This experience has been instructive, however, and has reinforced our view, as well as others, that fair and consistent treatment of Federal law enforcement officers is essential in maintaining a stable and satisfied work force. There are a few areas related to law enforcement compensation that merit attention. Pay, of course. Law enforcement work is, by necessity, difficult and dangerous. The specific aspects of mission vary among agencies. Some may focus on investigating terrorism, tracking dangerous fugitives or enforcing the drug laws. Other enforce laws pertaining to alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives; and still others manage prisoners in a variety of correctional settings. All of our law enforcement personnel, however, may find themselves in situations where their personal safety and security is put at risk. A fair compensation approach using equal pay for the same type of law enforcement work as one of the guiding principles is essential. We must have the ability to tie pay more closely to performance. Mobility. Law enforcement officers are generally required to be mobile in the performance of their work, including facing repeated relocations throughout the course of their career. For example, one component of the Department has a policy to relocate its new agents after training so each can begin his or her career with a fresh start in a locale that is not the one in which they grew up. In other cases, mobility is needed to respond to critical crime situations such as the sniper attacks last fall when 125 ATF agents and numerous FBI agents were brought to the metropolitan D.C. community to deal with this difficult and terrifying situation. Also, the career development process for managers and supervisors in law enforcement agencies requires them to have a wide variety of enforcement experiences at the front line as well as in headquarters and necessitates a number of moves to achieve this level of experience. The amount of required mobility becomes a particular concern for law enforcement officers who may have to uproot their families to go from low-cost to high-cost areas or must move from locales which provide a wide range of services for families to locations where public services may be very limited or less desirable. School system differences, services for special needs children, elder care, by example. Additionally, addressing affordable housing in high-cost areas and addressing reassignments to undesirable overseas locations are some of the issues that challenge our law enforcement officers. We have addressed some of these compensation issues through Public Law 107-273, which was enacted in November 2002, which allows for the offer of an extended assignment bonus to law enforcement officers who remain beyond their original tour of duty in U.S. territories or possessions. The Department has had longstanding quality-of-life issues for law enforcement personnel assigned to U.S. territories, particularly where English is not the first language; and Congress has assisted in addressing this need by authorizing house hunting trips for agents and their spouses. We are aware of, and in some instances provided information for, several studies that are collecting data and reviewing these issues. The recent report of the Office of Personnel Management in this area is a comprehensive survey that includes data on all of the principal law enforcement agencies. We will continue to review and provide information as requested for all these studies and reports. Finally, as you know, our law enforcement employees do a superb job maintaining the security of our citizens and enforcing the rule of law. We are confident that you agree that they deserve the best support we can give them as they perform their jobs on our behalf. Ensuring fair and equitable treatment in pay and benefits for all Federal law enforcement professionals is one essential component in maintaining a stable and satisfied and high-performing work force. Thank you. Mrs. DAVIS OF VIRGINIA. Thank you, Ms. Simms. [The prepared statement of Ms. Simms follows:] Department of Justice STATEMENT OF JOANNE W. SIMMS DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE AND AGENCY ORGANIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE, DRUG POLICY AND HUMAN RESOURCES UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCERNING FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL IN THE POST 9/11 ERA PRESENTED ON JULY 23, 2003 STATEMENT OF JOANNE W. SIMMS DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE AND AGENCY ORGANIZATION SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE, DRUG POLICY, COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM CONCERNING FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL IN THE POST 9/11 ERA PRESENTED ON JULY 23, 2003 Thank you for the opportunity to testify before your subcommittees as you examine issues affecting the law enforcement community. We appreciate your interest in these critical issues and look forward to working with you and our fellow law enforcement agencies going forward. The Department of Justice The Department of Justice employs close to 50,000 law enforcement employees, of which the primary occupational groups include criminal investigators and correctional officers. Our core law enforcement components include: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); and The Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The average age of our law enforcement employees is close to 39 years and, on average, the majority are college educated. Many of our employees have families, and most will generally experience several moves during the course of their careers. Our law enforcement workforce is assigned to offices in all 50 States, territories, and all over the world. Their working conditions run from the typical white collar office environment to a makeshift desk or lap top computer in the middle of the jungle in South America, to prisons and correctional facilities, courthouses and airplanes, and everything in between. Compensation Issues As a general rule, I think we can all agree that a consistent policy approach should be taken to managing law enforcement pay and benefits, as well as other workrelated aspects, across the Federal government. Comparable pay for comparable work |