The Plight of Whistleblowers

Received in my email this morning

I received this in my email this morning, and I hope that you take the time to read this rather long article. It is important., and I'd love to get back some comments.
(Trollers need not respond).
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You are already aware that recently I served as the head of one of the top uniformed Federal law enforcement agencies in this country.

At the arrival of the one-year anniversary of my being permanently silenced in retaliation for speaking with a reporter, I have prepared the attached Op-Ed. It is not an exclusive for any one media outlet; however, the circumstances of this case and the impact on media and citizens across the United States makes that impractical.

I hope that you will find a meaningful use for the document. Please feel free to pass it on in its entirety to media representatives in your area, personal friends, and elected officials and to post it on your blogs, websites, special interest Internet groups, and other appropriate locations. Please know that I am available for interviews and that my contact information is included in both the Word and pdf versions that are attached.

Please consider keeping this story alive by capitalizing on the "anniversary" of these outrageous actions by Federal officials. Feel free to reach out to me for any additional information I can provide.

Thanks.

Teresa Chambers
Former Chief, United States Park Police
[email protected]
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The plight of whistleblowers – those employees who sound the alarm about anything from dangerous conditions in the workplace to missed or ignored intelligence regarding our nation’s security – is a story that seems to grow stronger and with more frequency every day. My guess is that those stories have always been there; I suspect I am just paying closer attention to them now.

You see, I joined the “ranks” of whistleblowers one year ago when, on December 2, 2003, a major newspaper printed a story in which I confirmed for them what many of us already knew – we, the members of the United States Park Police, could no longer provide the level of service that citizens and visitors had grown to expect in our parks and on our parkways in Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco. The world changed for all of us on September 11, 2001, and the expectations of police agencies across the country grew exponentially overnight. As the Chief of the United States Park Police, an organization responsible for some of America’s most valued and recognizable symbols of freedom, I knew it was my duty, as chiefs of police across the country do every day, to inform the community of the realities of the situation.

For being candid -- for being "honest" -- while still being supportive of my superiors, I was, without warning, stripped of my law enforcement authority, badge, and firearm, and escorted from the Department of the Interior by armed special agents of another Federal law enforcement entity last December (2003). Seven months later, the Department of the Interior terminated me.

Frighteningly, the issues I brought to light about our citizens' and visitors' safety and security and the future of these American icons have not been addressed -- other than to silence me. In fact, there are fewer United States Park Police Officers today than there were one year ago when I was sent home for daring to say that we weren't able to properly meet our commitments with existing resources. Other security concerns I raised internally have also gone un-addressed.

Imagine the outcry if I had previously stayed silent and if one of those symbolic monuments or memorials had been destroyed or the loss of life had occurred to someone visiting one of those locations. I did not want to be standing with my superiors among the ruins of one of these icons or in front of a Congressional committee trying to explain why we hadn't asked for help.

Despite the serious First Amendment and security implications of my case for each American, there has been no Congressional intervention, no Congressional hearings, no demand of accountability by elected officials for those who took action to silence me and who have ignored all warnings about the perils to which I alerted them. Following my termination and the publicity that accompanied it, it is unlikely that any current Federal employee will be willing to speak up with straightforward, accurate information about the realities of any danger we face.

Our legal appeals continue, and some of the administrative charges placed against me have already been thrown out. Through it all, it is becoming clear that Federal employees have little protection for simply telling the truth.

My story is told on a website, www.honestchief.com, established nearly one year ago and maintained by my husband so that the American people could “witness” the issues in this case. The website has provided transparency to my situation by making key documents available for viewing, including the transcripts of depositions of top officials and their testimony during a recent administrative hearing.

Suppression of information is spreading – gag orders, non disclosures agreements, and the government’s refusal to turn over documents. In agencies that span Federal service, conscientious public servants are struggling to communicate vital concerns to their true employers – you, the American public. Is anyone listening?

Teresa C. Chambers
[email protected]

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Dear Chief Chambers:

Thank you for providing this critical update on your case. It is outrageous you were fired for telling the truth. The government instituted the Whistleblowers act for employees and citizens who speak up about aggregious crimes corporations have committed, but give only give lip service if an government employee sounds the alarm.

Thank you for your courage, integrity and for standing up for all of us, because your case doesn't impact only you--your case is the core and substance of our Freedom of Speech Rights, National Security and fabric of our Constitution.

Everyone on my extensive personal and professional mailing list will receive a copy of this article.

Best Regards,

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD

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