Customs Service: Internal Control Weaknesses Over Deletion of Certain Law Enforcement Records
GGD-98-187
Published: Aug 21, 1998. Publicly Released: Aug 21, 1998.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the internal control techniques the Customs Service has in place to safeguard certain law enforcement records in the Treasury Enforcement Communications System (TECS) from being inappropriately deleted.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States Customs Service | To better ensure that TECS lookout records are adequately safeguarded from inappropriate deletion, the Commissioner of Customs should develop and implement guidance and procedures for authorizing, recording, reviewing, and approving deletions of TECS records that conform to the Comptroller General's standards. These procedures should include requiring supervisory review and approval of record deletions and documenting the reason for record deletions. |
Closed – Implemented
Customs performed programming changes that fully satisfied the recommendation, including mandatory notification of any record deletion, supervisory review on authority and access to TECS records, and a mandatory field in the system to give the reason for the change or record deletion.
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Topics
Customs administrationData integrityDrug traffickingFederal records managementInternal controlsLaw enforcement information systemsSearch and seizureSmugglingLaw enforcementPorts of entry