Firearm Safety Locks: Federal Agency Implementation of the Presidential
Directive (Letter Report, 09/30/98, GAO/GGD-98-201).

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed federal agencies'
compliance with President Clinton's March 1997 directive regarding child
safety locks for firearms, focusing on: (1) firearms that have been
issued to or are used in an official capacity by employees at selected
federal law enforcement organizations; and (2) selected federal law
enforcement organizations' implementation of the presidential directive.

GAO noted that: (1) the three executive branch organizations GAO
reviewed that are subject to the presidential directive--the Department
of Justice, the Department of the Treasury, and the National Park
Service (NPS)--have issued about 72,000 firearms to employees, with
Justice issuances accounting for about 49,000 of the total; (2)
additionally, these organizations have authorized for official use about
26,000 personally owned firearms; (3) of this total, Justice
authorizations accounted for about 23,000; (4) the Postal Inspection
Service has issued about 2,000 firearms to employees and authorized
about 400 personally owned firearms for official use; (5) the Capitol
Police have issued approximately 1,100 firearms to officers but does not
allow personally owned firearms to be used for official duties; (6) the
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts had no readily available,
centralized data showing the number of firearms issued to or used by
federal judicial district officers; (7) Justice, Treasury, and NPS
officials told GAO their organizations have taken appropriate steps to
implement the presidential directive; (8) in implementing the
presidential directive, these organizations are requiring that all
firearms issued to employees, as well as personally owned firearms
authorized for official use, be equipped with safety lock devices; (9)
generally, these organizations did not require safety lock devices for
firearms that are maintained in secure agency facilities and not taken
home by employees; (10) GAO's review verified that these organizations
have developed and taken actions to communicate a safety lock policy to
their law enforcement officers; (11) the Postal Inspection Service has
voluntarily developed and taken actions to communicate a safety lock
policy to its law enforcement officers and has purchased safety lock
devices for all permanently issued and personally owned firearms
authorized for official use by its inspectors; (12) the Postal
Inspection Service does not require safety lock devices for firearms
that are maintained in secure agency vaults and not taken home; (13) the
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has provided the 94 federal
judicial districts guidance on the use of firearms; and (14) however,
according to the Administrative Office, each district has the discretion
to establish its own policies, and the Administrative Office had no
readily available summary or overview of current policies and practices
in all districts.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  GGD-98-201
     TITLE:  Firearm Safety Locks: Federal Agency Implementation of the 
             Presidential Directive
      DATE:  09/30/98
   SUBJECT:  Safety standards
             Safety regulation
             Firearms
             Law enforcement agencies
             Accident prevention
             Law enforcement personnel

             
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Cover
================================================================ COVER


Report to Congressional Requesters

September 1998

FIREARM SAFETY LOCKS - FEDERAL
AGENCY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE

GAO/GGD-98-201

Firearm Safety Locks

(182060)


Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV

  ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
  DEA - Drug Enforcement Administration
  FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
  INS - Immigration and Naturalization Service
  IRS - Internal Revenue Service

Letter
=============================================================== LETTER


B-280647

September 30, 1998

The Honorable Earl Blumenauer
The Honorable Zoe Lofgren
The Honorable Charles Schumer
House of Representatives

This report responds to your request for information about compliance
with President Clinton's March 1997 directive regarding child safety
locks for firearms.  The directive required executive departments and
agencies to (1) develop and implement a policy requiring that a
safety lock device be provided with each handgun issued to federal
law enforcement officers, (2) inform all federal law enforcement
officers of the policy, and (3) provide accompanying instructions for
the proper use of devices when issued.  In May 1997, the White House
issued a memorandum clarifying that the directive covers all
firearms, not just handguns, issued to federal law enforcement
officers.  The intent of the presidential directive--and the
subsequent clarifying memorandum--was, in part, to reduce
unauthorized use of firearms and protect children from injury and
death. 

As you requested, our study addressed two questions:  (1) Currently,
how many firearms have been issued to or are used in an official
capacity by employees at selected federal law enforcement
organizations?  (2) How have selected federal law enforcement
organizations implemented the presidential directive?  As you further
requested, even though the directive applies only to executive branch
organizations, we focused our work on each federal civilian
department or agency that has 1,000 or more law enforcement officers. 
These departments or agencies are

  -- three executive branch organizations that are subject to the
     presidential directive--the Department of Justice and the
     Department of the Treasury, each of which has several components
     that individually employ over 1,000 law enforcement officers;
     and the National Park Service, whose rangers and police officers
     may carry firearms;

  -- Postal Inspection Service, which is a law enforcement component
     of the U.S.  Postal Service, an independent establishment of the
     executive branch;

  -- in the legislative branch, the U.S.  Capitol Police, which
     provides protective services for Members of Congress and other
     law enforcement services within the U.S.  Capitol buildings and
     grounds; and

  -- in the judicial branch, federal district courts that employ
     probation and pretrial service officers who may be authorized to
     carry firearms. 

