VA hospitals facing police staffing shortages
An audit was conducted by 150 inspectors across 70 VA hospitals over three days. One of the things that the auditors reported was a shortage of police officers staffing many hospitals. This challenge amplifies considering that surveillance footage must also be reviewed to investigate irregularities. The auditors reported that the police officers who do staff many of these hospitals have been overworked.
From Fox News:
The audit, released last Wednesday, found workers and veterans receiving treatment at VA facilities were vulnerable to crime because of a 33% vacancy rate of officers from the police department that serves the medical centers – with some sites seeing a vacancy rate as high as 63%, according to Military.com.
The report found that in 2022 there were 36 “serious incidents” across 32 medical facilities, according to Military.com. “Serious incidents” are defined as ones that “draw attention or cause harm,” the outlet reported, including disturbances such as displaying a firearm, the theft of VA property, or injury to people or property.
“All 36 incidents presented significant concerns and highlight VA’s need to protect its property and systems, as well as secure its facilities to help ensure the safety of staff, patients, and visitors,” Larry Reinkemeyer, VA’s assistant inspector general for audits and evaluations, wrote in the report.
The serious incidents at VA centers last year included a bomb threat at the Wichita medical center that was later deemed a hoax, a lockdown at a center in Ohio when a man fired a round of his shotgun just outside the facility, and when a patient grabbed an officer’s gun and fired it at a facility in San Diego.
The Veterans Health Administration System has 171 hospitals across the U.S. and 1,100 clinics. Of those facilities, a third of them reported severe police staffing shortages in 2022.
The audit was conducted by 150 inspectors who were sent to 70 VA medical centers across the nation unannounced for a three-day period.
Fox News has the article here.
Category: Veteran Health Care, Veterans' Affairs Department
Anybody who can find the actual number of police officers working in 2022 wins the internets. Wikipedia is incorrect and I have been unable to find the DOL report on the profession. In 2021, the last year available, there were around 665k, down from a high of about 750k 10 years earlier.
I see 800k thrown around but this is not based in reality at all and is unsourced. There isn’t a single department in the United States of any size that reported full staffing last year, most reported being down 10-25%. I’m pretty sure numbers are below 600k in 2022 and even lower now.
Even the cops don’t want to be at the VA.
Truth. They only pay $37-55k a year around here and most police agencies pay $43-75k locally. Benefits are essentially the same. So they are getting the low performers. Besides who thinks “I want to be a security guard at a hospital”?
And In Other News…
“Marine Corps Under Fire For Eliminating Elite Scout Sniper Platoons From Infantry Battalions: ‘Misguided'”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/marine-corps-under-fire-eliminating-elite-scout-sniper-platoons-infantry-battalions-misguided
“A nonprofit organization representing the Marine Corps’ elite scout snipers is blasting a decision by the service branch to get rid of the position, decrying the move as “misguided” and “ill-advised.”
“The criticism from the USMC Scout Sniper Association comes after Marine Corps leadership issued a memo ordering “immediate transition of Scout Sniper Platoons to Scout Platoons” as part of the Force Design 2030 plan to restructure how the branch operates.”
Sorry for the double post.
Sniper elements are indigenous (3 teams) in an IN Scout Platoon (HHC) at a Battalion level.
Or used to be….
First they came for the tanks, but I was not a tank, so I said nothing. Then they came for the scout/snipers, but I was not a scout/sniper,…..
What is going to be left of the Marine Corps after Force Design 2030 is fully implemented?
You forgot about getting rid of their artillery as well. I’d be willing to bet that they will also divest themselves of their combat engineers.
SHHHHHH You want that K person of the B to show up and start bitching ?!?!?
Thought they switching from all tube artillery to mostle rocket artillery?
“You forgot about…”
I did.
It’s a good thing the Marines have such purty dress uniforms. At least they have a future as ceremonial guards and drill teams that don’t require weapons heavier than rifles.
Posers everywhere wept… realizing they would have to go back to being fake Navy SEALS.
Cannot believe they even did an audit….
Sniper elements are indigenous (3 teams) in an IN Scout Platoon (HHC) at a Battalion level.
Or used to be….
Must be all the PTSD causing all the elderly veterans to be rowdy enough to need lots of security.
Every business out there is screaming for qualified help. And not finding it. The LEO business is no exception. Maybe instead of trying to hire 87K IRS Agents, they should be trying to hire Security Troops.
Hire from where? Police have been demonized into racist kill monsters by the left stream media lies that so few people are looking to take the job.
It’s ok though. Once they achieve their goals of overthrowing rule of law they will be the first up against the wall. I’ll be hiding in my compound till it all blows over.