VA has announced an oversight and standardization realignment for the VA police force — something that Congress has been waiting for for months.
At a congressional oversight hearing in June, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., brought up a shooting and a suicide at West Palm Beach VA. At the time of the incidents, Mast said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said a new security protocol was being put in place nationwide and VA was under complete review of security protocols to “revamp the entire way we do security.”
Those new protocols were never nationally implemented.
But the review is finally complete and, on Friday, VA announced its plan to realign police operations to promote oversight and standardization.
The review took months and addressed concerns and incidents that had occurred involving VA police officers — including DUIs, domestic incidents, arrests, police brutality, and even murder plots.
“How did the police force get to its current state,” Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich. asked at the same June hearing, adding that he wanted to know if it was lack of oversight or lack or priority.
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The recently announced plan promises the most "extensive" realignment ever for VA's police force.
“The realignment will be the most extensive since the creation of the police force and will fundamentally change standardization and oversight across the enterprise,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement. “This highlights my commitment to the high standards of professionalism and transparency across the department.”
The changes will include:
- A "national governance body" will be established to manage and oversee all policy issues.
- A "police modernization office" will be created to implement and address staff changes and standards.
- The VA police force will be divided into four multi-state regions — each with its own regional law enforcement director who will serve as a gateway to the VA Office of Operations, Security and Preparedness to the field operating offices.
- A police chief will be placed in each of the 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks to provide direct guidance of law enforcement operations and compliance.
No timeline was provided for the implementation of the plan.
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