|
The Academy's nine-member panel, chaired
by former Secretary of the Navy, Sean O'Keefe, determined
that the military criminal investigative organizations which
investigate sex crimes could be better organized, structured,
and trained to carry out these responsibilities. The panel
called on the Secretary of Defense to designate one of his
staff offices, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel
and Readiness, to integrate investigative policy and practices
with other aspects of support for military members and their
families.
According to the panel, Service Secretaries
should provide stronger operational involvement and leadership.
In addition, the panel recommended that each military criminal
investigative organization establish a cadre of specialists
trained in sex crimes. These specialists would staff a new
headquarters-level program management office focused on sex
crimes and domestic violence, would serve as regional specialists
on call to assist investigators, and would be assigned to
dedicated field units at major Service installations.
On behalf of the Panel, O'Keefe emphasized
that "investigating sex crimes is different from investigating
other crimes and requires sensitivity and the involvement
of psychological and family counselors." He cited the
"shocking" incidence of child sex abuse and called
upon DoD and the investigative organizations to heighten Service
attention to this problem and to improve agent training to
deal with these crimes.
The Panel also called for major improvements
in investigator training, personnel hiring, and retention.
It recommended that military investigator basic training be
consolidated with those of most other federal law enforcement
agencies at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and
that specific instruction modules be developed in both basic
and advanced training in sex crime investigations. The Service
investigative organizations also should improve the educational
level, experience, and diversity of their agent work force,
the Panel stated. Additionally, it highlighted temporary measures
which could be used to maintain experience levels to offset
increased attrition.
Finally, the panel recommended a series
of procedural changes needed to address other items the Congress
had asked the Academy to review. It called for the standard
for indexing suspects who are investigated, known as "titling",
be changed from "credible information," a low threshold,
to "probable cause," a higher threshold, in conformance
with civilian practice. The panel also recommended that military
criminal investigative organizations develop a common military
investigative manual, improve reporting of offenses and offenders
to the FBI, and vigorously investigate allegations of agent
misconduct.
The Academy's study was called for in the
1998 National Defense Authorization Act. DoD contracted with
the Academy to conduct an independent review. The Panel and
staff included members with extensive experience in investigative,
legal, and human resources skills and substantial familiarity
with the military and operations of DoD. Chairman O'Keefe
currently is a professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship
and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
The National Academy of Public Administration
is an independent, nonprofit organization chartered by Congress
to improve governance at all levels-local, regional, state,
national, and international. The Academy's membership consists
of 480 Fellows with distinguished careers in public management
as practitioners, scholars, and civic leaders. Since its establishment
in 1967, the Academy has assisted hundreds of federal agencies,
congressional committees, state and local governments, civic
organizations, and institutions overseas.
The media may obtain complimentary copies
by contacting the Academy's Office of Communications.
|
