DESK JOB: How did Ameenah Franks defeat the post-9/11 security apparatus?

Washington City Paper ^ | Posted: February 6, 2008 | By Angela Valdez

[sinanju]

"...A few minutes later, the employee’s secretary saw the girl back at her boss’ desk. She wore an NRC badge, turned backward. The young woman explained she needed to leave a note and asked for paper. When the secretary returned with a notepad, the girl had moved closer to a filing cabinet, her back facing the door. She wrote a note and left.

It was an odd interaction for sure, but not quite alarming. But such blasé encounters began to emerge as a pattern as the NRC investigated 11 separate thefts of cash and credit cards. According to incident reports obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, most of the crimes took place between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 16 in two heavily secured buildings occupied by the commission on Rockville Pike. The complex is not a tourist destination, as armed guards will inform you. Visitors need to have verifiable business in the building and must provide photo ID. Bags get scanned, people get the metal detector. Employees must show a badge with their photo and job title.

Elsewhere around D.C., at other highly secure federal buildings, similar thefts were causing frustration among security officers. There were reports of missing cash and electronics at the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of the Treasury, and the Government Accountability Office. The suspect had a keen sense for the weaknesses of office dwellers, even in government offices where employees should know better..."

[sinanju]

Basically it's a tale of how Ghetto 'tude turned a talented young black girl, who might have amounted to something in a more nurturing environment into another shiftless thief and baby-making machine.

With the added twist that her criminal specialty showed some mighty serious deficiencies in our supposedly "secure" gummint' installations.

[Grizzled Bear]

This is why you don’t leave unauthorized people unattended around sensitive materials!

Jeez!

[sinanju]

That’s just it, her expertise was in looking and acting like she belonged.