The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has warned that decades-old security vulnerabilities in federal buildings are continuing to go unaddressed.
According to an agency report released on July 23, the Federal Protective Service (FPS)—which is responsible for the security of federal facilities and screening of visitors—is failing to detect prohibited items inside bags in 50 percent of checks, according to live audits conducted by the GAO.
The report, which included testimony from a GAO official, noted that the ongoing issues stem from substandard security guard performance and oversight at federal facilities.
GAO investigators conducted 27 covert tests in 14 selected federal buildings in early 2024, and they carried prohibited items in their bags as they entered the buildings. They were allowed to bring prohibited items—such as pepper spray, battens, and a multi-purpose tool with a knife—into about half of the buildings they visited….