Law enforcement agencies in more than 450 jurisdictions, including Washington, D.C. police, do not cooperate with investigators conducting security-clearance probes for federal employees, reports the Washington Post. A congressional report to be released Tuesday by a House committee said the millions of records kept by non-cooperative agencies could provide vital clues to investigators on the front lines of a system that is facing unprecedented scrutiny. It proposes legislative changes to address lapses identified in the wake of last year's mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard by a Defense Department contract worker.
The police agencies provide little or no criminal history information. The list of agencies that are deemed noncooperative is kept by the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees security clearances. The D.C. police department “does not cooperate” with investigators and tells them to “go to the courthouse,” the report said. A spokeswoman said the department is committed to helping with federal security-clearance investigations but that D.C. law bars police officials from sharing law enforcement information with civilians.