Collectively, these organizations account for about 92 percent of the
total number of federal civilian law enforcement officers who have
authority to make arrests and carry firearms, according to a 1996
Bureau of Justice Statistics survey.  As table I.1 in appendix I
shows, the Justice Department enforcement components we reviewed were
the Bureau of Prisons, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS), and U.S.  Marshals Service.  Also, the Treasury Department
enforcement components we reviewed were the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco and Firearms (ATF); U.S.  Customs Service; Internal Revenue
Service (IRS); and U.S.  Secret Service.  To reiterate, even though
the presidential directive does not apply to the Postal Inspection
Service,\1 the Capitol Police, and the federal courts, you asked that
we obtain data, when available, on the number of firearms issued or
used by these organizations and determine if they have voluntarily
initiated safety lock programs. 

In conducting our review, we interviewed knowledgeable officials at
the headquarters of each selected agency.  We also obtained and
reviewed copies of applicable documents, such as safety lock
procurement records, implementation policies and guidance, and
training manual updates.  However, the scope of our work did not
constitute a full compliance audit in that we did not visit field
offices of the law enforcement agencies to verify that safety locks
had been issued.  We performed our work from June 1998 to September
1998 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
standards.  Appendix I presents more details about our objectives,
scope, and methodology. 


--------------------
\1 The U.S.  Postal Service is an independent establishment of the
executive branch.  According to an Associate Director in the White
House Domestic Policy Council, the U.S.  Postal Service's law
enforcement components are not subject to the presidential directive. 


   RESULTS IN BRIEF
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :1

The three executive branch organizations we reviewed that are subject
to the presidential directive--Justice, Treasury, and the National
Park Service--have issued about 72,000 firearms to employees, with
Justice issuances accounting for about 49,000 (68 percent) of the
total.  Additionally, these organizations have authorized for
official use about 26,000 personally owned firearms.  Of this total,
Justice authorizations accounted for about 23,000 (88 percent).  The
Postal Inspection Service has issued about 2,000 firearms to
employees and authorized about 400 personally owned firearms for
official use.  The Capitol Police has issued approximately 1,100
firearms to officers but does not allow personally owned firearms to
be used for official duties.  The Administrative Office of the U.S. 
Courts had no readily available, centralized data showing the number
of firearms issued to or used by federal judicial district officers. 

Justice, Treasury, and National Park Service officials told us their
organizations have taken appropriate steps to implement the
presidential directive.  In implementing the presidential directive,
these organizations are requiring that all firearms issued to
employees, as well as personally owned firearms authorized for
official use, be equipped with safety lock devices.  Generally, these
organizations did not require safety lock devices for firearms that
are maintained in secure agency facilities and not taken home by
employees.  Our review verified that these organizations have
developed and taken actions to communicate a safety lock policy to
their law enforcement officers.  Initially, for instance, these
organizations issued memoranda or other communications to field units
informing them of the presidential directive and, subsequently,
included a section on safety lock devices in the firearms training
provided to new agents.  Also, our review indicated that these
organizations have purchased a sufficient number of safety lock
devices for all issued firearms.  However, regarding personally owned
firearms authorized for official use, these organizations differ on
whether the agency or the employees should pay for safety lock
devices.  Further, our review of program documentation confirmed that
written instructions for properly attaching safety lock devices to
firearms were available at the executive branch organizations we
contacted. 

The Postal Inspection Service has voluntarily developed and taken
actions to communicate a safety lock policy to its law enforcement
officers and has purchased safety lock devices for all permanently
issued and personally owned firearms authorized for official use by
its inspectors.  The Postal Inspection Service does not require
safety lock devices for firearms that are maintained in secure agency
vaults and not taken home.  At the time of our review, the Capitol
Police was in the process of updating its firearms policy and was
ordering lock boxes for home storage of firearms issued to its
officers.  The Administrative Office of the U.S.  Courts has provided
the 94 federal judicial districts guidance on the use of firearms,
including a suggestion that safety lock devices be used.  However,
according to the Administrative Office, each district has the
discretion to establish its own policies, and the Administrative
Office had no readily available summary or overview of current
policies and practices in all districts. 


   BACKGROUND
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :2

In his March 5, 1997, directive to heads of executive departments and
agencies, President Clinton noted that firearms claim the lives of
children daily and were the fourth leading cause of accidental deaths
among children ages 5 to 14.  In order to have the federal government
serve as an example of gun safety, the President required that a
safety lock device be provided with each handgun issued to federal
law enforcement officers, in part, to reduce unauthorized use of
handguns and protect children from injury and death.  In May 1997,
the White House issued a memorandum to all chiefs of staff clarifying
that the directive covers all firearms, not just handguns, issued to
federal law enforcement officers. 

