officer.
Mr. Luttrell. At the VA facility that I am--that is in my
district, I get a lot of feedback from my veterans about red-
flag laws----
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir.
Mr. Luttrell [continuing]. inside the VA. Who is
responsible for creating the red-flag laws that exist inside
the VA in each individual medical center? Mr. Montoya.
Mr. Montoya. Yes, sir. I will have to take that question
for the record and come back to you.
Mr. Luttrell. We do not have a name for this specific----
Mr. Montoya. I actually do not know who creates the red-
flag, sir. I know exactly what you are talking about in medical
records, but I do not know the person that does that.
Mr. Luttrell. Okay. I see this and I, in absolute respect,
in your services and thank you for both sides, military and
now, and I can only imagine the complexities of everything that
you deal with every single day.
When I see the numbers of the absence of training when it
comes to crisis intervention and you are dealing with a veteran
in distress. Okay? These red-flag laws, and I have been trying
to get to the bottom of them myself and I want to talk to the
person directly responsible for creating those regulations.
Okay, Mr. Montoya, if you can give me that answer, I would
really appreciate it, because I see a systemic--I do not know
if it is systemic, but I see a problem in my area that the red-
flag law seems to be once they are hung, they are never unhung.
I have veterans that are sometimes in duress when they are
engaging in the veteran community, in the VA facility.
Obviously, the ones that they are going to engage with are the
officers. If the officers are not completely trained up on
crisis intervention, are they engaging with those veterans
correctly? That is a problem, and I want to make sure that that
problem goes away. Does that make sense?
Mr. Montoya. Yes, it totally makes sense, sir. We certainly
will come back to you with the information you requested.
Mr. Luttrell. I would love to have an answer next week, if
you do not mind, because I can assure you----
Mr. Montoya. I will try----
Mr. Luttrell. When I go home--every time I go home--I can
promise you I have some wonderful individuals in my district
that make sure that this is the one thing that I am engaging
with as a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and I want
to get to the bottom of this so I can answer their question
thoroughly.
Mr. Montoya. Absolutely.
Mr. Luttrell. If this is--if the--if the red-flag is
something that, if we do not have a sound, concrete answer on
exactly what--how this is playing out and it is different in
every facility, that is a bad thing. Okay?
Mr. Montoya. Yes. I will tell you, I am going to put on my
hat as a former Medical Center Director. I do recall, actually,
at all the medical centers that I was at, that there was a
disruptive behavior committee (DBC). All of the instances that
come up from a veteran that may have a potential flag or does
have a flag goes through that DBC is what it is called, that
has clinicians on it, providers on that, and they make that
decision based on all of the information that they have in that
veteran's----
Mr. Luttrell. A single red flag can last 2 years. Correct?
Mr. Montoya. It actually can be removed from the record.
The process to be able to do that is to go back through that
disruptive behavior committee, to be able to have them look at
it again to make sure that there is not a threat.
Mr. Luttrell. Okay. Madam Chair, I yield back. Thank you.
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you, Mr. Luttrell. The Chair now
recognizes Mr. Rosendale for 5 minutes.
Mr. Rosendale. Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank
you all for coming in today. Really do appreciate it. I am
proud to support law enforcement and believe that the VA law
enforcement plays an essential role in ensuring the security of
veterans and the VA facilities. We have seen a troubling
increase in crime at VA facilities. Despite the number of
veterans frequenting VA facilities having gone down due to
telehealth and care in the community. Policing is a hard job
that requires courage, strength, and grit. I have seen
firsthand the important work that police officers in Montana
and across the country do to make our community safer.
Additionally, we must ensure that police officers' Second
Amendment rights are not being infringed upon when they receive
health care at the VA facilities. I am working on legislation
that would bolster the Second Amendment rights of all citizens
at the VA, whether they be private citizens or law enforcement,
as a direct result of requests from patients that are currently
attending there. They think that their rights are being
infringed upon, and we have recognized that they actually have
been. There is those who would try to make it even more
difficult for the patients to be able to feel comfortable in
exercising their Second Amendment rights.
Mr. Brown, the testimony that you provided mentioned
negative media coverage and public sentiment toward law
enforcement can deter individuals from pursuing careers in
policing. Mr. Montoya also stated negative perception, just
said, negative perception, as a major hurdle in maintaining an
adequate law enforcement presence at the VA. I am sure that
this also contributes to the 8 percent quit rate that you also
referenced.
I have just got a couple of simple questions for you, Mr.
Brown. Do you think rhetoric calling for defunding the police
harms recruitment?
Mr. Brown. The word defunding seems harmful. There is a
misunderstanding----
Mr. Rosendale. Okay. Do you think that saying, and I quote,
``law enforcement does not protect or save lives, they often
threaten and take them?''
Mr. Brown. I do not agree.
Mr. Rosendale. Harms recruiting?
Mr. Brown. Can you repeat the question?
Mr. Rosendale. Do you think that someone saying law
enforcement does not protect or save lives, they often threaten
and take them. Do you think that that statement harms
recruiting?
Mr. Brown. It does.
Mr. Rosendale. Okay. Do you think saying policing in our
country is inherently and intentionally racist, harms
recruiting efforts?
Mr. Brown. Absolutely.
Mr. Rosendale. Do you think district attorneys deciding not
to prosecute armed robberies and allowing violent criminals to
remain on the street harms recruiting?
Mr. Brown. Absolutely.
Mr. Rosendale. Okay. I really appreciate that. Would you
also agree that it is reprehensible that these are all quotes
and actions that have been taken by prominent Democrat
politicians in the past few years?
Mr. Brown. I would agree with politicians.
Mr. Rosendale. We should be praising law enforcement, not
tearing them down. Mr. Brown, I have heard several complaints
that when VA Medical Centers spend tens of thousands of dollars
to send new officers to Law Enforcement Training Center in
Arkansas, if they do return to the same Medical Center, the VA
Medical Center, at all, they are often dejected and looking for
another opportunity. Do you think that law enforcement training
center is somewhat responsible for VA's abysmal retention
stats?
Mr. Brown. I would like to respond. Thank you for the
question. We have recently looked at the Law Enforcement
Training Center, partnering with them as our educational
institution, modify the training institution, in Fiscal Year
2025, we will have them expand their territory from Little Rock
to other parts of the country where training is needed. When
that team goes out to those areas, we have reduced the amount
of expense or cost to the course.
Mr. Rosendale. Sure. Do you think that rather than just
going out and building a new mousetrap, if you will, that if
there is adequate or equal training can be undertaken in other
parts of the country that is easier for officers to attend and
less costly for the VA Medical Centers to send them to? Should
not that be able to be utilized?
Mr. Brown. Yes, sir. We are on our second pilot as we stand
today. In Orlando, the second group of police officers in this
pilot would graduate June the 5th.
Mr. Rosendale. Good deal. Thank you very much for your
answers. Again, thank the committee very much for the panel for
coming in today. I yield back, Madam Chair.
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you, Mr. Rosendale, and thank you so
much again to our first panel of witnesses for coming today. I
appreciate the candor and your testimony and your willingness
to participate. I, just again, a very happy National Police
Week to all of you. Thank you so much for your service, not
only in the military, but to our veterans. We really appreciate
you all being here and taking the time to travel.
I call the committee to a 2-minute recess, and we will
prepare for our second panel.
[Recess.]
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you again for our panel for being here
today, testifying before us. On our second panel, we have Mr.
Kapua Conley, the Regional President of Sentara Healthcare,
based out of Hampton, Virginia. Mr. Chuck Dowd, the Vice
President of the Public Safety Broadband Technology
Association, and Mr. John Retzer, the Assistant National
Legislative Director for Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
Will the witnesses please stand and raise their right hand?
[Witnesses sworn.]
Ms. Kiggans. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you
are about to provide is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth? Thank you. You may be seated. Let the record
reflect that the witnesses answered the affirmative.
Mr. Conley, I appreciate you coming here from Hampton
Roads. You are now recognized for 5 minutes to provide your
testimony.
STATEMENT OF KAPUA CONLEY
Mr. Conley. Thank you, Chairwoman Kiggans. Members of the
committee, thank you for the privilege of addressing you today
on one of Sentara Health's top priorities, the safety of our
employees, patients, and all the visitors who walk into our
facilities.
My name is Kapua Conley, Regional President for Sentara
Health. Sentara is an integrated delivery network with 12
hospitals in the mid Atlantic, a health plan, and more than
30,000 employees. Our largest hospital is a level one trauma
center, just miles from Naval Station Norfolk, and we serve
many active duty, veterans, and their families.
Keeping our employees, patients and visitors safe is a
responsibility we take very seriously. As you will hear from my
comments today. From my perspective, security is both a feeling
and a reality, and they are not the same. Making our employees
and patients feel safe is just as important as keeping them
safe. The statistics around workplace safety and healthcare in
the healthcare environment are staggering. We know that
healthcare workers are 5 times more likely to experience
violence compared to those in any other private profession.
Outside of law enforcement, the emergency department (ED)
is the second most dangerous workplace. The U.S. Bureau of
Labor and Statistics found that healthcare workers account for
73 percent of injuries from workplace violence. The threat to
nurses, physicians, and other healthcare workers has been on
the rise since 2011. Those statistics are a reality on the
front lines of healthcare. 64 handguns, 1,204 knives, 158 box
cutters, 84 tasers and two machetes. This is an inventory of
weapons intercepted at the doors of emergency departments in
just two Sentara hospitals within the past year. In total,
security personnel have prevented nearly 2,484 weapons from
entering Sentara Norfolk General and Sentara Virginia Beach
General hospitals during that time. Our security team seeks to
first, prevent and deter violence within our facilities.
