By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com
WASHINGTON — Walk through any federal courthouse and it seems security is pretty tight.
Still, a Justice Department Inspector General report on courthouse security says federal judges and personnel could be at risk because of poor training, questionable contracts and broken security equipment, the Washington Post reports.
The Post’s Ed O’Keefe writes that the Justice Department report found “multiple district offices failed to detect mock explosive devices sent to them in February 2009 by agency officials as part of a test of local security procedures.”
The report also said three unnamed federal district court chief judges expressed serious concerns about security procedures, the Post reported.
Jeff Carter, a Marshals spokesman, said the agency worked with the inspector general’s office on the investigation and is making changes recommended by investigators.
“We take these responsibilities seriously and realize there is always room for improvement and continue to make great strides in our efforts to protect the federal judiciary,” Jeff Carter, a Marshals spokesman told the Post via e-mail. “The Marshals Service is proud of our ability to ensure the safe and secure conduct of judicial proceedings.”
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