Generally, before the presidential directive was issued, many federal
agencies, such as DEA, FBI, and INS, already had developed firearms
safety policies and were training their employees on how to properly
secure their firearms when not in use.  Further, the curriculum at
the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center specifically addressed
the need for officers to use caution in securing firearms at home
when children are present.  Also, FBI and ATF officials told us that
before the 1997 directive, their agencies were purchasing and
distributing safety lock devices for all handguns issued to their
agents.  Similarly, National Park Service and Postal Inspection
Service officials told us that before the 1997 directive, their
agencies were providing--at the discretion of local management--lock
boxes for home storage of firearms. 

The 1997 presidential directive did not mandate use of a particular
brand or one specific type of safety lock device.  However, the
directive did require that when properly installed on a firearm and
secured by means of a key or combination lock, the device should
prevent the firearm from being discharged.  The directive also
allowed for locking mechanisms that are incorporated into the design
of firearms rather than having to be attached. 


   APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF FIREARMS
   ISSUED OR USED IN AN OFFICIAL
   CAPACITY
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :3

At the time of our review, issuances of firearms to law enforcement
officers by Justice, Treasury, and the National Park Service
collectively totaled approximately 72,000 weapons.  As presented in
table 1, this estimate consisted of about 61,000 handguns and about
11,000 shoulder weapons, such as shotguns and rifles.  Also, as noted
in the table, this estimate represented only those firearms that had
been issued to officers and that could remain in their possession at
all times, including at home.  Thus, for example, the numbers shown
in table 1 do not include firearms issued by the Bureau of Prisons,
an agency whose weapons are available for official use during work
schedules but are otherwise usually retained in secure agency
facilities. 

In addition to agency-issued firearms, table 1 shows that Justice,
Treasury, and the National Park Service have authorized for official
use an estimated total of at least 26,000 personally owned firearms. 
According to the agency representatives we contacted, almost all of
this total consists of handguns. 

The Postal Inspection Service, as table 1 shows, has issued an
estimated 2,000 handguns to inspectors and authorized for official
use an additional estimated 400 personally owned handguns.  The
Postal Inspection Service said it maintains all shoulder weapons in
secure agency facilities when not in use.  The total does not include
firearms used by uniformed police officers who, after completing a
daily tour of duty, leave their firearms in secure agency facilities. 

The Capitol Police, as table 1 shows, has issued about 1,100 handguns
to officers but said it maintains all shoulder weapons in secure
facilities when not in use.  The Capitol Police does not authorize
for official use any personally owned firearms. 

The Administrative Office of the U.S.  Courts did not have aggregate
data showing the number of firearms issued to or authorized for use
by probation and pretrial service officers in the 94 federal judicial
districts. 



                                     Table 1
                     
                     Approximate Number of Firearms Issued to
                        or Used by Federal Law Enforcement
                                     Officers

                               Number of firearms issued to
                                  individual officers\a
                            ----------------------------------
                                                                       Number of
                                                                personally owned
                                                                        firearms
                                                      Shoulder    authorized for
Organization                     Total    Handguns   weapons\b     official use\
--------------------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------------
Executive branch
 organizations subject to
 the directive
Justice\\                    4\8,900\c      39,300       9,500          22,800\d
Treasury                     21,600\e\      20,200       1,300           3,000\f
National Park Service\g         1,600\       1,600         Not               200
                                                    available\
================================================================================
Subtotal                        72,100      61,100      10,800            26,000
Independent establishment
 of the executive branch
Postal Inspection               2,000\       2,000        None               400
 Service\h
Legislative branch
Capitol Police\\i                1,100       1,100        None    Not applicable
Judicial branch
Federal judicial                   Not         Not         Not    Not available\
 districts\j                available\  available\  available\
================================================================================
Total                           73,300      62,300      10,800            26,400
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note:  Totals and subtotals are sums of numbers that have been
rounded to the nearest hundred.  Rows may not add due to rounding. 

\a Data represent firearms that could be readily identified in
central agency databases--or estimated by agency officials--as
permanently issued to individuals (i.e., firearms that may be taken
home by employees).  The data do not include firearms that are used
for official daily duty tours or specific operations and returned to
vaults or other secure agency facilities when not in use. 

\b Shoulder weapons are firearms, such as shotguns and rifles, that
are fired from the shoulder. 

\c Data represent firearms issued by four Justice enforcement
components--DEA, FBI, INS, and the Marshals Service.  DEA, FBI, and
the Marshals Service provided estimates, and INS provided data from
its firearms database.  The other Justice component we reviewed, the
Bureau of Prisons, keeps firearms in secure facilities when officers
are off duty. 

\d Data represent estimates of the number of personally owned
firearms authorized for official use by three Justice
components--FBI, INS, and Marshals Service.  DEA did not maintain
organizationwide data and could not estimate the number of these
firearms.  The Bureau of Prisons does not authorize personally owned
firearms for official use. 

\e Data represent firearms issued by the four Treasury components we
reviewed--ATF, Customs Service, IRS, and Secret Service.  IRS'
Criminal Investigation Division provided an estimate, and IRS
Internal Security provided actual issuance data. 

