| The plight of whistleblowers - those | | | | |
| employees who sound the alarm about anything | | | | Imagine the outcry if I had previously stayed |
| from dangerous conditions in the workplace to | | | | silent and if one of those symbolic monuments |
| missed or ignored intelligence regarding our | | | | or memorials had been destroyed or the loss |
| nation's security - is a story that seems to | | | | of life had occurred to someone visiting one |
| grow stronger and with more frequency every | | | | of those locations. I did not want to be |
| day. My guess is that those stories have | | | | standing with my superiors among the ruins of |
| always been there; I suspect I am just paying | | | | one of these icons or in front of a |
| closer attention to them now. | | | | Congressional committee trying to explain why |
| | | | we hadn't asked for help. |
| You see, I joined the "ranks" of | | | | |
| whistleblowers more than one year ago when, | | | | Despite the serious First Amendment and |
| on December 2, 2003, a major newspaper | | | | security implications of my case for each |
| printed a story in which I confirmed for them | | | | American, there has been no Congressional |
| what many of us already knew - we, the | | | | intervention, no Congressional hearings, no |
| members of the United States Park Police, | | | | demand of accountability by elected officials |
| could no longer provide the level of service | | | | for those who took action to silence me and |
| that citizens and visitors had grown to | | | | who have ignored all warnings about the |
| expect in our parks and on our parkways in | | | | perils to which I alerted them. Following my |
| Washington, D.C., New York City, and San | | | | termination and the publicity that |
| Francisco. The world changed for all of us on | | | | accompanied it, it is unlikely that any |
| September 11, 2001, and the expectations of | | | | current Federal employee will be willing to |
| police agencies across the country grew | | | | speak up with straightforward, accurate |
| exponentially overnight. As the Chief of the | | | | information about the realities of any danger |
| United States Park Police, an organization | | | | we face. |
| responsible for some of America's most valued | | | | |
| and recognizable symbols of freedom, I knew | | | | Our legal appeals continue, and some of the |
| it was my duty, as chiefs of police across | | | | administrative charges placed against me have |
| the country do every day, to inform the | | | | already been thrown out. Through it all, it |
| community of the realities of the situation. | | | | is becoming clear that Federal employees have |
| | | | little protection for simply telling the |
| For being candid -- for being "honest" -- | | | | truth. |
| while still being supportive of my superiors, | | | | |
| I was, without warning, stripped of my law | | | | My story is told on a website, established |
| enforcement authority, badge, and firearm, | | | | by my husband in December 2003 and maintained |
| and escorted from the Department of the | | | | by him so that the American people could |
| Interior by armed special agents of another | | | | "witness" the issues in this case. The |
| Federal law enforcement entity in December of | | | | website has provided transparency to my |
| 2003. Seven months later, the Department of | | | | situation by making key documents available |
| the Interior terminated me. | | | | for viewing, including the transcripts of |
| | | | depositions of top officials and their |
| Frighteningly, the issues I brought to light | | | | testimony during a key administrative |
| about our citizens' and visitors' safety and | | | | hearing. |
| security and the future of these American | | | | |
| icons have not been addressed -- other than | | | | Suppression of information is spreading - gag |
| to silence me. In fact, there are fewer | | | | orders, non disclosures agreements, and the |
| United States Park Police Officers today than | | | | government's refusal to turn over documents. |
| there were more than one year ago when I was | | | | In agencies that span Federal service, |
| sent home for daring to say that we weren't | | | | conscientious public servants are struggling |
| able to properly meet our commitments with | | | | to communicate vital concerns to their true |
| existing resources. Other security concerns I | | | | employers - you, the American public. Is |
| raised internally have also gone | | | | anyone listening? |
| un-addressed. | | | | |