Implications of Differences Between Assessed and Actual Inspectional Personnel Levels Could Not Be Determined

We were not able to perform the requested analyses to identify the implications of differences between assessed and actual inspectional personnel levels because Customs had not assessed the appropriate inspectional personnel levels for its ports. While Customs uses a quantitative model to determine the need for additional inspectional personnel to process air passengers, the model is not intended to establish the level at which airports should be staffed. Customs is in the early stages of responding to a recommendation in our April 1998 report that it establish an inspectional personnel needs assessment and allocation process. Inspectional personnel levels at the selected ports at the end of fiscal year 1997 were at or near the levels for which funds had been provided to the ports. According to Customs officials we interviewed at air and sea ports, these personnel levels, coupled with the use of overtime, enabled the ports to process commercial cargo and passengers within prescribed performance parameters. Customs Has Not Determined Appropriate Inspectional Personnel Levels for Its Ports

In our April 1998 report, we reported that Customs does not have a systematic, agencywide process for determining its need for inspectional personnel for processing commercial cargo and allocating such personnel to ports of entry nationwide. Customs also does not have a systematic inspectional personnel assessment and allocation process for processing land passengers. Customs has not assessed the need for inspectional personnel to process sea passengers. Specifically, we identified significant discrepancies in the workload data as reported from Customs headquarters and a CMC and ports for two ports. According to Customs officials, the drug-smuggling threat—such as the use of rail cars to smuggle drugs—was the primary factor considered in these assessments and allocations. In addition, Customs considered factors other than workload—such as budget constraints and legislative limitations—in determining its need for inspectional personnel and allocating such personnel to ports. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives in this review were to analyze (1) the cargo and passenger inspectional personnel levels at selected airports and seaports around the United States and the implications of any differences between these levels and those determined by Customs to be appropriate for these ports (assessed levels) and (2) the cargo and passenger processing workloads and related workload-to-inspector ratios at the selected ports and the rationales for any significant differences in these ratios. To identify the cargo and passenger processing workloads and any related workload-to-inspector ratios at the selected ports and the rationales for any significant differences in these ratios, we obtained and reviewed workload data from Customs headquarters, CMCs, and ports.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed certain aspects of the Customs Service's inspectional personnel and its commercial cargo and passenger workloads, focusing on: (1) the implications of any differences between the cargo and passenger inspectional personnel levels at selected airports and seaports around the United States and those determined by Customs to be appropriate for these ports (assessed levels); and (2) any differences among the cargo and passenger processing workload-to-inspector ratios at the selected ports and the rationales for any significant differences in these ratios.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) it was not able to perform the requested analyses to identify the implications of differences between assessed and actual inspectional personnel levels because, as GAO reported in April 1998, Customs had not assessed the appropriate inspectional personnel levels for its ports; (2) in that report, GAO determined that Customs does not have a systematic agencywide process for assessing the need for inspectional personnel and allocating such personnel to commercial cargo ports; (3) Customs also does not have such a process for assessing the need for inspectional personnel to process land and sea passengers at ports; (4) while Customs uses a quantitative model to determine the need for additional inspectional personnel to process air passengers, the model is not intended to establish the level at which airports should be staffed, according to Customs officials; (5) Customs is in the early stages of responding to a recommendation in GAO's April 1998 report that it establish an inspectional personnel needs assessment and allocation process; (6) Customs officials GAO interviewed at air and sea ports told GAO that the current personnel levels, coupled with the use of overtime, enabled the ports to process commercial cargo and passengers within prescribed performance parameters; (7) the inspectional personnel data that GAO obtained for the selected ports showed that at the end of fiscal year 1997, the personnel levels at these ports were at or near the levels for which funds were provided to the ports; (8) GAO was also not able to perform the analyses to identify workload-to-inspector ratios and rationales for any differences in these ratios because it did not have a sufficient level of confidence in the quality of the workload data; (9) GAO identified significant discrepancies in the workload data it obtained from Customs headquarters, a Customs Management Center (CMC) and two ports; (10) data from the New York CMC indicated that these airports processed about 1.5 million formal entries alone, almost 100,000 entries more than the number headquarters had for all entries at these ports; (11) workload was only one of several factors considered by Customs in the few assessments--which focused on its drug smuggling initiatives--completed since 1995 to determine its needs for additional inspectional personnel and allocate such personnel to ports; and (12) Customs also considered factors such as the threat of drug smuggling, budgetary constraints, and legislative limitations.