U.S.
Secret Service Reassigns Staff, Eyes Alcohol Rules After Misconduct
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[April 09, 2014]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The U.S.
Secret Service is reassigning staff and studying changes to its rules on
alcohol consumption after agents were sent home following a night of
drinking on a recent trip to Europe ahead of President Barack Obama's
visit, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
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"Personnel are being re-assigned as a result of staffing rotations
and as a result of assessments made after two recent incidents of
misconduct," Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said in a
statement.
One agent was found drunk and passed out in the hallway of a hotel
near The Hague a day before Obama arrived in the Netherlands last
month, according to the Washington Post, which first reported the
incident, citing three people familiar with it.
The paper reported that another incident of misconduct occurred in
south Florida in early March, when two officers suspected of
drinking had a car accident shortly before the Obama family arrived
in the area.
The paper reported on Tuesday that Secret Service director Julia
Pierson had reassigned nearly two dozen members of one of the
service's largest divisions as a result of the incidents.
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It also reported that members of the unit, known as special
operations, would be forbidden from drinking alcohol within 12 hours
of reporting for duty and 24 hours before the president's arrival at
a trip location.
A Secret Service official said that an agent in charge of the
division had implemented the alcohol rules, which would be limited
to that division and the employees under his supervision.
"Director Pierson maintains a zero tolerance policy regarding
incidents of misconduct and continues to evaluate the best Human
Capital practices and policies for the workforce," Donovan said.
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"The Secret Service has not implemented or changed any agency-wide
policies regarding consumption of alcohol. Policies that would
affect the entire workforce are currently under review by
leadership."
The agency has been trying to restore its disciplined reputation
after a scandal involving prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia, in
2012.
A report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's inspector
general released in December urged tougher management and
disciplinary standards and recommended that the service monitor and
address excessive alcohol consumption and personal conduct within
its workforce.
The report also urged strengthening and clarifying policies for
dealing with misconduct and disciplining employees.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Ken Wills)
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