FederalDaily - March 22, 2006

Improving Government Services

An interagency group called the Citizen Service Levels Interagency Committee (CSLIC) recently made several recommendations for improving government services provided to the public. The report, released by USA Services—an office within the General Services Administration—provided federal agencies with performance measures and best practices for improving customer service to the public. CSLIC recommended four key metrics to address the biggest complaint from customers: long waits or lack of response. The metrics are the following:

• giving an estimated phone wait time after 30 seconds on hold;
• providing e-mail responses for 90 percent of received e-mails within two business days;
• sending a response, or an estimated response within 15 days of receiving a letter; and
• having a maximum wait time of 15 minutes for walk-in customers.

To read the report, go to www.usaservices.gov/cslic.htm.

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Chertoff Addresses DHS Plans

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff spoke this week about future plans and activities for the department’s security efforts. In an effort to improve border security, this year’s budget will add 1,500 Customs and Border Protection agents, bringing the total to 14,000. The 2007 budget calls for an additional $200 million for rail security, including additional rail inspectors and screening technology. Chertoff discussed a pilot training program to establish “Viper Teams,” specialized units with highly-trained Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees and canine units to search for explosives and other threats. Additional airline security initiatives are also underway. “Obviously, we screen everybody’s baggage when they get in an airplane, but we have to look at the cargo as well,” Chertoff said.

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DHS Official Arrested for Extortion

Santiago Efrain Valle, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, has been arrested and charged with trying to extort money from a detained immigrant, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). DOJ said a criminal complaint alleges that Valle—working at the El Paso, Texas, Service Processing Center—offered to dismiss pending immigration charges in exchange for $20,000. The detainees were actually undercover officers. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General conducted a joint investigation that produced the arrest. If found guilty, Valle could be sentenced to three years in prison and have to pay a $250,000 fine.

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Policy Targets Lesbian Servicemembers

Female servicemembers are disproportionately impacted by the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual military personnel, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN). While women comprise about 15 percent of the total military force, they represent nearly 30 percent of all gay-related discharges, SLDN said. According to SLDN, an Urban Institute study in October 2004 indicated that lesbians comprise 5 percent of all female servicemembers. From 1990 to 2000, the study found that service rates among coupled lesbians aged 18-27 were more than three times higher than rates among other women. Lesbians also tend to serve longer than other women, the report said, stating specifically that nearly 82 percent of coupled lesbians report serving more than two years, compared with 74 percent of other women.

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