May 1, 2009

Investigation allegations that contractor protective force personnel at a DOE site exceeded their legislative, regulatory, and policy-based authority by providing on-duty, armed off-site assistance to local law enforcement authorities during other than recapture/recovery operations, and by accessing the local law enforcement database for background checks during the course of on-site administrative traffic stops.

It has come to our attention that the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has investigated allegations that contractor protective force (PF) personnel at a DOE site exceeded their legislative, regulatory, and policy-based authority by providing on-duty, armed off-site assistance to local law enforcement authorities during other than recapture/recovery operations, and by accessing the local law enforcement database for background checks during the course of on-site administrative traffic stops. While there is no reason to believe that such practices are common, I am requesting that each office review its law enforcement authorities and ensure they were within the parameters specified under Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations ( C.F.R.), Part 1047 (10 C.F.R. 1047).