Second, we seek to prevent--we seek to protect our employees,
patients and visitors from harm or injury should a violent
incident occur.
To prevent and deter violence, Sentara has implemented
sophisticated, state-of-the-art concealed weapon detection
systems. Over the next 2 years, every hospital will have the
system in place. When our Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dennis
Mathis sat down with some of our frontline employees to discuss
this initiative, he was concerned about pushback as hospitals
are havens of healing. One nurse reminded Dennis that our
children walk through metal detectors every day going to
school. This is now our new norm.
In addition, Sentara has implemented a visitor management
system. This allows us to know who is entering our facility and
whether they are authorized to do so, reducing criminal acts
and workplace violence. Also, in addition to the thousands of
cameras located throughout our hospitals, we have personal
duress alarms, and a new emergency notification system to
better communicate with our teams and take proactive action.
All frontline employees are trained on de-escalation and
Sentara's implemented cutting edge active shooter training,
including full scale active shooter drill involving all our
emergency services community partners.
To ensure the highest level of safety, Sentara recognizes
the need to be proactive and not reactive. Each and every
member of our team is critical to the safety of all. This
responsibility to keep each other safe is ingrained in our
culture and built into our daily protocols, training, and
technology. Every nurse has a capability and responsibility to
flag patient medical records for individuals who exhibit
threatening behavior. Our support staff follow the buddy system
when serving these patients. Security patrols keep a close
watch on units with potentially violent patients, and they make
sure the flags on our electronic medical records (EMRs) match
signage on the units. Patient flags are evaluated every 12
hours and removed if a patient is no longer a threat.
Multidisciplinary core threat assessment teams in each
division review all workplace violent incidences, ensure use of
protocol--ensure use of flags, analyze trends and root causes,
and recommend additional training and protocols to maximize
safety. These teams rally on short notice when there is an
urgent need for a coordinated and decisive response to
potential threats. Our in house security professionals are
essential to our strategic approach to safety. Sentara is
training an elite team of security office to receive
certification by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice
Services, and who are implementing video magistrate rooms that
permit police and staff to directly link with the magistrate to
provide evidence and swear out arrest warrants in real time for
a criminal event that has or may occur.
In conclusion, a year-over-year review has showed that we
have dramatically decreased workplace violence by 19 percent.
This proves that a comprehensive strategic approach toward
safety can positively impact the well-being of our employees
and our patients that we serve. Again, security is both a
feeling and a reality, and they are not the same. This needs to
be taken into consideration when we are looking at our own
veterans' medical facilities. Sentara stands ready to
collaborate and to partner with the VA system on how to best
assess, support, and implement best practices in safety and
security in these facilities. We have made an investment in
safety which has returns beyond a dollar amount. I hope the VA
system will do the same.
I am happy to take any questions at the appropriate time.
[The Prepared Statement Of Kapua Conley Appears In The
Appendix]
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you. Mr. Conley, Mr. Dowd, you are now
recognized for 5 minutes to provide your testimony.
STATEMENT OF CHUCK DOWD
Mr. Dowd. Thank you, madam chair, ranking member. I am
Chuck Dowd. I am a retired assistant chief from the New York
City Police Department. I did 34 and a half years there, the
last 12 and a half years as I ran the New York City 911 system
in all things communications. I am now a part of the Public
Safety Broadband Technology Association, which is comprised of
the Nation's leading public safety executives and associations,
of all professional backgrounds of our leaders. All include
extensive experience with the knowledge of technology related
to public safety. Our diverse group of executives understand
public safety needs and requirements, and most importantly, in
the context of this hearing, those related to public safety
communications.
In 2012, Congress passed legislation to create a nationwide
public safety broadband network that is known as FirstNet, and
it exists today. It is run and managed by U.S. Department of
Commerce and the--the FirstNet authority, which exists inside
Commerce. It has been a tremendous success, in my view. They
have close to 6 million members of public safety utilizing the
network today, and 26,000 public safety organizations.
Modern technology for communications today, one of the
difficulties that we were experiencing during September 11th
and those kinds of events was the simple fact that we could not
communicate with each other. Interoperability was always
problematic. We operated kind of in geographic bubbles where we
could interoperate. Ultimately, you know, when--when you went
beyond that bubble, there was no capability of communications.
It is been well documented the difficulties during September
11th between the police department and the fire department
unable to communicate with each other. FirstNet, in my view,
solves that problem.
The Public Safety Broadband association exists to help
support all public safety organizations in utilizing the
technology that is been developed that can be run through that
FirstNet network. That is a nationwide network. When it comes
to the VA, I understand, they are using FirstNet, but I also
believe that it is--it is a capability that can be further used
because there are so many capabilities, so many applications
that can be used on FirstNet that could be used toward making
communications for the VA far more successful than they even
are today.
I know that in our experience in New York City, a very
complex communications environment for public safety. Dozens of
public safety agencies, either State, Federal, or local,
functioning inside the city of New York or operating inside New
York, we were of the--we were of the position and always
allowed for those agencies to operate on all frequencies as
long as they followed a few simple guidelines. You know, that
is something that could be replicated every place else. If the
VA police are struggling with communications with other--with
their public safety partners locally, that is something that
the Public Safety Broadband Technology Association can help
with.
One of the things that needs to happen in order for that to
be successful and critical, and this was missing on September
11th, is incident management protocols. You can have all the
technology you want, but if public safety organizations are not
working together, not setting up protocols, not drilling
together, not doing tabletop exercises together when there is
an emergency, you cannot start that there. That has to happen
before. That was one of the lessons learned out of the
September 11th attacks. Again, the Public Safety Broadband
Technology Association can help with that.
One of the things that we could do, for example, is we
could introduce the VA police and other Federal police agencies
into the International association chief of police committees.
There are a number of committees that they could work with, and
so, that would--like the Technology and communications
committee inside them where they could be on that committee and
share and understand the common problems that affect public
safety communications on a much more broad scale.
I am going to stop there. Happy to answer any questions you
have, and again, I thank you for the opportunity to speak
today.
[The Prepared Statement Of Chuck Dowd Appears In The
Appendix]
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you very much, Mr. Dowd, for your
testimony and technology you advocate for our police officers
nationwide, including in my district. Mr. Retzer, you are
recognized now for 5 minutes to provide your testimony.
STATEMENT OF JON RETZER
Mr. Retzer. Thank you Chairwoman Kiggins, Ranking member
Mrvan, and members of the subcommittee. DAV is pleased to offer
our perspectives on the VA police force and security issues.
First, DAV would like to express our deep gratitude to the
VA police and security support teams for their unwavering
dedication in serving and protecting our veteran community. VA
police officers are responsible for deterring, stopping, and
investigating crimes and maintaining order within Veterans
Benefits Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration
(VHA), and National Cemetery Administration (NCA). With a total
workforce of over 471,000 employees who provide services and
care to millions of veterans a year.
The VA healthcare system is encompassed of 172 VA medical
centers and 1,138 community-based outpatient sites of care.
Unfortunately, a community this large comes with security and
safety issues. The VA 2023 annual performance plan reported the
number of violent crimes committed on VA properties steadily
increased year-after-year, with 3,131 incidences in 2018 and
6,538 in 2021.
In February 2023, the VA Office of Inspector General
assessed 70 VA medical facilities to determine if they met VA
security requirements. The OIG noted VA generally complied with
security training requirements and demonstrated general
emergency response planning and preparedness. However, it
identified multiple security vulnerabilities and deficiencies
at the 70 facilities, to include unlocked doors in sensitive
areas, insufficient police officers, and increased vacancies
and interoperable security cameras. Staffing challenges were
considered a significant factor to security issues identified,
particularly the lack of visible and active police presence.
Having police and security personnel presence at facility
entrances acts as determined to crime and comports with overall
security of facility.
Addressing the increase of violent crimes on VA properties
will require oversight, identifying the unique challenges and
security weaknesses that exist. It involves emphasizing
training and implementing processes and procedures and
protocols to address the privacy and safety of all veterans,
with a special emphasis on our women veterans who use VA for
services. It is important that we prioritize equipping VA
police with quality and functional equipment to mitigate
potential needs and threats.
Madam Chair, Congress should pass legislation to ensure
that VA police force has adequate staffing, resources and
training to meet the special needs of each VA facility and its
respective locations. Security and safety should be
standardized, tailored, and measured. VA needs to prioritize
facilities or areas with higher incidents or violence or
security breaches.
Madam Chair, DAV is pleased to support H.R. 3504, the VA
Medical Security Report Act. This legislation would require VA
to conduct an annual survey on security at each VA medical
facilities. This bill would also require the secretary to
provide an action plan describing how the department would
address any identified security weaknesses.
Another security bill referred to the subcommittee for
consideration is H.R. 7765, the VA Security Screening Pilot
Program Act. This legislation aims to implement a pilot program
for a weapon screening technology at VA medical centers. We
understand that VA is currently piloting a similar program at a
few facilities. We certainly appreciate the intent of this
legislation and the goal to continue safeguarding veterans,
employees, visitors, and VA's properties.
