Federal report: Bag with bomb was at Detroit building guard desk for weeks

[alp227]

Source: CNN

A federal review cites poor judgment by a security guard who found a bag outside a government building in Detroit last year and stashed it under a desk where it remained for weeks -- with neither the guard nor anyone else in the building aware that it contained a bomb.

The report by the Homeland Security Department's office of inspector general released on Wednesday also said the guard's employer, a contractor, and the federal agency that oversees security at the Patrick V. McNamara Federal Building shared some responsibility as well for the bomb going undetected.

"Although the IED (improvised explosive device) did not explode, it represented a risk to the safety and security of the building and its occupants," the report said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/08/us/bag-mishandled/index.html

[Smilo]

1. It was all the guard's fault........

The assistant inspector general for inspections, Carlton Mann, concluded the contractor, DECO Inc., "committed multiple breaches of its contract" with the Federal Protective Service. But the report found that the shortcomings "were the result of poor judgment by the guard, not systemic problems with DECO."

Yes, blame it on the guard, who probably received little training, if any, was paid peanuts while the private corporation gets to reel in the $$$ and get to keep their contract.

[libodem]

2. of course

Fire the peon. The problem couldn't be systemic.

[SheilaT]

3. I'm impressed by the lack of curiousity

of everyone who sat at that desk in those weeks.

I work an information desk, and I tend to poke around in any new bag that's at the desk during my shift. Not that we get very many, but believe me, nothing would sit for weeks without being prodded.

[Nay]

5. Yeah, at our large building, no unclaimed package would be moved, much less brought inside and

left under a desk. It is most certainly the fault of all those who sat at that desk that the pkg wasn't investigated, and the particular fault of the person who brought it inside. He/she was most def not doing the job correctly.

[Bozita]

4. Three cheers for privatization. Gawd bless the contractors, all!

Edited because I forgot to include ...

...

[tclambert]

6. "If you find a suspicious package outside, bring it inside, and shake it."

"If it explodes, it was a bomb." --from the Contract Security Guard's Handbook.