Exhausting hours and and grueling travel schedules have led to at least two Secret Service agents falling asleep on the job, according to a new watchdog report.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General highlighted Friday the safety issue in the report, saying the on-the-job naps may pose “immediate or potential danger to U.S. Secret Service officers and those whom they protect.”
Investigators toured several protected facilities where Secret Service personnel operated and observed two officers sleeping at their posts.
“Fatigue from travel, overtime shifts, and long hours contributed to these incidents,” the report reads. Both officers were referred for disciplinary action.
After interviewing the two officers, investigators found that one agent worked almost 60 hours of overtime during the pay period of the incident. The officer also indicated that frequent travel had interrupted his sleeping schedule.
“In at least one instance, the officer traveled from Kenya to Washington D.C., for a protective assignment and recorded a 36-hour shift, which included operational preparations for travel on a military aircraft,” the report reads. “Even after the incident, records confirm that the officer traveled on three separate occasions for protective assignments over an 18-day period.”
The other officer did not work as much overtime, but routinely worked 12-hour days at indoor and outdoor posts. He complained of hot conditions and a lack of water that he said contributed to his fatigue.
The IG noted that a previous panel examining Secret Service failures found employees were “overstretched, with personnel working far too many hours.” Employees regularly worked 13 days of 12-hour shifts followed by one day off, the panel found.
Secret Service management acknowledged a drop in morale due to decreased staffing levels that has resulted in increased overtime and travel requirements for officers.
The agency said it is working to identify its staffing needs, retain its current workforce and recruit new employees. Secret Service has for months promised a hiring surge, but officials have complained that prior drug use and bad credit have taken many applicants out of the running.
In July, the House passed the bipartisan Secret Service Improvements Act to ramp up hiring and training at the agency.
Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy will address a joint committee hearing next week.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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