Weapons, Laptops Lost at Justice Dept.

The Justice Department has lost track of 775 weapons and 400 laptop computers, more than half of which may have contained national security or sensitive law enforcement information, an internal investigation found.

Some of the weapons were recovered after they were used in armed robberies, the department’s inspector general, Glenn A. Fine, said in a report released Monday.

Most of the 775 weapons reported missing belonged to the FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Before last year, the FBI had not taken a complete inventory of laptops and weapons in almost a decade, despite an agency policy requiring one every two years, the investigation found. Last year’s inventory was prompted when other agencies, including the INS, reported large numbers of missing weapons.

Fine reported in March 2001 that an audit of the INS found the service had lost about 500 weapons.

The audit prompted criticism from Congress and a request by Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft to review the Justice Department’s other component agencies.

The new report, which includes the INS figures revealed in the March 2001 audit, prompted more criticism Monday.

“This problem has sparked consequences, in criminal acts and danger to national security,” said Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee.

“According to the reports, the problem of missing guns at the FBI, in particular, is a mess, and it’s been that way for years. It stems from weak discipline, lax standards, tardy reporting and few, if any, consequences.”

Some Justice Department officials attributed much of the problem to faulty paperwork and tracking, suggesting some of the equipment may have been loaned to other government agencies or may still be in the possession of government employees.

The FBI said Monday it is creating new programs to address the problems.