LETTER TO GERALD P. CARMEN FROM WILLIAM J. CASEY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85B01152R000700960003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 29, 2007
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: November 29, 1983
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved For Release 2007/10/29: CIA-RDP85BO1152R000700960003-5
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Central Intelligence Agency
2 t tOV 1883
The Honorable Gerald P. Carmen
Administrator
General Services Administration
Washington, D.C. 20405
Dear Jerry:
Since the formation of this Agency, the General Services
Administration (GSA) has provided varying degrees of support in
the areas of procurement, supply, transportation, major
construction, protective services, and building maintenance and
operation. While many services provided have been acceptable
and, on occasion, outstanding, in the areas of protective
services and building maintenance and operation GSA's services
have always been marginal. As the Agency has become ever more
dependent on modern technology to meet our national security
mission, the quality of services has become unacceptable. In our
view, GSA's failure is attributable to inadequate management and
the lack of sufficient personnel and financial resources which
neither time nor change of administration nor the constant series
of platitudes and assurances emanating from GSA have ever solved.
For that reason, the time has come for us to terminate our
relationship with GSA in certain areas, renegotiate it in others,
and reaffirm it in still others.
More specifically, with respect to protective services and
building maintenance and operation, I request your help in
achieving the following:
a. Protective Services: For several years the
vacancy rate among Federal Protective Officers (FPOs) has
approached 40 percent with no progress on recruitment and,
seemingly, no hope for the future. We have been assured
on numerous occasions by GSA that steps would be taken to
rectify this problem but instead the problem slowly gets
worse. Many guards are working double shifts (16 hours per
day) and several have recently been found sleeping on post.
Their responsiveness continues to deteriorate, unfortunately,
at the same time the security threat to the Agency is
increasing. To meet the need, we have even had to
recruit our own, albeit limited, protective staff ("Blue
Blazers") to supplement the FPOs. In view of these problems,
it is our desire that all FPO positions be transferred to
Approved For Release 2007/10/29: CIA-RDP85BO1152R000700960003-5
 Approved For Release 2007/10/29: CIA-RDP85B01152R000700960003-5
The Honorable Gerald P. Carmen, GSA
the Agency over a three-year period beginning first with
internal building posts and ultimately to include all FPO
posts in support of the Agency. These positions will then
be filled by "Blue Blazers" hired directly by the Agency.
STAT
c. Headquarters Powerhouse (including main utility
distribution centers in the Headquarters Building): For a
number of years GSA has failed to adequately staff, maintain,
or make capital improvements to this plant. The Agency has
had to budget for many necessary capital improvements and
even when we have provided funds for additional reimbursable
personnel, GSA has been unable to recruit the necessary
personnel. The importance of the reliability of the plant,
the unique capital improvements which must be made, and the
skills of the personnel who operate it are critical to the
worldwide mission of this Agency. More and more functions
are performed "on-line" with our computer and communications
centers and no failure of power, cooling, and other utility
services can be tolerated. We expect to work with you to
develop an orderly transition of responsibility for this
activity to CIA.
d. Headquarters Building Maintenance and Operation
(including the planned new building): The original
Headquarters Building was constructed using Agency funds
with GSA, at our request, acting as construction agent
(this is also the case with the new building planned for
construction). The then DCI, Mr. Dulles, also asked GSA to
Approved For Release 2007/10/29: CIA-RDP85B01152R000700960003-5
 Approved For Release 2007/10/29: CIA-RDP85B01152R000700960003-5
The Honorable Gerald P. Carmen, GSA
provide maintenance and operation services, an arrangement
we no longer find satisfactory. The building is twenty
years old and suffers from neglect. While it may be
possible to continue some GSA maintenance and operation
services in these buildings, it would only be agreed to on a
reimbursable basis and only if GSA can assure adequate
management and staffing and provided no SLUC payments will
be involved. In fact, our attorneys assure us that our
current payment of SLUC on this building may well be
improper.
In the areas of procurement, supply, transportation, and
major construction, GSA's services continue to meet our needs
and, for that reason, need to be reaffirmed. However, as detailed
above, GSA services are unacceptable in the areas of protective
services and building maintenance and operation and must be
severed or renegotiated. At present these services, or the lack
thereof, are adversely impacting our national security mission,
a situation I cannot and must not tolerate if I am to effectively
carry out my responsibilities. The time for a new and compre-
hensive agreement on our relationship, within the framework I
have outlined above, is now. I seek your cooperation in
resolving this problem.
Yours,
William J. Casey
Director of Central Intelligence
D/L:DCKing:fjs~
I
(17
Nov 83)
STAT
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee
1
- DCI
1
- DDCI
1
- EXDIR
1
- ER
1
- CIA OMB Examiner
1
- Comptroller
1
- D/OS
2
- DDA
1
- OL Official
Approved For Release 2007/10/29: CIA-RDP85B01152R000700960003-5