Customs and Border Protection’s integrity-related training courses, offered at each stage of an employee’s career, are systematic, integrated and standardized, GAO has found.
It said courses are required throughout a CBP officer’s and Border Patrol agent’s career at the basic and supervisory levels, as well as on an annual basis, that courses are provided in two formal settings, either online or in a classroom, and course content is overseen by CBP’s office of training and development to ensure that it is the same for all employees within respective stages of their careers.
Criminals sometimes seek to infiltrate the CBP workforce or otherwisetry to compromise existing CBP employees, so the agency must be vigilant and proactive in keeping an eye on its own workforce.
After reviewing CBP’s ethics, conduct, and integrity training programs, GAO also concluded – in GAO-13-769R – that courses are offered on a predetermined, regular schedule at the basic and supervisory levels, and on an annual basis.
It also said that theoffice of field operationsrequires its officers to complete mandatory integrity-related courses at the 2-, 5-, and 10-year career points.
However, GAO said CBP has not yet finalized its comprehensive integrity strategy, as called for in its fiscal 2009-2014 strategic plan, having missed a May 2013 target date.