\f Data represent personally owned firearms authorized for official
use by the Customs Service.  The remaining three Treasury enforcement
components--ATF, IRS, and Secret Service--do not generally authorize
personally owned firearms for official use (see table 2). 

\g Data represent the agency's estimate--based on firearms policy and
number of employees--of how many primary-duty firearms, i.e.,
handguns, are issued to nonseasonal enforcement rangers. 
Organizationwide data on total number of shoulder weapons were not
centrally available. 

\h Data represent the Service's estimate--based on firearms policy
and number of employees--of handguns issued to inspectors.  The
Postal Inspection Service said it maintains all shoulder weapons in
secure agency facilities when not in use. 

\i The Capitol Police said it maintains shoulder weapons in secure
agency facilities when not in use and does not allow officers to use
personally owned firearms for official duties. 

\j Nationwide data on the number of firearms issued to or authorized
for use by probation and pretrial service officers in federal
judicial districts were not centrally available. 

Source:  Developed by GAO on the basis of agency firearms database
records and/or testimonial evidence provided by knowledgeable
organization officials. 


   FIREARM SAFETY LOCK PROGRAM
   IMPLEMENTATION
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :4

The following two sections, respectively, discuss (1) implementation
of the presidential directive by Justice, Treasury, and the National
Park Service; and (2) voluntary implementation of firearm safety lock
programs by the Postal Inspection Service, the Capitol Police, and
federal judicial districts, which are not subject to the presidential
directive. 


      EXECUTIVE BRANCH
      IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
      PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :4.1

Justice, Treasury, and the National Park Service have developed and
taken actions to communicate firearms safety lock policies.  These
organizations require that safety lock devices be provided with each
permanently issued firearm.  For example, according to knowledgeable
officials, new agents are provided a safety lock device concurrently
with issuance of a primary duty firearm.  In addition, Justice,
Treasury, and the National Park Service require that personally owned
firearms authorized for official use be equipped with safety lock
devices. 

Generally, these organizations do not require safety lock devices for
firearms that are maintained in secure agency facilities and not
taken home by employees.  For example, except for the Marshals
Service, Justice components do not require safety lock devices for
firearms that are used for official daily duty tours or specific
operations and returned to vaults or other secure agency facilities
when not in use.  These organizations do require, however, that
firearms be equipped with safety lock devices when taken into home
environments. 

At the time of our review, Justice, Treasury, and the National Park
Service had updated, or were in the process of updating, their
firearms policy manuals to reflect safety lock requirements.  In
addition, these organizations have used various means to inform their
employees of applicable firearms safety lock policies.  Initially,
for instance, these organizations issued memoranda or other
communications to field units informing them of the presidential
directive.  Subsequently, the organizations have included a section
on safety lock devices in the firearms training provided to new
agents.  Also, some agency officials said that use of safety lock
devices may be covered during the firearms requalification testing
periodically required for agents.  Further, we found that the
firearms safety training course at the Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center includes specific instruction on the presidential
directive and safety lock devices. 

Our review of procurement records and other documents indicates that
Justice and Treasury have purchased a sufficient number of safety
lock devices for the total number of firearms issued to individual
employees.  Regarding the National Park Service, except for
documentation of 200 safety locks purchased for new hires, we found
that organizationwide safety lock device procurement documentation
was not centrally available.  However, headquarters officials told us
that they had contacted several large parks, whose managers reported
that a sufficient number of safety lock devices had been purchased
for their employees. 

As table 2 shows, the executive branch organizations subject to the
presidential directive we reviewed have purchased over 109,000 safety
lock devices.  Most frequently, universal safety lock devices--which
can be used on a variety of firearm types--were purchased, at a unit
cost ranging from about $4.00 to $10.00.  Also, Justice, Treasury,
and National Park Service officials told us that their respective
organizations tested the safety lock devices before purchasing them
to ensure that (1) discharge was prevented when the devices were
properly attached, and (2) the devices could not be easily removed
without having a key or knowing the combination. 



                                     Table 2
                     
                     Comparison of the Approximate Number of
                      Firearms Issued or Used in an Official
                      Capacity to the Number of Safety Lock
                     Devices Purchased by Selected Executive
                     Branch Enforcement Components Subject to
                                  the Directive

