I have posted in the past about Social Security's large scale purchases of ammunition -- yes, ammunition. These ammunition purchases are now attracting attention from Business Insider: Military and Defense but, really it's all over the blogosphere. Just do a search on Google Blog Search for "Social Security ammunition." I received e-mails from five different people yesterday giving me a link to stories about this. This is spreading fast.
Why would Social Security buy 174,000 rounds of .357 magnum hollow point ammunition? That's vicious stuff. What's next, rocket propelled grenades? Armored personnel carriers? Black helicopters?
This is nothing to get paranoid about. It's for target practice for Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG). Years ago OIG had a website that proudly featured a photo of their huge cache of firearms. They really wanted to play up the G-man aspect of their work even though crime isn't that big a part of what they do and the crime they deal with is almost never violent. It's more like dealing with some pathetic soul who stuffed his deceased mother into a freezer so that he could continue to collect her Social Security benefits. Arrest them. Convict them. Send them away to prison. But don't pretend you're dealing with a Mexican drug cartel. OIG can easily call upon other law enforcement agencies to help when they are required to deal with people who might be armed. That ridiculous photo of OIG's arms cache is long gone from the OIG website but the attitude seems to remain. Should taxpayers be subsidizing this sort of fantasy? How many OIG employees really need to make regular visits to the firing range? I'm guessing it's not nearly enough to justify purchasing 174,000 rounds of high powered ammunition. Waste can happen even at OIG but who do you ask to investigate when it's OIG that's wasting money and inciting paranoia?
Update: OIG has responded.
Further update: Fox News is jumping to OIG's defense.
Why would Social Security buy 174,000 rounds of .357 magnum hollow point ammunition? That's vicious stuff. What's next, rocket propelled grenades? Armored personnel carriers? Black helicopters?
This is nothing to get paranoid about. It's for target practice for Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG). Years ago OIG had a website that proudly featured a photo of their huge cache of firearms. They really wanted to play up the G-man aspect of their work even though crime isn't that big a part of what they do and the crime they deal with is almost never violent. It's more like dealing with some pathetic soul who stuffed his deceased mother into a freezer so that he could continue to collect her Social Security benefits. Arrest them. Convict them. Send them away to prison. But don't pretend you're dealing with a Mexican drug cartel. OIG can easily call upon other law enforcement agencies to help when they are required to deal with people who might be armed. That ridiculous photo of OIG's arms cache is long gone from the OIG website but the attitude seems to remain. Should taxpayers be subsidizing this sort of fantasy? How many OIG employees really need to make regular visits to the firing range? I'm guessing it's not nearly enough to justify purchasing 174,000 rounds of high powered ammunition. Waste can happen even at OIG but who do you ask to investigate when it's OIG that's wasting money and inciting paranoia?
Update: OIG has responded.
Further update: Fox News is jumping to OIG's defense.
17 comments:
OIG is a complete joke. They pursue a limited number of fraud cases to make themselves look good for PR purposes, but the vast majority of fraud referred to them is dismissed. The ammo is probably to protect themselves from enraged FO personnel who are sick of them disregarding the volumes of fraud cases sent to them for action.
I was about to note that as Federal agents, OIG staffers have to pass annual firearms tests like any/all other Federal agents--and need ammo to practice. But frankly, this much ammo is pretty silly.
SSA needs so much because the agents keep losing rounds on the parking lot and leaving their firearms in the restrooms. These guys are second only to the rent-a-cops at HQ at each building entrance who are usually on the phone, sleeping or BSing with each other with no regard for whomever enters the building!
This is what happens when the trust fund has been raided. SSA is just getting ready for civil unrest. I hope everyone enjoys their retirement.
Yes. When the economy collapses (if Romney wins) there will be a panicked run on Social Security offices by confused yokels who think Social Security offices actually have the money kept in cash registers. OIG will be sent in to drive off the invaders.
I think the type of online comments this news story is getting shows how angry people are and the potential for violence against Federal agents -- even when they are arresting someone who was collecting their mother's benefits. I am glad they are required to train 4x/year with their firearms. If you do the math, it's pretty obvious that 174,000 rounds is a very reasonable number for a year's worth of ammunition for 295 agents, qualifying 4x/year, using 150 rounds per qualification. These agents are also the same law enforcement personnel who respond to threats and violence against SSA employees. Check out oig.ssa.gov/newsroom/blog for an informed explanation.
@ 9:44...thanks for inserting some common sense into this discussion. While the overall number may seem large, it's important to note that the purchase must supply ALL of the OIG agents. When logic (math) is applied, the number is quite reasonable.
Unfortunately, the people that run this blog are more interested in hype/scare tactics rather than logic or reason.
I would guess that if there was a story saying that republicans had vetoed expenditures for ammunition regarding training, you would have seen a story complaining that OIG doesn't get enough money for ammo and linking this to come grand conspiracy to get rid of SS.
I've met several OIG agents over the years and they were all hard working, good people.
Don't be such asses...
But why use hollow-point bullets for training?
Because that's probably what they use in the field. Hollow-points don't pass through the bad guy and then two or three innocents...
It's standard practice in law enforcement to use the same type of ammunition for training as you use on the job.
If I am correct these same OIG staff get to retire after 20 years?
Does the limited potential for violence really justify such liberal retirement benefits. During such tight fiscal times it may merit some reveiw
it's like the military, firefighters, etc.--OIG and similar jobs have more rigorous requirements (and some tight age requirements). You simply cannot work 30 years at such jobs as easily (or even at all in some cases), hence the shorter requirement for retirement benefits.
Sheesh, you guys are some real Scrooge McDucks.
You may retire from that job, but what would stop you from working at another job or training those in your former position, after all SSA wants to move full retirement to age 70. You mean we all cant work to age 70 in our jobs?
A couple of noteworthy points: the Geneva Convention forbids military personnel from shooting anyone with hollow point bullets because they are so destructive to tissue, but hey why not shoot Americans with them? Next, hollow points generally cost more, so saying they are for target practice is a bit of a stretch. You could argue that if you use a bullet that costs more for target practice, then you are wasting the taxpayers money.
The Geneva Convention deals with wartime stuff. If a .40 cal slug goes through an enemy and passes through the guy behind him on the battlefield, we're not too worried the person getting hit second or third is an innocent, being a battlefield and all.
Hollow points are used by law enforcement because, unlike soldiers during wartime, they are not discharging their firearms in an area that is a battlefield. Hollow-points dramatically decrease the chance of that slug passing through Freddy Felon and striking and killing little Suzy walking with her mom 300 yards away.
Hollow-points also provide more stopping power, since a normal slug oftentimes passes clean through. While a wound of that nature surely hurts, it is not nearly as likely to incapacitate the victim (i.e. he can still pop off some rounds or continue doing other dangerous activity after sustaining that wound). Unless you plan on Mozambique Drilling every assailant, you probably are gonna want hollow-points to ensure your gunshot will actually slow down the bad guy.
Being that all the hollow point bullet purchases are being touted for target practice it would be newsworthy to point out that those bullets generally cost 2 1/2 times what regular bullets do. A simple web check of pricing will show that you can buy a box of fifty .40 caliber fmj bullets for target practice for $15. To buy hollow points you will only get 20 rounds and pay $17. That is fraud, waste, and abuse and someone should point it out.
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