Federal Protective Service Is a Slow Pay The Federal Protective Service does not pay contractors on time and has failed to effectively monitor its contract security guards, according to the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general. The audit found only 12% of guard contractors were paid within 30 days as required by law, costing FPS $1.2 million in interest in 2004 and 2005. The payment problems arose after the transfer of FPS from GSA to the new Homeland Security Department’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau in 2003. The IG found many instances where security contractors in the National Capital area deployed guards although their “suitability determinations,” which include criminal background checks, had expired. One contract guard continued working after FPS ordered her employer to remove her because of an assault conviction, the report said. The IG also found that some contract guards were unarmed at posts that were supposed to be armed, while there were armed guards at posts that did not require guns. “[T]hese lapses in contractor oversight can result in the government paying for services it did not receive, loss of monies resulting from contract deductions due to nonperformance, and placing FPS-protected facilities, employees and facility visitors at risk,” the report said. FPS employs about 15,000 contract guards nationwide, with less than 1,000 uniformed FPS officers. ICE said it is working to correct the problems.