U.S.

Landmark Security Lacking

September 5, 2003 / 12:19 PM EDT / CBS/AP

The National Park Service has failed to protect some of America's most prominent national monuments and memorials from terrorist attacks, a government report released Friday says.

The Interior Department's inspector general, Earl Devaney, said the park service has delayed, postponed or ignored steps to protect national "icons," as funding for enhanced security competes with other projects.

"At a time when our country's susceptibility to attack is at the forefront of concern, every reasonable course of preventative action must be taken," the inspector general said. "After conducting this assessment, we believe that, as of now, this is not the case.

"It is imperative that icon park protection take precedence over all other park concerns."

Sites considered icons include the Washington Monument and others along the National Mall; the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia; and a park that houses a footing of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The report did not include a list.

Interior Department spokesman John Wright said that Secretary Gale Norton supported the inspector general's findings.

"She agrees that the department has not done enough to bolster our security efforts in the aftermath of Sept. 11," Wright said. "We're not where we need to be but we're not where we've been. We are learning, we are changing and we are improving our security efforts."

The inspector general did not identity which parks and monuments were checked, but did note some of the security shortcomings that were uncovered. At some parks, there were no law enforcement officers on duty. Facilities left their gates open and unstaffed. Security cameras were installed far away from monuments.

Among the inspector general's recommendations:

The most significant national monuments and memorials should have trained security managers on site.
Security assessments of these facilities should take place every three years. Random testing of security procedures should take place.
The park service should look at hiring private security guards, some of them armed, to help park rangers and police officers.
All park employees at the most significant facilities should be trained in security procedures such as identifying suspicious people and packages, and identifying anyone who is conducting surveillance.

The Statue of Liberty and other monuments were closed to visitors after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Now, nearly two years later, while visitors are permitted on Liberty Island, they are not permitted inside the Statue.