Finally, security challenges at VA facilities should be
done in a manner that avoids creating unnecessary barriers to
care for veterans, especially aging and service-disabled
veterans who are more likely to have medical devices,
prosthetics, assisted equipment, and even service dogs. As
such, it is critically important to mandate robust consultation
with veterans and veterans service organizations before
finalizing any changes to security protocols at VA healthcare
facilities. Veterans understand the importance of security from
our times in the armed forces in conducting and sustaining
operations for this Nation. It is only fitting that our Nation,
in return, provides the injured and ill veterans secure
sanctuary for internal and external threats when seeking
healthcare at VA facilities.
In closing, we appreciate the subcommittee's attention to
the issue of security and urge continued oversight to address
identified areas needing improvement. Chairwoman Kiggans, this
concludes my testimony. I am pleased to answer questions you
and members of the committee may have.
[The Prepared Statement Of Jon Retzer Appears In The
Appendix]
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you very much, Mr. Retzer. I now yield
as much time as I may consume for my questions. Let us see.
Mr. Conley, we will start with you. Thank you so much again
for making the trip from Hampton Roads. I know that the drive
is long. I appreciate you being here, and thank you for serving
patients, including veterans, from Virginia's second district.
My district chief of staff recently had twins at one of your
Sentara facilities, and he certainly appreciated the great care
and support he received.
I know that Sentara makes a great effort to keep its
patients and staff safe. I know that we have championed
legislation especially to look out for our healthcare workers.
We know that not just nurses, and as a nurse practitioner, it
is a privilege to advocate for them. All of our healthcare
professionals and staff we know are at risk, and we are well
aware of some of those statistics. Thank you for reminding us
that they put their lives on the line too, just being in that
environment of the emergency room, dealing with patients in
crisis. I appreciate all the work you do to keep them safe. We
will continue to do our part as well.
Can you talk a little bit about what some of the advantages
are to having your own in house security team as opposed to a
contracted service like other facilities have?
Mr. Conley. Yes, I think for us, it is the command and
control and developing strategies that are unique to your
specific facilities without having layers upon layers and
contracts upon contracts. I think for us, it makes complete
sense to be able to have those resources in house, to be able
to pipeline develop them without the barriers of going through
a third party, right.
I think one, from a strategic perspective, being able to
group your own employees to protect the staff and the
communities that you serve. I think also it is just--and just
from an economic standpoint, it is more economic.
Ms. Kiggans. Are you fully staffed? As far as workforce
challenges, do you have the security staff that you need?
Mr. Conley. Yes, I think, you know, obviously that kind of
waxes and wanes in a little bit. I think our average vacancy is
a little less than 10 percent, but that is a marked
improvement. We have seen over the last 24 months intentional
recruitment effort to bring in more security staff. I think
part of it was us making sure that we were offering a fair
market pay grade, pay scale, but then also allowing individual
professional growth within those individual job codes. I think
we have done a yeoman's job in trying to reach out to the
community, better understand what their needs are, and we have
seen a remarkable improvement with our vacancy rates.
Ms. Kiggans. Does your security team do any training with
our local law enforcement or use any of those facilities? We
just had some Federal money go to Creed's training facility.
Mr. Conley. Yes. I will tell you one thing that is--and I
appreciate with all the security agencies within Hampton Roads,
and I think it is fairly consistent across--across the country.
At times, healthcare can be somewhat competitive. At the end of
the day, the security folks are really good at cross
pollinating best practices across different healthcare systems
and across different Federal agencies. I think it is very
relationship driven. There is a lot of cross discussion, a
cross communication and planning together to make sure that
there is coordination within the regions that they serve.
Ms. Kiggans. Then, as the security team, the people that
you call when you have a person who is having a mental health
crisis? We frequently have talked in our spaces just about the
utilization of law enforcement officers to wait with these
patients while they are waiting for placement. We know that
wait time can be significant, sometimes even a day, up to 24
hours or more----
Mr. Conley. Yes.
Ms. Kiggans [continuing]. and that we are utilizing, a lot
of times law enforcement officers, then taking them out of
their role where there might be needed for security. Who is
providing that type of security for those patients in the
clinic?
Mr. Conley. Yes, I think, depending on the response, the
initial response might be security individuals. As that
assessment comes down to maybe that individual's having a
health crisis, we will transition that over to a clinician or
someone that is trained to sit with that individual so we do
not occupy security forces 24/7 on one individual.
Ms. Kiggans. Is it your in house security team that
provides, if you did have a patient that was transferred from a
jail facility to be inpatient, then they would--that would
might require armed guard. Would that be your security chamber
or would that be an outside police?
Mr. Conley. Outside agencies.
Ms. Kiggans. Okay, great.
Mr. Conley. Now we might--we might supplement as needed to
ensure the right security level protocols, but typically that
is the outside agency bringing in their security team.
Ms. Kiggans. Great. Then how long is your onboarding
process for new security personnel?
Mr. Conley. Typically, they will probably go through a 6-
week orientation. It is on the job. They will do the
traditional compliance onboarding, and then they are typically
buddied with a preceptor for a 6 week timeframe and then
reevaluated and assess whether they are able to go off on their
own or they need some more additional training to be
functional.
Ms. Kiggans. Otherwise very integrated into the culture of
your hospital. They go through the same orientation?
Mr. Conley. Yes, 100 percent integrated culture. Going back
to your initial question, that is also the value in keeping our
security staff our own. It is really about the culture of
Sentara and making sure--sure they can reflect our core mission
and values.
Ms. Kiggans. Can you speak briefly just to some examples of
technology solutions that have enhanced security at your
facility?
Mr. Conley. Yes. You know, during my statement, I talked
about our weapon detection system. That is something we
implemented about a year ago. It is an Artificial Intelligence
(AI) based technology, so it is not your typical metal
detector. It is actually scanning individuals, walking, free
flow. We are--but we do--we did implement that about a year
ago, and it is been a resounding success not only from keeping
weapons coming in, but the feeling of safety for our employees.
You know, they see that, they feel safe.
We have implemented--we have implemented a visitor badging
system, so anyone coming in must have an ID, and we are able to
track that individual as they move through the facility. The
eventual evolution of that technology is it will integrate into
our EMR so if a nurse wants to fly flag someone on the floor,
it will come down to the entrance and that person may not be
allowed to come in. That is an example of technology.
We are also right now going through the process of
evaluating mobile parking lot cameras with some AI
functionality and integrating that into local law enforcement
as well.
Ms. Kiggans. Very good. Thank you. Let us see, Mr. Dowd, I
understand FirstNet Technology is currently being used in
Virginia second district. Could you tell me exactly where it is
in use? Do you know? Is it at the VA facility or----
Mr. Dowd. It is my understanding it is being used fairly
broadly by the VA police.
Ms. Kiggans. At the Hampton medical office?
Mr. Dowd. I could not tell you which specific locations,
no.
Ms. Kiggans. Gotcha. Okay, and let us see. We often hear
from VA police officers that they are having difficulty
communicating with local law enforcement during emergencies.
Can you describe how FirstNet would be used by VA police to
solve and resolve this issue?
Mr. Dowd. It is a ubiquitous technology, it is the same
technology that we all use on our cell phones every day. It is
completely operable. It is really not so much about the
technology, it is about the protocols that are established
between, you know, State, local, and the VA police to cooperate
together.
I mentioned earlier, you know, the problem of September
11th so much was not a communications technology issue as it
was an incident management issue. You know, there were no real
meaningful protocols in place for police, fire, EMS to
interoperate on a major incident. That has changed dramatically
around the country. Those types of protocols are available for
the VA police. FirstNet can facilitate that. You still need to
have the outreach, and I would suggest from the VA to state and
local authorities. You want to do things like participate in,
you know, if there are, you know, emergency exercise drills,
like mass casualty drills, the VA should be there. By the way,
that would go beyond the VA to other Federal agencies as well.
Without--without those protocols, without those
familiarities, without regularly--have regular contact with
your state and local folks, the technology facilitates and
makes your situation easier, but without those touch points,
you do not want to wait for the emergency to get familiar with
your counterparts in state and local and vice versa.
Ms. Kiggans. Is that one of the services that FirstNet
offers is helping to establish those protocols and making----
Mr. Dowd. No, but again, my organization helps with that.
That is something we do. Again, there are organizations like
the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major Cities
Chiefs Association, they all can afford opportunities for that
type of outreach and assistance.
Again, I mentioned just from a communications perspective,
the IACP, International association chiefs of Police has a
technology and committee, technology, and communications
committee, and it is existed for over 40 years. I know in the
past there have been members on that committee from Federal
entities, and there is no reason why the VA police should not
and could not have a representative on that.
Ms. Kiggans. I agree. Let us see. Then, Mr. Retzer, one
question for you. What sort of things does your staff hear from
veterans about security at the facilities they visit? Good and
bad.
Mr. Retzer. Thank you. Thank you for that question. Our
membership, being that they really rely on the VA healthcare,
we have in overall, they are very satisfied with the VA
healthcare and also the safety components that are there. As
you know, we as veterans, we are accustomed to the world of
security. We understand the requirements there. Our officers in
uniform, we look at them as peer to peer, so they bring that
comfort because we know many of them are veterans themselves.
That peer to peer connection is building that bond, building
that culture. We know that they understand our culture, so
there is definitely a sense of security that is there. They
feel physically and, you know, emotionally safe.
However, we do have a group of our population that are
still challenged with that. That is our women veterans, that is
our minorities, and LGBTQ+, obviously, that there is a cultural
competency that needs to be educated and trained on and how to
address those issues, along with putting it together with the
unfortunateness of individuals now dealing with their mental
health, of military sexual trauma, being trauma victims, or
even post traumatic stress disorder issues that they are
dealing with. We really rely on our officers--and they are
doing a great job out there.
