DHS HQ misspent wireless funding for Arizona agents?

In 2004, Congress allocated $100 million to be spent on wireless communications for use on the border by DHS agents. The amount in 2005 was $86 million. Now comes "Border money bypasses Arizona":

As much as $60 million that Congress approved for wireless communications technology used by federal security agencies has been spent on bureaucratic expenses that have nothing to do with the program, said Charles Cape, the zone manager for the agency's wireless initiative in the Southwest, which includes Arizona...

But none of that money has reached Arizona, said Cape. "I've never seen one dollar since I've been out here," said Cape, 64. "There's nothing. They've sucked it all up at headquarters."

Cape has filed complaints with the department's inspector general and the independent Office of Special Counsel, seeking investigations into whether money designated for wireless technology has been misspent...

Cape wants to spend the money on radio repeaters mounted on weather balloons because ground repeaters don't work in some canyons, wireless computer terminals for BP vehicles, and a wide-area radar system.

See July 12, 2004's "D.C. hamstrings border officers" for a similar story, and see March's "Watchdog [Clark Kent Erwin] details confrontations with Ridge" for details on the former DHS inspector general.

Immigration2005b · Mon, 08/01/2005 - 08:36 · Importance: 1