Wackenhut Loses Contract with U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security

[1stWatch]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191941,00.html

DHS ended a contract with TWC citing concerns about the company being foreign-owned in favor of Paragon Systems, a Chantilly Va. based company. Various concerns about Wackenhut were also described in the article.

[Echos13]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,191941,00.html

DHS ended a contract with TWC citing concerns about the company being foreign-owned in favor of Paragon Systems, a Chantilly Va. based company. Various concerns about Wackenhut were also described in the article.

This does not surprise me. After all there are legitimate concerns of about chain of sensitive information between them and the client. I do not know what kind of secure logistics and communications Wackenhut has but it would seem to be a true concern. If your main base of operations sends and receives data to another country there is the potential for a leak or information being intercepted. The client may have a secure communications network but I wonder if Wackenhut has such set ups. As for employees coming forward and stating there are areas of poor performances and operations then I think the client would also put that into consideration as well. Also DHS and related organizations putting contract security in their own buildings sounds like a cost issue more than a security one. Failing a drill to protect a NPP would get my concerns up to. Strange how this has come about. I was about to go to a local office and apply for a position with their CPO section. Maybe I had better wait and see what comes next? They have a few county contracts here and one state

[N. A. Corbier]

I've expected this for quite awhile, I also expect Securitas (the other Group4 division) to lose accounts shortly after, too. It was my understanding that Pinkerton, upon being bought by Securitas, lost a few accounts on the GSA Schedule, but retained their GSA Schedule. This was due to Securitas being a foreign-owned company.

[GCMC Security]

When Wackenhut was bought out by Group4, they had to undergo a lot of review by the feds. Basically the way I understand it is although we are owned by a foreign based company it is completly run here in the states (with our Corporate offices in West Palm). The way I understood it was what we pass onto G4S is very limited in operational since. I dunno I remember hearing it someone but don't have all the details sorry

[Guest]

I am not too concerned with a British-owned company providing sensitive services, such as security, to the U.S. Government. After all, the U.S. and the United Kingdom have had strategic alliances and relationships going all the way back to the Napoleonic Wars. Now, if a mainland Chinese outfit owned the security company.....?

I find the other accusations, the ones about poor performance on drills and sleeping on duty, far more troublesome. I am willing to bet that the new contractor will simply keep on the majority of the Wackenhut guards and the problems will continue. Security guards are security guards, and human nature is human nature, wherever you go.

[N. A. Corbier]

I am not too concerned with a British-owned company providing sensitive services, such as security, to the U.S. Government. After all, the U.S. and the United Kingdom have had strategic alliances and relationships going all the way back to the Napoleonic Wars. Now, if a mainland Chinese outfit owned the security company.....?

I find the other accusations, the ones about poor performance on drills and sleeping on duty, far more troublesome. I am willing to bet that the new contractor will simply keep on the majority of the Wackenhut guards and the problems will continue. Security guards are security guards, and human nature is human nature, wherever you go.

Indeed. Unless they're able to pull instant manpower out of thin air, they'll keep the existing force.