I can tell you, like in Minneapolis VA Medical center, when
I go there, they actually are talking to our veterans, and they
are actually, if they are Marines, they are uh [sic], each
other. They are doing that thing. It is really good to see that
partnership. They are out there being visible, and that is very
important for us.
Ms. Kiggans. That is great. Good. Thank you so much. Now I
yield as much time as he may consume to Ranking Member Mrvan.
Mr. Mrvan. Thank you, Chairwoman. Mr. Retzer, as you know
from too many heartbreaking stories, veterans often visit VA
facilities when they are in physical and emotional distress. As
we heard from Mr. Hunt in the first panel, VA police officers
are often asked to perform a wide range of duties, many of
which may be untraditional for police officers. From your view,
what role do VA police play in veterans receiving care?
Mr. Retzer. Like I was sharing with Madam chair, it was
said they are our peer to peer. They are there to cover our
six, and it is really good to know because they are veterans.
When I say cover our six, we really feel that way because of
the fact is we no longer have to do what we were in military,
suck it up and drive on. It gives us a chance to go and take
care of ourselves while we know we have those who are trained
well to take care of us.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay. Why is it so important for the perspective
of veterans and veterans service organizations to be central in
any proposed changes in security at the VA facilities?
Mr. Retzer. Well, I think one of the most important things
is veterans and veteran service organizations. We are extremely
proud of the work that the Department of veterans affairs does.
We rely on them for a multitude of things from benefit services
and healthcare services. What we see is that we appreciate the
veterans affairs. Being transparent is so important that they
can be transparent with us so we can share the concerns of our
health issues that may have impact with screening measures or
personal measures.
One of the things is when our population is going to VA
care, we have hundreds of thousands every day going to get
care. When they are going through the screening process, that
is not a concern for them, but it is the way it is done. We
want to make sure that they are not creating barriers, because
many of our veterans with their injuries and illnesses have
barriers with different types of prosthetics, medical devices
that come with them, even pacemakers, certain devices are not
good for them to go through. The screening process will create,
you know, lengthy wait times to get into the building, and it
can also raise anxieties for those who already have mental
health issues.
That is a perspective that we would like to be able to
share, and veterans should be able to share that, to talk about
what that feels like if these processes and procedures were put
into place. For example, you know, our metal detection
machines, scooters, and wheelchairs typically are not equipped
properly for them to be able to go through the detection
without them having some type of complication. There is not
always an ability for someone who has a loss or loss of use of
their lower extremity to get out of that vehicle that they are
using to get in. There has to be very thoughtful processes on
how to mitigate and to help that system through.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay. As we have heard today, VA has begun
piloting weapons detection technology at the VAMC's across the
country. Have you heard anything from your membership regarding
this pilot?
Mr. Retzer. No, we have not heard anything directly with
that.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay. Following up, veteran suicide is top
priority for the committee and I know an issue that DAV also
takes very seriously. My colleagues have brought up the recent
report between 2023 and March 2024, only 1,297 out of the 4,505
armed VA police officers took to the annual suicide Prevention
Training that is required in the Compact Act. This is less than
one third of the VA police. Obviously, that is extremely
concerning. Why is it so important to have VA police adequately
trained on suicide prevention and de escalation?
Mr. Retzer. It is so important because they are the first
responders in many cases, and then they have also the ability
within the VA facility, externally and internally, to be roving
around, seeing what is going on. They have real time eyes on
the situation, and many times that they are out there, they are
the ones that will be able to provide that service to diffuse
the situation. Maybe there is some concerns that are happening
out in the park lot where we have, you know, abilities to get
in. They can be that point of contact to navigate coming in.
Then if there are situations, maybe they are getting the
training, we hope they continue with their training, to involve
recognizing individuals with maybe opioid issues, then they
could be there to facilitate, if someone was overdosing with
Narcan, those measurable things that could save a life. At the
same time, if there is a crisis going on, they identify through
training someone who may be suicidal, that they can grab them,
escort them, do that warm handoff to the clinical mental health
providers that can take that next step.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay. Are there any other tools, training,
otherwise, that could help, in your view, help sustain better
outcomes for veterans when they enter a VA facility in the need
of assistance?
Mr. Retzer. We believe that, you know, the tools and
resources that they can do, as long as they do not create any
barriers. When there is that human touch there, to provide not
only the security and safety, but the guidance for them to go
in and navigate the system. That is a huge component of what
they are looking for, the veterans experience, they want it to
be seamless. Any which way that we can to make the process
seamless for them and very timely for them is what we are
looking for.
Mr. Mrvan. Mr. Conley, thank you for being here to speak to
the subcommittee and provide best practices from your hospital.
As a former healthcare executive, I recognize your commitment
to ensuring the safety of your patients and providers. I
understand that across your healthcare system, you have
implemented an AI driven weapons detection technology. How did
your hospital administrators and security chiefs decide to
implement these tools? Were these steps initiated by your
patients, providers, or something else?
Mr. Conley. I think it--I think it was a combination of
watching our workplace violence incidents increase across the
system, and then getting direct feedback from our staff and
their feeling of safety within the walls of the hospital. Those
two factors led to the decision to pilot the programs at
Norfolk General and at Virginia Beach General hospitals, and
with the successful pilot, the decision to implement this
system wide.
Mr. Mrvan. Just the vision of the device.
Mr. Conley. Yes.
Mr. Mrvan. When you go to a baseball game, you walk
through. When someone comes to the hospital, is it the same
system?
Mr. Conley. Yes.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay.
Mr. Conley. It is not a queued up system like a metal
detector system. It is a free flowing back and forth system.
Mr. Mrvan. Do you have to have--where those devices are
located, do you have to have security at that device? With your
facility, the number of security that you have, does that put a
strain on the ability of the police because you have to have
someone stationed at that facility and not patrolling or doing
other tasks? How have you managed that? Can you answer that
question?
Mr. Conley. Yes. When we did our concealed weapon detection
system assessment, we realized that there is going to have to
be additional staff. We did not want to take from our current
staff that are rounding in the hospital and stationed in the
ED. This would be an incremental expense for staffing the
equipment 24/7.
Mr. Mrvan. Your facility actually added security in order
to facilitate the technology for weapons detection?
Mr. Conley. Yes, sir.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay. Do you know at what percentage of increase
that cost or over budget or overhead for that?
Mr. Conley. For every system, for every system, it is a 24
hours system, it is about 4.8 FTEs. So 12----
Mr. Mrvan. FTEs stand for?
Mr. Conley. Employees. Full-time employees.
Mr. Mrvan. Employees.
Mr. Conley. Yes, I am sorry. You got to figure it is a
roughly about 5 employees per system. If we are going to locate
them within 12 EDs, 5 additional employees per system. Roughly,
you know, about 60 employees.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay. Then from my own personal knowledge,
because I have never heard of it, you talked about the parking
lot cameras----
Mr. Conley. Yes.
Mr. Mrvan [continuing]. and their AI functionality.
Mr. Conley. Yes.
Mr. Mrvan. Examples of cameras with AI functionality.
Mr. Conley. That is that--so the functionality--and we have
not fully--we have not fully implemented it, but it allows not
only to put eyes on the--on the parking lot, but also scan
plates. Has the ability to do facial recognition. You know, we,
right now, using it really as a visual deterrent, but the
capabilities to----
Mr. Mrvan. Sure.
Mr. Conley [continuing]. the capabilities to connect into
local law enforcement does allow them to kind of extend their
reach into the communities that may not be patrolling at that
time.
Mr. Mrvan. Mr. Dowd, if I can ask a quick question. You
talked about the capabilities that your associations offer up
when it comes to broadband and trying to get----
Mr. Dowd. Again, the technologies that have been developed
over the last 5 or 6 years in response to the development of
the nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network, there are now
hundreds of devices in all kinds of functions. Whether it is
radiation detection, whether it is identifying suspicious
packages.
Mr. Mrvan. I just wanted to kind of focus on
communications.
Mr. Dowd. Okay.
Mr. Mrvan. My question would be, through your expertise.
Mr. Dowd. Right.
Mr. Mrvan. You had mentioned the advantage of processes and
procedures in place when it comes to the VA and the Federal
agency and local law enforcement and state level.
Mr. Dowd. Right.
Mr. Mrvan. Do you have statistics of VAs that participate
and VAs that do not participate?
Mr. Dowd. I do not have those statistics, no.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay. I guess in your expertise, other than
tabletop exercises and encouraging that, what are ways that you
think you can draw in those agencies to make sure that they are
participating in those and tearing down the silos in order to
be able to communicate?
Mr. Dowd. Again, you know, through the associations that
exist in law enforcement, like the International Association of
Police, in outreach or from either side, from the Federal side
or from the State and local side, you can create those
relationships without those relationships. Again, it is a
struggle when there is an incident. While the technology is
there and all these different technology capabilities exist
without that outreach and without that first step to interact
or to work together in incident management protocols, it is
going to be difficult when something happens.
Mr. Mrvan. Okay. With that, Chairwoman, I yield back. Thank
you.
Ms. Kiggans. Thank you, Ranking Member Mrvan. Do you have
any closing remarks? You got them. You got them all out. Thank
you. I just wanted to thank our panelists again for making the
trip and for taking time--from both the first panel and the
second panel--for being with us today and during National
Police Week. I know that the rest--speaking for the rest of the
subcommittee, we are definitely committed to improving security
at the VA and working with all of you. Thank you so much,
again, for being here today.