                                  Number of
                                 personally
                   Number of          owned
                    firearms       firearms
                   issued to     authorized
                  individual   for official      Number of
Executive         officers\a  use\ (rounded    safety lock
branch           (rounded to         to the        devices
enforcement      the nearest        nearest      purchased
component           hundred)       hundred)       (actual)  Comments
-------------  -------------  -------------  -------------  --------------------
Justice
Bureau of               None         None\b          2,179  Bureau of Prisons
 Prisons                                                     firearms are to be
                See comments                                 kept in secure
                                                             facilities when
                                                             officers are off
                                                             duty. Safety locks
                                                             are to be issued
                                                             for firearms only
                                                             when used for off-
                                                             facility
                                                             activities, i.e.,
                                                             for armed escorts
                                                             of prisoners or for
                                                             personal security
                                                             in reservation
                                                             housing (e.g.,
                                                             wardens' homes).
DEA                  6,000\c            Not          8,000  DEA requires agents
                                available\d                  to purchase safety
                                                             locks for
                                                             personally owned
                                                             firearms authorized
                                                             for official use.
FBI\                22,600\c       20,000\c         24,987  In September 1998,
                                                             the FBI made a
                                                             funding policy
                                                             decision to pay for
                                                             safety locks for
                                                             personally owned
                                                             firearms authorized
                                                             for official use.
INS                   18,400          600\c         23,400
Marshals            \1,900\c        2,200\c         10,439  The Marshals Service
 Service                                                     requires safety
                                                             locks for all
                                                             firearms, including
                                                             firearms maintained
                                                             in secure
                                                             facilities when not
                                                             in use. Initially,
                                                             the agency
                                                             centrally purchased
                                                             10,439 safety lock
                                                             devices to cover
                                                             all handguns and
                                                             shoulder weapons
                                                             (including handguns
                                                             issued to court
                                                             security officers,
                                                             who are not
                                                             Marshals Service
                                                             employees).
                                                             Subsequently,
                                                             individual
                                                             districts and
                                                             employees have
                                                             purchased
                                                             additional safety
                                                             locks. According to
                                                             the Chief of
                                                             District Affairs,
                                                             the total number of
                                                             safety locks
                                                             purchased equals or
                                                             exceeds the total
                                                             number of firearms
                                                             in inventory.
================================================================================
Subtotal              48,900         22,800         69,005
Treasury
ATF                    3,000         None\b          6,932
Customs               11,800          3,000         22,500
 Service
IRS\e                3,400\c         None\b          4,515
Secret                 3,400   See comments          6,150  The Secret Service
 Service                                                     generally does not
                                                             certify personally
                                                             owned firearms for
                                                             official use during
                                                             duty tours.
                                                             However, the agency
                                                             does certify such
                                                             firearms for off-
                                                             duty purposes and
                                                             has purchased a
                                                             sufficient number
                                                             of safety locks for
                                                             these firearms.
================================================================================
Subtotal              21,600          3,000         40,097
National Park        1,600\c          200\c            200  The Service does not
 Service\                                                    have
                See comments                  See comments   organizationwide
                                                             data on all
                                                             firearms issued to
                                                             individuals. The
                                                             1,600 firearms
                                                             represent an
                                                             estimate of the
                                                             number of primary-
                                                             duty weapons issued
                                                             to nonseasonal
                                                             enforcement
                                                             rangers. The
                                                             Service requires
                                                             each park to
                                                             purchase and issue
                                                             safety locks. Thus,
                                                             there were no
                                                             centrally available
                                                             data on total
                                                             safety lock
                                                             purchases. The 200
                                                             safety locks
                                                             represent only the
                                                             number purchased
                                                             for new employees.
================================================================================
Total                 72,100         26,000        109,302
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\a The data represent firearms that could be readily identified in
central agency databases--or estimated by agency officials--as issued
to individual employees and do not include firearms that are
maintained in vaults or other secure facilities and not taken home by
employees. 

\b The organization does not authorize personally owned firearms to
be used for official duties. 

\c The data represent estimates by organization officials. 

\d Organizationwide data were not centrally or readily available, and
headquarters officials could not provide an estimate. 

\e The data represent totals for IRS Criminal Investigation Division
and IRS Internal Security. 

Source:  Developed by GAO on the basis of agency firearms database
records, procurement documents, and/or testimonial evidence provided
by knowledgeable organization officials. 

Knowledgeable Justice and Treasury officials told us that safety lock
devices generally have been issued to all appropriate employees
according to the respective organization's policies.  The National
Park Service had no centrally available, organizationwide data on its
firearms safety lock program.  However, as indicated above,
headquarters officials told us they contacted several large parks,
whose managers reported that safety locks devices had been
distributed to their employees. 

Justice, Treasury, and National Park Service officials told us that
their distributions of safety lock devices were accompanied with
written instructions for properly attaching the devices to applicable
firearms.  Our review of safety lock program documentation confirmed
that written instructions were available at all of the organizations
we contacted. 

An implementation issue that reflects differences among executive
branch organizations is the funding of safety lock devices for
personally owned firearms authorized for official use.  Within the
Justice Department, for example, DEA's policy is to require its
officers to pay for safety locks for these firearms; INS purchases
safety locks for personally owned firearms authorized for use by its
officers.  Also, in September 1998, the FBI made a funding policy
decision to pay for safety locks for such firearms used by its
officers.  As table 2 shows, the FBI has by far the largest estimated
number (20,000) of personally owned firearms authorized for official
use.  Treasury components that authorize personally owned firearms
for official use purchase safety lock devices for these firearms. 
The National Park Service requires employees to pay for safety lock
devices for these firearms. 


