A report on security at US Naval bases was due to congress on Monday - the day a shooter killed 12 people at the Naval Yard in Washington DC, and Congressman Mike Turner, of Ohio' 10th district, is now asking the US Navy to tighten it's vetting process for security clearance.
Dayton area Representative Mike Turner says a recent audit by the Department of Defense shows cost cutting measures may have compromised safety at several military installations, including the Navy Yard in Washington. Turner says he learned of instances of at least 52 felons – possibly more - gaining access to restricted areas because of inadequate background checks.
Turners says the report goes even further, saying the new vetting procedures put lives at risk. According to Turner, "the Inspector General specifically sites safety as a concern and says in the report that military personnel, civilians, and dependents of military personnel are at risk."
According to a memo from the Inspector General, the review began last year to assess safety procedures for military security. Turner says he has now sent a letter to the Secretary of the Navy asking them to immediately implement recommendations from the IG’s report.
