The Capitol Police does not authorize for official use any personally owned firearms. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts did not have aggregate data showing the number of firearms issued to or authorized for use by probation and pretrial service officers in the 94 federal judicial districts. Firearm Safety Lock Program Implementation

The following two sections, respectively, discuss (1) implementation of the presidential directive by Justice, Treasury, and the National Park Service; and (2) voluntary implementation of firearm safety lock programs by the Postal Inspection Service, the Capitol Police, and federal judicial districts, which are not subject to the presidential directive. Executive Branch Implementation of the Presidential Directive

Justice, Treasury, and the National Park Service have developed and taken actions to communicate firearms safety lock policies. In addition, Justice, Treasury, and the National Park Service require that personally owned firearms authorized for official use be equipped with safety lock devices. Generally, these organizations do not require safety lock devices for firearms that are maintained in secure agency facilities and not taken home by employees. Knowledgeable Justice and Treasury officials told us that safety lock devices generally have been issued to all appropriate employees according to the respective organization’s policies. Treasury components that authorize personally owned firearms for official use purchase safety lock devices for these firearms. Firearms Safety Lock Programs of Three Organizations Not Subject to the Presidential Directive

The Postal Inspection Service—a law enforcement component of the U.S. The agency does not require safety locks for the firearms used by its uniformed police officers because these weapons are maintained in secure agency vaults and are not taken home. At the time of our review, the Postal Inspection Service had purchased 2,500 safety locks, which represent a sufficient number for all permanently issued and personally owned firearms authorized for official use by its inspectors. However, according to the Administrative Office, each district has the discretion to establish its own firearms policy, including whether to authorize probation and pretrial service officers to carry firearms. In response to our inquiry, the Administrative Office had no readily available summary or overview of all districts’ current policies and practices. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

As agreed with the requesters’ offices, our objectives were to determine (1) the number of firearms currently issued to or used in an official capacity by employees at selected federal law enforcement organizations and (2) how selected federal organizations have implemented President Clinton’s March 1997 directive regarding firearm safety locks. This directive, and a subsequent clarifying memorandum, required executive departments and agencies to (1) develop and implement a policy requiring that safety locks be provided for all firearms issued to federal law enforcement officers, (2) inform all such officers of the policy, and (3) provide instructions for the proper use of safety locks. We also sought to determine the number of firearms that were personally owned by law enforcement officers and authorized for official use.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed federal agencies' compliance with President Clinton's March 1997 directive regarding child safety locks for firearms, focusing on: (1) firearms that have been issued to or are used in an official capacity by employees at selected federal law enforcement organizations; and (2) selected federal law enforcement organizations' implementation of the presidential directive.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) the three executive branch organizations GAO reviewed that are subject to the presidential directive--the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury, and the National Park Service (NPS)--have issued about 72,000 firearms to employees, with Justice issuances accounting for about 49,000 of the total; (2) additionally, these organizations have authorized for official use about 26,000 personally owned firearms; (3) of this total, Justice authorizations accounted for about 23,000; (4) the Postal Inspection Service has issued about 2,000 firearms to employees and authorized about 400 personally owned firearms for official use; (5) the Capitol Police have issued approximately 1,100 firearms to officers but does not allow personally owned firearms to be used for official duties; (6) the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts had no readily available, centralized data showing the number of firearms issued to or used by federal judicial district officers; (7) Justice, Treasury, and NPS officials told GAO their organizations have taken appropriate steps to implement the presidential directive; (8) in implementing the presidential directive, these organizations are requiring that all firearms issued to employees, as well as personally owned firearms authorized for official use, be equipped with safety lock devices; (9) generally, these organizations did not require safety lock devices for firearms that are maintained in secure agency facilities and not taken home by employees; (10) GAO's review verified that these organizations have developed and taken actions to communicate a safety lock policy to their law enforcement officers; (11) the Postal Inspection Service has voluntarily developed and taken actions to communicate a safety lock policy to its law enforcement officers and has purchased safety lock devices for all permanently issued and personally owned firearms authorized for official use by its inspectors; (12) the Postal Inspection Service does not require safety lock devices for firearms that are maintained in secure agency vaults and not taken home; (13) the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has provided the 94 federal judicial districts guidance on the use of firearms; and (14) however, according to the Administrative Office, each district has the discretion to establish its own policies, and the Administrative Office had no readily available summary or overview of current policies and practices in all districts.