      FIREARMS SAFETY LOCK
      PROGRAMS OF THREE
      ORGANIZATIONS NOT SUBJECT TO
      THE PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE
---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :4.2

The Postal Inspection Service--a law enforcement component of the
U.S.  Postal Service, an independent establishment of the executive
branch--is not subject to the presidential directive, according to
the White House Domestic Policy Council.  However, the Postal
Inspection Service voluntarily initiated a safety lock program in
response to the presidential directive.  As of August 1998, the
Postal Inspection Service employed about 2,200 inspectors and about
1,400 uniformed police officers.  The agency requires safety locks
for all permanently issued firearms and personally owned firearms
authorized for official use by its inspectors.  The agency does not
require safety locks for the firearms used by its uniformed police
officers because these weapons are maintained in secure agency vaults
and are not taken home.  The agency initially issued a memorandum
informing its employees about the safety lock program and currently
is updating its firearms policy manual to reflect safety lock
requirements. 

At the time of our review, the Postal Inspection Service had
purchased 2,500 safety locks, which represent a sufficient number for
all permanently issued and personally owned firearms authorized for
official use by its inspectors.  According to the Inspector-in-Charge
of the agency's training academy, safety lock devices have been
issued with written instructions to all inspectors.  Also, the
Inspector-in-Charge said that agency staff (1) discuss safety lock
policy during semiannual firearms requalification tests; and (2)
ensure, during annual personal property inventory checks, that each
inspector has an appropriate number of firearms safety locks. 

The Capitol Police, a legislative branch agency, is not subject to
the presidential directive.  However, the Capitol Police has
voluntarily begun its own firearms safety efforts, in part, in
response to the presidential directive.  At the time of our review,
the agency was in the process of updating its firearms policy and
purchasing keyed safety lock boxes--at a cost of about $25 each--for
home storage of firearms issued to its approximately 1,100 police
officers, according to the Deputy Chief of the Administrative
Services Bureau. 

Federal district courts, which, as part of the judicial branch, are
not subject to the presidential directive, employ probation and
pretrial service officers.  As of August 1998, the 94 federal
judicial districts employed a total of 3,805 probation officers and
574 pretrial service officers, according to a senior official at the
Administrative Office of the U.S.  Courts.  The Administrative Office
has provided the 94 judicial districts guidance on the use of
firearms, including a suggestion that safety lock devices be used. 
However, according to the Administrative Office, each district has
the discretion to establish its own firearms policy, including
whether to authorize probation and pretrial service officers to carry
firearms.  In response to our inquiry, the Administrative Office had
no readily available summary or overview of all districts' current
policies and practices.  However, a senior Administrative Office
official noted that as of July 1998, at least 10 of the 94 federal
judicial districts prohibited officers from carrying firearms. 


   AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR
   EVALUATION
------------------------------------------------------------ Letter :5

We provided a draft of this report for review and comment to the
Departments of Justice and the Treasury, the National Park Service,
the Postal Inspection Service, the Capitol Police, and the
Administrative Office of the U.S.  Courts.  We received comments
during the period September 2 to 14, 1998.  Generally, the various
agencies provided technical comments and clarifications, which have
been incorporated in this report where appropriate. 

We received comments from the Departments of Justice and the
Treasury, which indicated that the draft was reviewed by
representatives from the Bureau of Prisons, DEA, FBI, INS, the
Marshals Service, ATF, the Customs Service, IRS, the Secret Service,
and the Department of the Treasury's Office of Enforcement.  The
Departments generally concurred with the substance of the report. 
Officials from one Treasury component, the Customs Service, believed
that we had not given enough credit for their efforts to account for
firearms because we allowed other agencies to provide estimates of
firearms data.  The Customs Service noted that it and some other
agencies had developed and maintained life-cycle accountability over
firearms via automated or other tracking systems.  We agree that all
agencies should be able to account for the firearms they use but,
given our short time frame, some agencies were unable to provide
specific data on the number of firearms that may be taken home by
officers.  However, these agencies did provide a credible basis for
their estimates and said that they could have provided exact data if
given more time to respond to our request.  Generally, we believe
that the report adequately identifies and caveats the sources of
firearms data presented. 

We received comments from the Deputy Chief Ranger, National Park
Service headquarters; the Deputy Chief Inspector (Administration),
Postal Inspection Service; the Deputy Chief of the Administrative
Services Bureau, Capitol Police; and the Chief of the Office of
Program Assessment, Administrative Office of the U.S.  Courts, all of
whom agreed with the substance of the report. 


---------------------------------------------------------- Letter :5.1

As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce its contents
earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report until 30 days
from the date of this letter.  At that time, we will send copies of
this report to the Chairmen and Ranking Minority Members of
committees and subcommittees with jurisdiction over law enforcement
issues; the Attorney General; the Secretary of the Treasucry; the
Postmaster General, U.S.  Postal Service; the Director, National Park
Service; the Director, Administrative Office of the U.S.  Courts; the
Director, Office of Management and Budget; and other interested
parties.  We will also make copies available to others on request. 

