In February 2008, the Peace Corps Director met with the Acting Inspector General to discuss a proposed transfer of violent crimes oversight from the Office of Inspector General to the Office of Safety and Security. On March 4, 2008, the Associate Director for Safety and Security met with the Acting Inspector General to discuss the terms and timeframes for the potential transfer.
Inspector General's Office opposes Proposal to transfer of violent crimes oversight from the Office of Inspector General to the Office of Safety and Security
Proposed Transfer of the Violent Crimes Oversight
In February 2008, the Peace Corps Director met with the Acting Inspector General to discuss a proposed transfer of violent crimes oversight from the Office of Inspector General to the Office of Safety and Security. On March 4, 2008, the Associate Director for Safety and Security met with the Acting Inspector General to discuss the terms and timeframes for the potential transfer.
The Agency provided a blue-print or concept paper to the Acting Inspector General outlining how it proposed to manage violent crimes against Volunteers. The proposed measures included: (1) increased reliance upon host country national police to conduct crimes and investigations of Volunteers; (2) little or no need for experienced and trained criminal investigators to accomplish oversight of violent crimes, rather, Peace Corps Safety and Security Officers (PCSSOs) would coordinate this function while maintaining their current work responsibilities; and (3) the rescission and revocation of the Violent Crimes Protocol, and memorandums and sections of the Peace Corps Manual pertaining to violent crimes. The Agency’s proposal did not address the role of the OIG to investigate any assaults or suspicious deaths of Volunteers.
The OIG provided written and verbal concerns to the Agency about the proposed transfer, which was initially to occur on June 1, 2008. In light of the OIG’s ongoing gains in victim advocacy and achieving justice when Volunteers become victims of violent crimes, we questioned the feasibility of the Office of Safety and Security providing oversight of violent crimes against Volunteers, in particular, the Agency’s reliance on PCSSOs. We advised the Agency that our major concerns over the proposed transfer of function were as follows:
1) Peace Corps Safety and Security Officers (PCSSOs) are not trained to conduct criminal investigations. We questioned how PCSSOs will be able to derive investigative authority to forward evidence to the FBI for analysis or present a case to the Justice System. They are not recognized law enforcement officials or criminal investigators.
2) PCSSOs may not be able to perform their current work responsibilities in addition to violent crimes, which can occur at anytime, during a 24 hour basis, Advice and Assistance Provided to the Agency and Others Peace Corps Office of Inspector General 7 days a week. This mission and function currently consumes 70%-90% of the time of the OIG’s four-person Investigations Unit.
3) We also questioned how responding to violent crimes will be prioritized with existing PCSSO work. Protecting and processing crime scenes, collecting and admitting DNA evidence for analysis, interviewing victims and witnesses of violent crimes, coordinating with post, headquarters, local authorities, the RSO, and other investigative activities are timeconsuming and must be conducted within prescribed time frames according to both U.S. legal standards and in the local legal systems.
4) Additionally, we are concerned about notifying PCSSOs of a violent crime in a timely manner. There are currently no provisions for them to receive Blackberries or other devices whereby 24/7 notifications can be made so an immediate response can be rendered.
Furthermore, we advised the Agency that its proposed reliance on host country law enforcement agencies where Peace Corps programs operate is problematic. These agencies are generally under-staffed, under-trained, under-paid, and are ill-equipped to provide an adequate and effective response to violent crimes. The police often lack transportation, fuel, radios, ballistic vests, latex gloves, evidence bags, cameras, among other tools needed to respond to incidents of sexual assault, and violent crimes, including death.
Currently, the Agency’s “Protocol: Violent Crimes Against Volunteers,” gives the OIG the responsibility to “coordinate the interagency investigation of assaults, rapes, and other violent crimes – as well as deaths – committed against Peace Corps Volunteers. This includes, but is not limited to, primary coordination with the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Diplomatic Security Service, and other domestic law enforcement and criminal investigative agencies….The Office of Inspector General will serve as the principal office for guidance to Country Directors and other agency officials on all related matters including, but not limited to retaining local counsel, as appropriate.”
The Agency should proceed with extreme caution to ensure continuity of Peace Corps investigative support and effective response to violent crimes against Volunteers. Regardless of which Peace Corps office responds to violent crimes, any transfer of function must not limit or prohibit the OIG’s ability to investigate any and all crimes involving Peace Corps and its resources. Peace Corps management should refrain from policy decisions that can be construed as interfering with the objectivity and independence of the OIG.
