Homeland security to see reforms

WASHINGTON – Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has decided to turn his department’s anti-terrorism intelligence unit, now harnessed with the office that tries to protect bridges, power lines and such, into a new, streamlined organization that he says can move faster to assess potential threats.

The plan, outlined Tuesday in closed-door briefings for key members of Congress, is part of a long-anticipated blueprint Chertoff has been working on for several months to slash layers of middle management and shake up the department created in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by cobbling together disparate federal agencies that ranged from the Customs Service to the Coast Guard.

Details of the overall reform plan are expected to be discussed today, when Chertoff is scheduled to meet with reporters. Among the high-profile agencies that may see change are the Federal Air Marshals, the Border Patrol and other units that deal with immigration.

The secretary identified four areas where he thinks the department most needs improvement, according to congressional sources close to the process who spoke on the condition of anonymity: intelligence, policymaking, operations and preparedness.

One of Chertoff’s most significant proposals, congressional and outside sources said, will be for the creation of a new high-level unit to oversee strategic policy planning – which is critical on such issues as protecting chemical facilities, nuclear power plants, vital computer systems and other potential targets, as well as the department’s dealings with agencies of other governments.

The new unit would require the creation of an undersecretary for policy.

Sources familiar with Tuesday’s briefings said Chertoff also proposes to:

“Abolish the Border and Transportation Security Directorate, which oversees agencies that do most of the hands-on work of dealing with the nation’s immigration challenges. The directorate’s three components – Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection – would all report directly to the secretary or the undersecretary.

“Turn the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which deals primarily with natural disasters, into a free-standing unit. It is now merged with the directorate responsible for preparedness against terrorism.

“Move the Federal Air Marshals organization into the Transportation Security Administration.

“Create a position for a chief medical officer to better coordinate the department’s work with the agencies primarily responsible for security issues involving health, such as stocking vaccines and preparing to deal with bio-terrorist incidents.