I ask unanimous consent that all members should have 5
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include any extraneous material. Hearing no objections, so
ordered. This hearing is now adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 3:41 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
=======================================================================
A P P E N D I X
=======================================================================
Prepared Statements of Witnesses
----------
Prepared Statement of Alfred Montoya
Chairwoman Kiggans, Ranking Member Mrvan, and Members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to discuss VA's law
enforcement and how Congress can best support VA personnel in their
efforts to serve and protect Veterans, employees, and visitors on VA
property. Your past support has been imperative in ensuring we
accomplish our mission, and we look forward to continuing that close
collaboration as we implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 President's
Budget. I am joined today by Chiefs Troy Brown, VA's Senior Security
Officer; Brandy Soto, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and George Chester, of
Detroit, Michigan. Also, wanted to recognize VA Police Chief Troy
Covington, of Martinsburg, West Virginia; and Major Mark Moran, a
physical security specialist who are sitting in the audience.
Police Staffing
VA's police force plays a significant role in ensuring the security
of VA facilities by providing specialized law enforcement. However, in
Fiscal Year 2022, the Department faced significant retention
challenges. In direct response, VA published a Shortage Occupation
Blueprint for Police the following year, outlining strategies for
recruitment and retention, to include maximizing incentives, marketing
the total rewards of a VA police officer career, and implementing
employee referral awards programs. VA also modernized and standardized
VA Police position descriptions, pay grades, and required staffing
levels. However, each facility Director remains responsible for
developing a comprehensive staffing plan suited for their facility's
specific requirements. During their preparations, the facility
leadership incorporates core Department requirements and applies
evidence-based staffing methodology, considering factors like
Vulnerability Assessment Risk Scores, the number of serious incidents,
crime levels, real-time threats, population density, and community
needs.
Recruiting qualified candidates for law enforcement positions can
be challenging, especially with competition from other industries.
Additionally, negative media coverage and public sentiment toward law
enforcement can deter individuals from pursuing careers in policing. In
response, VA has a dedicated team for recruiting and marketing VA
police as an employer of choice, using local initiatives and groups,
virtual career fairs and open houses, email marketing campaigns, and
more. The team also created a targeted marketing campaign and timeline
for communications related specifically to law enforcement for 2024.
After the downturn in Fiscal Year 2022, VA successfully reversed the
trend, with a 7.4 percent net increase (+278) in police officers in
Fiscal Year 2023, the highest growth rate in recent years. This growth
has continued in Fiscal Year 2024, with a 5.1 percent growth rate
through April 30, 2024, adding 206 officers and bringing the total to
4,255 officers currently onboard. Efforts to retain officers in Fiscal
Year 2024 are showing promising results, with losses at the midpoint of
the year running 20 percent less than Fiscal Year 2023 and 25 percent
less than Fiscal Year 2022.
Chain of Command
While individual police officers report directly to their
corresponding medical centers, VA centralized its national police
operations within VHA, under the Office of the Assistant USH for
Operations. Eighteen Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN)
security officers are responsible for daily law enforcement and
security operational oversight for their respective VISNs. The senior
and deputy security officers within the Directorate of Law Enforcement
serve as the principal security and law enforcement advisors, providing
operational guidance to the VISNs and overseeing law enforcement and
security operational oversight across all VA medical centers (VAMC),
including adherence to corresponding policy and program requirements.
Accountability and oversight mechanisms are essential for any law
enforcement agency to uphold transparency, integrity, and trust within
the community. While the operational oversight of a VA police service
rests with the VAMC Director, the Office of Security and Law
Enforcement (OS&LE) measures the effectiveness of VA Police programs
through police program inspections. OS&LE leads the policy and
oversight for the police program, including the police service units
managed at each VA facility/property. OS&LE and other oversight and
accountability mechanisms involve internal and external bodies tasked
with monitoring the conduct of law enforcement officers, investigating
complaints of misconduct or abuse, and ensuring compliance with legal
and ethical standards. Recommendations may include policy reforms,
training improvements, disciplinary actions, or other measures aimed at
enhancing accountability and promoting public confidence.
Other law enforcement agencies (such as Federal, State, and local
police) fall outside the VA police force's chain of command, though
continued coordination with those agencies is crucial for efficient and
effective enforcement of laws and public safety. This coordination
involves sharing information, resources, and expertise to address
complex issues that may transcend jurisdictional boundaries. It also
facilitates collaboration on joint operations, task forces, and
initiatives aimed at combating various forms of crime.
Training Initiatives
The Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC), responsible for all VA
law enforcement education, is accredited by the Federal Law Enforcement
Accreditation, fostering consistency in Federal law enforcement
training and ensuring compliance with accreditation to instill public
confidence in VA's law enforcement. LETC hosts an extensive catalog of
courses that support and develop students and staff. Examples of
initial training include Introduction to Supervision, Police Program
Inspection, Evidence Custodian, Firearms, Ground Defense and Recovery,
and Managing Police Services for Executives. Beyond internal
mechanisms, VA built alliances by partnering with and providing
training to law enforcement agencies within the National Institutes of
Health, the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Army
(civilian), the Department of the Navy (civilian), the Department of
the Navy (Active Duty Master at Arms), the Department of the Air Force
Security Forces (Active Duty), and the Bureau of Prisons.
Fitness for Duty
Law enforcement agencies typically have specific physical and
psychological fitness standards that candidates must successfully
complete before receiving a formal job offer. VA police officers must
be capable of arduous physical exertion, including emergency
evacuations, assisting victims, and intervening in disturbances.
Applicants must demonstrate upper and lower body strength, good distant
vision, unaided hearing; and have complete and functional limbs and
emotional and mental stability. VA policy also includes criteria for
annual physical and psychological examinations for VA police officers
to determine their continued physical and psychological suitability to
perform the functional requirements of the position. All VA police
officers, criminal investigators, supervisors, and chiefs undergo
annual examinations to assess their ability to perform essential job
functions. These examinations must be completed within 12 months of the
previous examination. VA requires examinations by an agency physician
to determine if an officer or applicant meets those standards.
In response to immediate concerns that prompt a physical or
psychiatric examination or results from a routine annual examination,
officers' credentials are reviewed to determine if temporary action,
such as suspending arrest or firearm authority, or identifying
alternate assignments, are necessary pending an outcome. When an
employee fails a physical or psychiatric examination, reasonable
accommodation procedures apply, including provisions for alternate job
searches. If reasonable accommodation is unsuccessful after a failed
physical or psychiatric examination, the employee may be removed from
Federal service due to medical inability to perform.
In addition to providing access to support services such as
counseling, peer support programs, and employee assistance programs to
address both physical and mental health concerns, VA police recently
established a health and wellness office. It offers a personalized,
proactive, and employee-centered approach to well-being. The Whole
Health approach focuses on what matters most to the officers:
personalized health planning, coaching, well-being programs, and
complementary and integrative health options. In March 2024, VA
initiated targeted pilots at four sites to establish a collaborative
culture of well-being and resilience. These pilots aim to integrate
Whole Health into officers' daily practices and empower them to take
charge of their health and live their lives to the fullest.
Compensation
Like other Federal law enforcement agencies, VA's police force
follows the General Schedule (GS) classification and pay system, which
has 15 grade levels. Each police officer position is assigned a grade
based on the level of difficulty, responsibility, and qualifications
required. Entry-level police officers typically start at the GS-5 or
GS-6 grade, while more experienced officers or those in supervisory
roles may be placed at higher grades, such as GS-7 or GS-9. Each GS
grade has a base salary range with ten step rates. As officers gain
more experience through years of service and acceptable performance,
they progress through the steps within their assigned grade, earning
higher salaries. Locality payments authorized under title 5, United
States Code, are added to GS base salaries as a geographic-based
percentage rate to reduce the pay disparity between GS workers and non-
Federal workers in each locality pay area to the extent the President
authorizes each year by Executive order. By law, the pay disparity for
each locality pay area is calculated using non-Federal salary data from
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary surveys, and the extent to
which pay disparities are reduced each year may be limited by the
President or Congress. An employee's locality pay rate is based on the
geographic location of the employee's official worksite. Special salary
rates (SSRs) are higher rates of pay that VA may establish (with OPM
concurrence) to obtain or retain the services of police officers under
a special VA authority in title 38, United States Code. Medical Center
directors have the discretion to use SSRs for police officers to help
attract and retain qualified personnel in areas where the standard GS
rates may not be competitive with other local, State, and Federal law
enforcement agencies.
One common challenge is ensuring that compensation is competitive
enough to attract and retain qualified personnel. Additionally, there
may be discrepancies between Federal agencies or regions, leading to
retention issues in certain areas. Over the past year, VHA implemented
an enterprise-wide approach for addressing compensation challenges for
police officers under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring
Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 by directing
mandatory reviews of special rates and implementation of a 15 percent
Critical Skills Incentive. The Drug Enforcement Administration faces
similar challenges and may also offer specialized pay incentives for
certain roles. The Federal Bureau of Investigation typically offers
competitive pay scales, and the nature of their work and prestige can
attract top talent. Like these agencies, VA seeks to attract and retain
qualified personnel.