Major contributors to this report are listed in appendix II.  Please
contact me on (202) 512-8777 if you or your staff have any questions. 

Richard M.  Stana
Associate Director
Administration of Justice Issues


OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY
=========================================================== Appendix I

As agreed with the requesters' offices, our objectives were to
determine (1) the number of firearms currently issued to or used in
an official capacity by employees at selected federal law enforcement
organizations and (2) how selected federal organizations have
implemented President Clinton's March 1997 directive regarding
firearm safety locks.  This directive, and a subsequent clarifying
memorandum, required executive departments and agencies to (1)
develop and implement a policy requiring that safety locks be
provided for all firearms issued to federal law enforcement officers,
(2) inform all such officers of the policy, and (3) provide
instructions for the proper use of safety locks. 

To address these objectives, we obtained firearm and safety lock data
from

  -- five Justice Department components--the Immigration and
     Naturalization Service (INS), the Bureau of Prisons, the Federal
     Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement
     Administration (DEA), and the U.S.  Marshals Service;

  -- four Treasury Department components--the U.S.  Customs Service,
     the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the U.S.  Secret Service,
     and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF); and

  -- the National Park Service. 

Each of these 10 executive branch organizations, according to a 1996
survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, employed 1,000 or more
law enforcement officers (see table I.1).  Overall, as the table
shows, the law enforcement officers in these organizations make up
about 82 percent of the total number of civilian law enforcement
officers in the federal workforce. 

At the behest of the requesters, we also obtained data, when
available, on the number of firearms issued or authorized by 3
federal organizations (each with 1,000 or more law enforcement
officers) not subject to the presidential directive and their safety
lock policies and practices.  These organizations were the Postal
Inspection Service (an enforcement component of the U.S.  Postal
Service, an independent establishment of the executive branch); the
U.S.  Capitol Police (legislative branch); and, collectively, the
federal district courts (judicial branch).  Thus, by including these
three organizations in the scope of our work, along with Justice,
Treasury, and the National Park Service, we encompassed in our review
all organizations that employ 1,000 or more federal civilian law
enforcement officers and, thereby, covered about 92 percent of the
total number of federal civilian law enforcement officers.  (See
table I.1.)



                                    Table I.1
                     
                          Number of Federal Civilian Law
                      Enforcement Officers by Agency (as of
                                    June 1996)

                                   Number of         Component        Cumulative
Agency                             officers\        percentage        percentage
--------------------------  ----------------  ----------------  ----------------
Executive branch
 organizations subject to
 the directive
Justice Department
INS                                   12,403
Bureau of Prisons                     11,329
FBI                                   10,389
DEA                                    2,946
Marshals Service                       2,650
Treasury Department
Customs Service                        9,749
IRS                                    3,784
Secret Service                         3,185
ATF                                    1,869
National Park Service                2,148\b
================================================================================
Subtotal                              60,452              81.5              81.5
Independent establishment
 of the executive branch
Postal Inspection                      3,576               4.8              86.3
 Service
Legislative branch
U.S. Capitol Police                    1,031               1.4              87.7
Judicial branch
Federal judicial districts           2,777\c               3.7              91.5
Other civilian agencies\d             6,294\               8.5             100.0
================================================================================
Total number of federal               74,130             100.0
 civilian law enforcement
 officers\e
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note:  Percentages may not add due to rounding. 

\a The Bureau of Justice Statistics (1) defined a federal law
enforcement officer as any full-time employee having the authority to
make arrests and carry firearms and (2) excluded law enforcement
officers serving in foreign countries or U.S.  territories and those
employed by the U.S.  Coast Guard and the U.S.  Armed Forces. 

\b This figure includes enforcement park rangers and park police
officers. 

\c This figure includes probation officers in all 94 federal judicial
districts. 

\d Among others, these agencies include Justice and Treasury
components, such as Offices of Inspector General, the U.S.  Mint, and
the Bureau of Printing and Engraving, that each employ fewer than
1,000 law enforcement officers. 

\e The total number of federal civilian law enforcement officers
excludes Defense Department civilian employees.  Also, the total
excludes certain federal or federally contracted employees, such as
Justice security personnel, who provide physical security for
buildings. 

Source:  Bureau of Justice Statistics, Federal Law Enforcement
Officers, 1996. 

To obtain information on the number of firearms issued to law
enforcement officers in Justice, Treasury, the National Park Service,
the Postal Inspection Service, the U.S.  Capitol Police, and federal
district courts, we reviewed relevant available records and databases
and/or interviewed headquarters officials knowledgeable about their
respective organizations' firearms inventories, databases, policies,
and practices.  We requested the organizations to break down their
firearms data by gun type, i.e., handguns and shoulder weapons (e.g.,
rifles and shotguns). 