Another key consideration is maintaining pay parity and equity
across different roles and levels within an organization. This involves
conducting regular market analyses and salary surveys to ensure
compensation aligns with industry standards and internal pay scales are
consistent. Failure to do so can lead to pay compression, where the
difference in pay between entry-level and experienced employees becomes
too small, potentially causing dissatisfaction and high turnover among
tenured staff. Moreover, considering the total compensation package,
including base salary, benefits, bonuses, and other retention and
critical skills incentives, is crucial. These additional components can
attract and retain top talent, particularly in competitive job markets
or specialized fields. Striking the right balance between fiscal
responsibility and competitive compensation is an ongoing challenge but
essential for maintaining a skilled and motivated workforce.
Organizations must continually evaluate and adjust their compensation
strategies to adapt to changing market conditions, labor trends, and
organizational needs.
Retirement Benefits
VA police personnel are part of the Federal Employees Retirement
System (FERS), a retirement plan that provides benefits from three
different sources: a Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security, and the
Thrift Savings Plan. Eligibility for retirement is determined by age
and the number of years of creditable service. In some cases, employees
must have reached the Minimum Retirement Age (MRA), ranging from 55 to
57 years old, depending on their year of birth, to receive retirement
benefits. Through the plan, if employees retire at MRA with at least 10
but less than 30 years of service, their benefit will be reduced by 5
percent for each year they are under the age of 62, unless they have 20
years of service, and their benefit starts when they reach age 60 or
later.
There are four variations of accessing retirement benefits
available through FERS, detailed below:
An immediate retirement benefit starts within 30 days
from the date the employee stops working.
The early retirement benefit is available in certain
involuntary separation cases and voluntary separations during a major
reorganization or reduction in force.
The deferred retirement benefit is available if an
employee leaves Federal service before they meet the age and service
requirements for an immediate retirement benefit and have completed at
least 5 years of creditable civilian service. Deferred retirement
benefits may be paid earlier if the employee completed at least 10
years of service.
The disability retirement benefit is available to an
employee who becomes disabled while employed for at least 18 months due
to a disease or injury, and the disability is expected to last at least
1 year. The agency must certify that it cannot accommodate the employee
due to their medical condition and that it considered them for
reassignment within the same agency, at the same grade level, and
within the same commuting area.
There are no proposed changes or enhancements to FERS.
Federal security forces whose primary duties involve the
investigation, apprehension, and detention of persons who are suspected
or convicted of certain criminal offenses, are classified as Law
Enforcement Officers (LEO). The personnel that meet the statutory
requirement for LEOs received enhanced retirement benefits as
compensation for having a mandatory retirement age of 57. This
mandatory retirement age is critical to maintain a ``young and
vigorous'' corps of officers but may result in experienced LEOs
retiring at an early age when it may be in the interest of the
Government to retain these employees.
VHA police do not meet the statutory requirements of LEO as the
principal duties of VHA police are to protect property and prevent
criminal offenses from occurring. There are no proposed changes to the
statutory definition of LEO.
Building Security
The guiding philosophy for security in VA calls for an open campus
environment with layered security. VA facilities are to be open and
inviting for Veterans and their families, providing safe and secure
environments of care and service. However, sensitive and high-risk
areas, such as pharmacies, warehouses, certain research or clinical
laboratories, and other areas as determined by local risk assessment,
must have increased physical security and perimeter control.
Determining necessary protection levels for Federal activities is
complicated, considering campus visitors' access needs, current and
future threats, specific policy requirements, and construction design
standards. VA facility Directors are the deciding officials for
accepting risk. VA has established policies and procedures to assist
facility Directors in making these determinations for a successful
physical security program.
Effective physical security requires planning for protection of
persons, resources, and property; preventing criminal loss or theft of
vulnerable supplies, equipment, and property; and the practical and
economical application of technical security aids to augment optimal
use of police officers (such as Security Surveillance TV and screening
stations). For detecting concealed weapons, VA facilities may establish
walk-through metal detection screening stations (magnetometers) and the
use of hand-held metal detectors. Establishing a metal detector
screening station requires a threat evaluation indicating the community
is experiencing a marked degree of street violence, that a sizable
number of patients and employees habitually bear concealed weapons, an
assessment of employee concerns for safety and security in the
workplace, and the dedication of no less than two fully armed VA police
officers to operate this fixed post at all times.
Conclusion
Madam Chair and Ranking Member Mrvan, thank you again for the
invitation to join you for this important discussion. VA's police force
remains committed to upholding our mission of deterring and stopping
crime, maintaining order, and investigating crimes that may have
occurred. We appreciate your continued support and collaboration
through appropriate authorities and budget authorizations. My team and
I look forward to your questions.
Prepared Statement of Bryan Hunt
Chairwoman Kiggans, Ranking Member Mrvan, and Members of the
Subcommittee:
Thank you for inviting the American Federation of Government
Employees (AFGE) to participate in today's Subcommittee Hearing on
``Ensuring VA's Security: How Can Congress Best Support VA's Law
Enforcement?'' My name is Bryan Hunt, and I serve as the President of
AFGE Local 2384 at the Clarksburg, WV VA Medical Center. I am a U.S.
Army Combat Veteran who proudly served our country during Operation
Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism, and am a service-
connected veteran who both works and receives my healthcare at the VA.
Additionally, for 12 of my 17 years at the VA, I served as a VA Police
officer, including being named the VA Police Officer of the Year in
2012.
On behalf of AFGE and its National Veterans Affairs Council (NVAC),
representing over 750,000 Federal and District of Columbia government
employees, 304,000 of whom are proud, dedicated Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) employees it is privilege to testify today. Specifically,
I plan to focus my testimony on the approximately 2,500 VA Police
Officers AFGE represents, 90 percent of whom are veterans themselves,
serving in facilities throughout the Nation. As the Subcommittee
continues to evaluate the best ways to support the VA Police Force,
AFGE has several recommendations that can help the VA with law
enforcement recruitment and retention, and help it better serve
veterans particularly related to pensions, staffing, training, and
physical security.
VA Law Enforcement Pensions
The single most important and most effective action that Congress
can take to help with the recruitment and retention to the VA Police
Force is to extend Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) status to VA Police
Officers. Under 5 U.S.C 8336(c), any LEO who either serves 25 years or
is age 50 or older and serves 20 years may retire without penalty for
early retirement. Currently, the definition of LEO relied upon in the
code (5 U.S.C. 8401(17)) does not include VA Police Officers, and in
turn they do not receive retirement benefits on par with Federal law
enforcement officers at other Federal agencies. AFGE strongly supports
H.R. 1322, the ``Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) Equity Act,''
introduced by Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Andrew
Garbarino (R-NY), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA),
which would grant what are sometimes referred to as 6(c) benefits to VA
Police Officers. The bill also recognizes police at other agencies who
are not currently recognized as LEOs under the law, including those at
the Department of Defense (DoD), Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), and the Federal Protective Service (FPS). This bi-partisan bill
currently has 83 co-sponsors, including Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL),
Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA), Ranking Member Frank Mrvan (D-IN),
Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH), and five other members of the House
Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Providing full LEO status to VA Police Officers would significantly
help the VA Police Force with recruitment and retention. Currently, the
VA hires many new recruits, sends them to the Law Enforcement Training
Center (LETC) for training similar to other Federal LEOs, and then sees
these officers depart the force for other opportunities within the
Federal Government that do have 6(c) benefits, or to other state and
local police departments. Granting full LEO status to VA Police
Officers will diminish this turnover, and help the VA maintain a
stronger and better trained police department with higher morale.
Additionally, it is important to note that at a joint hearing before
the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and Health Subcommittee
on May 17, 2023, Tracy Therit, the VA's Chief Human Capital Officer,
stated: ``The last thing that I'll mention is we very much support the
`Law Enforcement Officer Equity Act.' We look forward to being able to
provide our police officers with those enhanced benefits as well to
make us more attractive and to fill those positions.''
While the ``Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Equity Act,'' is not in
the jurisdiction of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, AFGE urges
that members of this Subcommittee, as well as the full committee, join
their colleagues to become co-sponsors of H.R. 1322 and support its
passage in the House.
Staffing
The VA needs to improve the staffing levels of VA Police. In August
2023, the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report
entitled ``OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Severe
Occupational Staffing Shortages Fiscal Year 2023.'' \1\ The report
noted 73 facilities had a severe shortage of VA Police in the 0083
series, with more common shortages found for only seven positions. \2\
The report goes on to underscore how long the problem has persisted,
with the report noting that in a ``[c]omparison of the most frequently
reported severe occupational staffing shortages from FYs 2018 through
2023 highlighted five occupations that have remained in the top five
clinical and top five nonclinical most frequently reported severe
shortages. These occupations included Police, Psychiatry, Practical
Nurse, Psychology, and Medical Technologist.'' \3\ Additionally, in a
Fiscal Year 2022 VA Shortage Occupation Report, VA wrote:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Severe
Occupational Staffing Shortages Fiscal Year 2023,'' August 22, 2023. VA
OIG 23-00659-186.
\2\ Id at 8.
\3\ Id at 12.
0083 Police ranked third among the [staffing shortages of]
nonclinical occupations in VHA, selected by 71 out of 139
health care systems (51.1 percent). There were 3,878 onboard
and 1,577 vacant FTE (28.9 percent) as of December 2021. The 3-
year average growth rate for this occupation was 2.0 percent,
with a turnover rate of 10.1 percent in Fiscal Year 2021.
Recruitment challenges were identified as the primary cause for
risk of shortage by 56 out of 71 health care systems (78.9
percent). Limited Supply of Candidates was selected as the
primary driver of the shortage by 42 out of 71 health care
systems (59.2 percent). Superior Qualifications, Special Rates,
or Special Needs Pay (48/71, 67.6 percent) and Recruitment and/
or Relocation Incentives (36/71, 50.7 percent) were the
flexibilities selected most for addressing [the] shortage.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Fiscal Year 2022 SHORTAGE OCCUPATION REPORT
As for the VA's administrative actions to address staffing, the
last time AFGE testified on VA Police issues, AFGE was supportive of
certain parts of the VA's Modernization Plan summarized in the ``FY
2020-FY 2021 VA Human Capital Operating Plan (HCOP)'' \5\ and would
like an update on its status. Specifically, ``Strategy 5'' focuses on
the ``efforts related to enhanced recruitment, hiring and development
of VA's police force.'' \6\ This includes the VA's plan to ``create and
communicate new staffing standards for police performance'' and that
``[a]dditional training and resources will complement the effort. The
new standards will provide key inputs into the creation of career
roadmaps for the police cadre.'' \7\ AFGE also believes that the VA's
``standardized position descriptions will support efficient and
effective recruitment and hiring efforts while a workforce assessment
will be completed to evaluate and improve pay, entitlements, and
retirement benefits for police officers.'' \8\ AFGE urges the VA to
implement the training and staffing portions of this plan as quickly as
possible and ensure that vacancies are filled so the VA Police Force
has the staff that it needs to serve.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ FY 2020-FY 2021 VA Human Capital Operating Plan (HCOP) (June
2020)
\6\ Id. at 20.
\7\ Id. at 22.
\8\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the ground, AFGE has seen some of this plan in action,
particularly with the creation of the new GS-7 Senior Police Officer
position, which is a clear promotional opportunity from the standard
GS-6 VA Police Officer. To further improve retention and promotional
opportunity, AFGE urges both an increase in the number of GS-8 Senior
Police Officer positions to increase promotion potential and allowing
Police Officers to advance from GS-07 positions to GS-09 positions
without a year in GS-08, as is currently required of VA Police. This
prevents a number of officers, particularly in facilities where a GS-08
posting is rare, to advance to GS-09.
Furthermore, not all changes to position descriptions have been
positive. AFGE remains concerned that the VA Detective position, which
has been converted to a Criminal Investigator position, is no longer in
AFGE's bargaining unit in certain locations. AFGE believes this is an
unnecessary removal of union rights from VA Police Officer units, and
that these positions should be universally returned to the bargaining
unit immediately. Additionally, AFGE would like to note that these new
Criminal Investigator positions were given 6(c) benefits
administratively. While AFGE supports granting 6(c) benefits to all
Federal LEOs, it is surprising that this group of officers would be
extended the benefit while officers working on the front lines
protecting veterans and staff at VA facilities are not. It would be a
serious concern if the VA were conferring benefits in return for
removing union rights.
Additionally, AFGE is concerned about the wide discretion local
facility management has in determining what position descriptions and
organizational charts to use for staffing the facilities' police
departments. While AFGE supports permitting facilities to hire
additional staff if they demonstrate the need, AFGE has heard reports
that leaders in certain facilities are intentionally characterizing
their facilities in ways that justify having a smaller police force
than what is required. We urge the Secretary and this Subcommittee to
ensure that staffing models are accurate and enforced consistently
across the VA. Furthermore, AFGE wants to highlight that police
officers are funded from the same budgets as other medical center
personnel. This practice forces each medical center director to choose
between hiring between hiring a medical professional or a police
officer, with priority often going to the healthcare provider. AFGE
believes the Committee and VA should consider a dedicated funding
source for VA Police to ensure that veterans and employees are
protected.
Training
One of the key strengths of the VA Police force is the level of
training officers must undergo to serve the veteran population. A key
example of this is the crisis intervention training that was passed in
the 116th Congress as part of Chairman Takano's VA COMPACT Act that was
enacted as part of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans
Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020. Because of this law,
VA Police Officers who serve at VA Medical Centers, Community Based
Outpatient Clinics, or Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA) Regional
Offices (RO) are now trained to prevent a veteran in a crisis situation
from harming himself or herself or others.
This training is an extremely important and specialized investment
that is intended to save lives. However, the high attrition rates of VA
Police Officers who undergo this training puts an added strain on VA
resources when considering the cost of training. This is exemplified by
the Law Enforcement Training Center (LETC) already charging $14,620 for
a VA Police Officer Standard Training Course, which does not include
the crisis intervention training required by the VA COMPACT Act.
When analyzing this figure in relation to the regular attrition of
VA Police, the VA is spending a significant amount on training each
year. AFGE urges the committee to ask the VA how much it expends on
training, as well as a breakdown of costs for officers who leave
shortly after receiving training and calculate how it can save money
and improve retention with 6(c) benefits and improved use of special
salary rates and retention bonuses. AFGE believes that SVAC Ranking
Member Moran is correct to point out in a recent letter to Secretary
McDonough, that at least in part as a result of excessive turnover,
``[Between] January 2023 to March 2024, only 1,297 out of 4,505 armed
VA Police Officers were in compliance with the annual training
requirement of the COMPACT Act representing a compliance rate of only
28 percent.'' Improving retention would strongly contribute to
improving the percentage of active officers who receive this
statutorily required training.
Physical Security
The VA Police's first obligation is to fulfill its Mission
Statement ``To Protect Those Who Served.'' To achieve this goal, AFGE
appreciates that security needs to be tailored to each facility to best
protect its veterans.
AFGE supports programs including those proposed in H.R. 7765, the
``VA Security Screening Pilot Program Act.'' This bill is a strong
proposal designed to prevent violence at Veterans Medical Centers.
However, as the VA continues to evaluate its physical security AFGE
urges the VA to take several considerations into account.
First, AFGE urges that the VA provides its police with training on
any new security technologies installed at VA facilities and that only
VA Police Officers, who have undergone crisis intervention training
required by statute and are best equipped to respond to an emergency at
a VA facility, are allowed to operate such technology, and not third-
party contractors.
Second, AFGE urges the VA to make sure that facilities using or
piloting screening technology account for the extra demand on staff and
hire more officers accordingly. Some facility police forces do not have
the capacity to operate screening technology and perform their other
duties. New screening technologies will require more police staff.
Third, the VA should not limit the use of new screening
technologies to Medical Centers. As the VA utilizes larger Community
Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), it is worth including them as well as
VBA regional offices which are under the jurisdiction of other Federal
agencies police forces. This will provide a broad cross section of data
on the effectiveness of the technologies.
Fourth, AFGE strongly encourages that in sites wherever screening
technology is being piloted, there be either separate screening lines
or reserved entrances for staff to prevent delays in patient care.
AFGE looks forward to working with the Subcommittee and the VA to
improve the recruitment and retention of the VA Police Force and ensure
that it is fully staffed. Thank you.
Prepared Statement of Kapua Conley
Chairwomen Kiggans, members of the committee, thank you for the
privilege of addressing you today on one of Sentara Health's top
priorities - the safety of our employees, patients and all visitors who
walk into our facilities.
I am Kapua Conley, Regional President for Sentara Health.
Sentara is an integrated delivery network with 12 hospitals in the
Mid-Atlantic, a health plan and more than 30,000 employees. Our largest
hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center is just miles from Naval Station
Norfolk, and we serve many active duty, veterans and their families.
Keeping our employees, patients and visitors safe is a
responsibility we take very seriously, as you will hear from my
comments today. From my perspective ``Security is both a feeling and a
reality. And they are not the same.'' Making our employees and patients
feel safe is just as important as keeping them safe.
The statistics around workplace safety in a healthcare environment
are staggering.
We know that healthcare workers are 5X more likely to experience
violence compared to those in any other private profession. Outside of
law enforcement, an emergency department is the second most dangerous
workplace.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that healthcare workers
account for 73 percent of injuries from workplace violence. The threat
to nurses, physicians and other healthcare workers has been on the rise
since 2011.
Those statistics are our reality on the front lines of healthcare.
Sixty-four handguns, 1,204 knives, 158 box cutters, 84 tasers and
two machetes - this is an inventory of weapons intercepted at the doors
of emergency departments in just two Sentara hospitals in a little over
a year.
In total, security personnel have prevented nearly 2,484 weapons
from entering Sentara Norfolk General and Sentara Virginia Beach
General hospitals during that time.
Our Security Team seeks to first prevent and deter violence within
our facilities.
Second, we seek to protect our employees, patients and visitors
from harm or injury should a violent incident occur.
Prevent and Deter Workplace Violence
To prevent and deter violence, Sentara has implemented
sophisticated, state-of-the-art, AI-driven Concealed Weapon Detection
Systems. Over the next 2 years, every hospital will have this system in
place.
When our CEO, Dennis Matheis, sat down with some of our front-line
employees to discuss this initiative, he was concerned about push back,
as hospitals are havens of healing. One nurse reminded Dennis that our
children walk through metal detectors every day going to school. This
is now the new normal.
In addition, Sentara has implemented a Visitor Management System
that allows us to know who is entering any of our facilities and
whether they are authorized to do so, reducing criminal acts and
workplace violence.
Also, in addition to thousands of CCTV cameras located throughout
our hospitals, we have personal duress alarms and a new Emergency
Notification System to better communicate with our teams and take
proactive action.
All front-line employees are trained on de-escalation, and Sentara
has implemented cutting edge Active Shooter Training, including a full-
scale active shooter drill involving our emergency services community
partners.