We focused specifically on the number of firearms issued to
individual employees--i.e., firearms that can remain in the
employees' possession at all times and be taken home--rather than
firearms that are available for official use during work schedules or
specific operations but otherwise retained in field office vaults or
other secure facilities.  When specific data regarding issuances of
firearms to individual employees were not available, we requested and
obtained estimates based on the organization's firearms policies and
practices, number of current enforcement officials, and other
relevant information.  Regarding Justice components, for example, DEA
and the FBI each have a centralized firearms database; however, the
databases do not include specific information indicating whether the
firearms are issued to individuals versus retained in field office
vaults for use in specific operations.  Thus, the firearms training
units of DEA and the FBI provided us estimates of the number of
firearms issued to their respective agencies' employees. 

We also sought to determine the number of firearms that were
personally owned by law enforcement officers and authorized for
official use.  When organizationwide data on the number of personally
owed firearms authorized for official use were not readily available,
we requested and obtained, when possible, estimates based on the
organization's firearms policies and practices, number of current
enforcement officials, and/or other relevant information. 

We did not independently verify the reliability of the
firearms-related data provided to us.  However, we did question
agency officials about reliability issues, such as how data were
collected, what tests or general system reviews were conducted to
ensure that data were accurate, and whether any concerns had been
raised about the reliability or accuracy of these data.  The
officials stated that firearms transactions data--e.g., records of
purchases, issuances, transfers, and disposals--are entered into the
applicable database system.  To ensure accuracy, the officials said
that the respective agency periodically conducts reviews or tests,
such as comparing the results of annual physical inventories to
database balances.  Generally, the officials told us they had no
particular concerns about the reliability or accuracy of their
respective organizations' firearms data.  However, INS officials
noted that the agency's centralized database may underreport the
total firearms inventory somewhat due to time lags in data input of
approximately a few weeks.  The officials explained that some field
offices are unable to provide on-line updates and, thus, these
offices send paper documents to the National Firearms Unit.  This may
result in some data not having been entered into the agency's
centralized database at the time of our request for firearms
information. 

To determine how Justice, Treasury, and the National Park Service
have implemented the presidential directive regarding firearm safety
locks, we reviewed the directive, including any explanatory
memoranda, that set out the basic requirements for compliance.  We
also interviewed an Associate Director in the White House Domestic
Policy Council knowledgeable about the presidential directive.  In
addition, we interviewed appropriate officials at the organizations
listed in table I.1 and obtained and reviewed relevant documentation
regarding (1) their organizations' implementation of firearm safety
lock policies, (2) how their organizations informed law enforcement
officers of these policies, and (3) what instructions their
organizations provided for use of firearms safety locks.  In
addition, we interviewed officials and obtained and reviewed relevant
documentation from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
regarding how requirements of the presidential directive were
incorporated into the Center's curriculum. 

Also, to determine whether Justice, Treasury, and the National Park
Service purchased an appropriate number of firearm safety locks based
on each organization's interpretation of the directive, we
interviewed appropriate agency officials, obtained centrally
available procurement documentation, and compared the number and type
of safety locks purchased to the number and type of firearms subject
to the directive, as defined by each organization.  To determine
whether the safety locks purchased were in compliance with the
requirements of the directive, we (1) compared the descriptions of
the types of locks purchased to the criteria specified in the
directive and (2) interviewed appropriate organization officials
regarding any testing conducted to ensure that the purchased locks
successfully prevented the discharge of firearms and could not be
easily removed without having a key or knowing the combination. 

To determine what policies and practices, if any, the Postal
Inspection Service, the Capitol Police, and federal district courts
had developed regarding firearm safety locks, we interviewed
knowledgeable officials and reviewed relevant, centrally available
documentation.  For example, we interviewed the Inspector-in-Charge
of the Postal Inspection Service's training academy and obtained and
reviewed documentation regarding the organization's firearms safety
lock policies, guidance, instructions, and procurements.  Also, we
interviewed the Deputy Chief of the Capitol Police's Administrative
Services Bureau and obtained and reviewed documentation regarding the
agency's firearms safety policies and practices.  Regarding federal
judicial districts, we contacted the Office of Program Assessment
within the Administrative Office of the U.S.  Courts to obtain and
review applicable guidance on the use of firearms safety locks. 

Due to time constraints and the number of organizations included in
our review, we did not visit field offices to (1) obtain additional
or more specific firearms data or (2) verify that the correct number
and type of safety lock devices had been distributed to all
appropriate employees according to the respective organization's
policies. 


MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS REPORT
========================================================== Appendix II

GENERAL GOVERNMENT DIVISION,
WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Danny R.  Burton, Assistant Director, Administration of Justice
Issues
Barry J.  Seltser, Assistant Director, Design Methodology
 and Technical Assistance Group
Amy E.  Lyon, Evaluator-in-Charge
Michael H.  Little, Communications Analyst
Amy E.  Worlton, Intern

OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL,
WASHINGTON, D.C. 

Geoffrey R.  Hamilton, Senior Attorney


*** End of document. ***