Protect Our Employees, Patients and Visitors
To ensure the highest level of safety, Sentara recognizes the need
to be proactive, not reactive. Each and every member of our team is
critical to the safety of all. This responsibility to keep each other
safe is engrained in our culture and built into our daily protocols,
training, and technology.
Every nurse has the capability and responsibility to flag patient
medical records for individuals who exhibit threatening behaviors. Our
support staff follow the buddy system when serving these patients.
Security patrols keep a close watch on units with potentially violent
patients, and they make sure that flags in our electronic medical
records match signage in the units. Patient flags are evaluated every
12 hours and removed if a patient is no longer a threat.
Multi-disciplinary Core Threat Assessment Teams in each division
review all workplace violence incidents, ensure appropriate use of
flags, analyze trends and root causes, and recommend additional
training and protocols to maximize safety. These teams rally on short
notice when there is an urgent need for a coordinated and decisive
response to potential threats.
Our in-house security professionals are essential to our strategic
approach to safety. Sentara is training an elite team of Security
officers to receive certification by the Virginia Department of
Criminal Justice Services. And we are implementing Video Magistrate
rooms that permit police and staff to directly link with a magistrate
to provide evidence and swear out an arrest warrant in real time for a
criminal event that has or may occur.
Conclusion
Again, ``Security is both a feeling and a reality. And they are not
the same.''
This needs to be taken into consideration when looking at our own
veterans medical facilities. Sentara stands ready to collaborate and
partner with the VA system on how best to assess, support and implement
best practices in safety and security at these facilities.
We have made an investment in safety which has returns beyond a
dollar amount. I hope that the VA system will do the same.
I am happy to take any questions at the appropriate time.
Prepared Statement of Chuck Dowd
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Prepared Statement of Jon Retzer
Chairwoman Kiggans, Ranking Member Mrvan and Members of the
Subcommittee:
Thank you for inviting DAV (Disabled American Veterans) to testify
at today's hearing of the Subcommittee on Veterans' Affairs Oversight
and Investigations--``Ensuring VA's Security: How Can Congress Best
Support VA's Law Enforcement?''
DAV, a congressionally chartered non-profit veterans service
organization (VSO), is comprised of over one million wartime service-
disabled veterans. Its single purpose is to empower veterans to lead
high-quality lives with respect and dignity. DAV is pleased to provide
our perspectives on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) police
force and security issues being discussed today by the Subcommittee.
The VA operates one of the largest health care systems in the
Nation, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and offers training
for a majority of America's medical, nursing, and allied health
professionals. The VA health care system includes 172 VA Medical
Centers (VAMC) and 1,138 community-based outpatient sites of care. With
more than 371,000 employees, these health care facilities ensure
comprehensive care for over 7 million veterans every year.
With utmost appreciation, DAV would like to extend thanks to the
law enforcement men and women who make up the VA's police and security
support teams for their dedication and commitment to serving and
protecting our veteran community.
To protect VA's physical infrastructure, the Office of Emergency
Management collaborates with relevant VA departments and external
agencies to safeguard veterans, employees, visitors, and property at VA
facilities. The Office of Security and Law Enforcement (OS&LE) offers
guidance, consultation, and direct operational support to all elements
of VA.
The VA Police Service is one of the three main sections that the
office is organized into, responsible for conducting police program
oversight, policy development and strategic planning, physical security
standards and practices, protection of VA Central Office buildings, and
executive protection of the Secretary and Deputy Secretary. The
Security and Investigations Center (SIC) oversees the management of the
VA's personnel suitability and security investigation programs. To meet
the needs of all VA entities nationwide, quality, and timely background
investigations and adjudications are ensured for VA employees and
contractors in sensitive positions. The SIC oversees both the
processing of fingerprints and the design and production of
identification badges and access cards for Central Office employees.
The VA Law Enforcement Training Center fulfills its crucial role
through the provision of professional training and development for VA
police officers across the system. The VA maintains a well-trained
police force to enforce the law and protect patients, visitors,
employees, and property at VA facilities. Approximately 2,700 trained
VA police officers are shouldering these duties at all major VA medical
facilities and many VA outpatient clinics. They also serve VA's
National Cemetery Administration and Veterans Benefits Administrations,
including locations in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
The primary role of the VA police is to deter and stop crime, keep
order, and investigate crimes that may have happened within the
authority of the VA. Individuals wanting to become VA police officers
must possess specialized law enforcement experience and undergo a
variety of background checks and meet basic medical standards related
to performing law enforcement duties, as set by the Office of Personnel
Management. These standards require experience with basic laws and
regulations, as well as law enforcement operations, practices, and
techniques.
The VA Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Annual Performance Plan and Fiscal
Year 2021 report noted that the VA Office of Human Resources and
Administration/Office of Operations and Administration tracks and
reports the number of violent crimes committed on VA property. Violent
crimes are defined as assault, aggravated assault, sexual assault,
attempted murder, homicide (murder), kidnapping, manslaughter, robbery,
terroristic threats to US officials, and workplace violence. The total
number of violent crimes reported on VA property for Fiscal Year 2021
was 6,538--steadily increasing, from the previous years of 2020 at
5,002; 2019 at 4,420; and 2018 at 3,131.
In February 2023, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) released
its report (22-03770-49) and assessment of 70 VA medical facilities to
determine if they had established minimum security plans that met VA's
security requirements. The OIG evaluated security of doors, staffing
levels, the use of security cameras and if there was an active security
presence at VA medical facilities. The OIG noted VA generally complied
with security training requirements and demonstrated general emergency
response planning and preparedness; however, it identified multiple
security vulnerabilities and deficiencies at the 70 facilities assessed
to include: unlocked doors in sensitive areas, significant police
officer vacancies and inoperable security cameras. Staffing challenges
were considered a significant factor to security issues identified--
particularly, ``...the lack of a visible and active police presence.''
It was noted that having a police and security personnel presence at
facility entrances acts as a deterrent to crime and comports with
overall security of a facility. Yet due to staffing challenges, ``OIG
teams identified that 93 percent of the facilities [monitored] had at
least one public access door without the required security presence.''
We were pleased to see that 69 of the 70 facilities assessed had
required contingency plans in place for serious security issues to
include active shooters, bomb threats and hostage situations.
Additionally, despite VA issued guidance in May 2022 requiring
facilities to have an active security presence in emergency departments
at all times by May 2023, 58 percent of facilities did not meet this
mandate. Finally, the OIG found that surveillance cameras were not
consistently operable or monitored and recommended more oversight to
ensure these surveillance systems are regularly tested, maintained and
managed as another counterpoint for deterrence to potential bad actors.
The OIG also suggested VA set a national standard for monitoring,
periodic review and storage of surveillance camera footage.
To address the increase of violent crime on VA property will
require oversight and identifying the unique challenges and security
weaknesses that exist at each VA facility. We need to ensure VA police
have quality and functional equipment to mitigate risks from possible
threats, with an emphasis on training and adoption of appropriate
processes and protocols to address violent crimes as well as the
privacy and safety of all veterans with a special focus on the safety
of women veterans using VA services. Congress should consider
legislation to ensure the VA Police force and its officers have the
proper staffing, resources and training they need to ensure all medical
facilities are safe and secure for veterans, staff and visitors.
Security and safety measures should be standardized but also
tailored and measured to meet the specific needs of each VA facility
and its respective location and risk level. There may be a need to
prioritize facilities or areas with higher crime or incidents of
violence or security breaches. When making and implementing new
policies and procedures, it is also important to have the ease of
access to VA facilities for our disabled veterans at the forefront.
Veterans understand the importance of security from their time in
the armed forces in conducting and sustaining operations for this
Nation. It is only fitting that this Nation, in return, provides ill
and injured veterans secure sanctuary from internal and external
threats when seeking health care at VA facilities.
For these reasons, DAV is pleased to support H.R. 3504, the VA
Medical Security Report Act, legislation that would require VA, in
coordination with the Office of Security and Law Enforcement, to
conduct an annual survey to collect information about security at each
VA medical care center. Types of information to be collected include:
frequency and type of criminal activity; number of vacant positions for
police officers; availability and adequacy of required security
equipment; and availability and adequacy of training--including
training for responding to serious threats. The bill would also require
the Secretary to provide an action plan describing how the Department
would address any identified security weaknesses.
Another security bill referred to the Subcommittee is H.R. 7765,
the VA Security Screening Pilot Program Act, legislation that would
direct the VA to carry out a pilot program to use weapon screening
technology at VA medical centers. While we don't have a resolution from
our members regarding security screening, we certainly appreciate the
intent of this legislation and the goal to safeguard veterans,
employees and VA property. As with any changes to security at VA
facilities, this would have to be done in a manner that avoids creating
unnecessary barriers to care for veterans - especially aging and
service-disabled veterans - who are more likely to have medical
devices, prosthetics, assistive equipment, and service animals. As
such, it is critically important to mandate robust consultation with
veterans and veterans service organizations before finalizing any
changes to security protocols at VA health care facilities.
In closing, we appreciate the Subcommittees attention to the issue
of security and urge continued oversight to address identified areas
needing improvement. Our veterans and the VA staff dedicated to caring
for them deserve a safe, harassment free environment that is well
ordered and free of crime. We must ensure the VA police have the staff,
resources and tools to address the security challenges of today and
that they have the support to make necessary changes to prevent crime
and safeguard these essential facilities and veterans using them.
This concludes my testimony on behalf of DAV. I am pleased to
answer questions you or members of the Subcommittee may have.
Statement for the Record
----------
Prepared Statement of Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
[all]