Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; System of Records

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of Inspector General

Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; System of Records

AGENCY: Departmental Offices, Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of Revised System of Records.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, the

Office of Inspector General (OIG) gives notice of a revised system of

records entitled General Allegations and Investigative Records--

Treasury/DO.190. The system notice was last published in its entirety

in the Federal Register, at 60 FR 56664 on November 9, 1995.

DATES: This notice will be adopted without further publication in the

Federal Register on April 15, 1996, unless modified by a subsequent

notice to incorporate comments received from the public.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Office of Inspector General,

Assistant Inspector General for Resources, Room 7119, 1201 Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20220. Comments received will be available

for inspection in the Office of Inspector General, Resources

Directorate, Room 7102, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC,

during the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rennay Nicholas, Resources

Directorate, (202) 927-5210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The General Allegations and Investigative Records system is being

revised to reflect additional system locations, authority for

maintenance of the system, and revisions to the storage,

retrievability, retention, and system manager sections. The revisions

are necessary to accommodate the OIG's expanded size and increased

responsibility, which resulted in part from the Inspector General Act

Amendments of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-504).

To adequately fulfill its mission, the OIG's Office of

Investigations has opened offices in five locations around the country.

Keeping investigative files in these locations is essential to the

successful operation and adequate record keeping of the Office of

Investigations.

The Privacy Act notice data element ``Purpose(s)'' is being added

to the notice to conform with requirements of the Act.

The storage and safeguards of magnetic media have been changed to

increase security over those indices.

The investigative index, which previously had been maintained on

index cards, has been automated. The automation allows for more rapid

retrieval of case numbers and status synopses. Retrievability by case

agent's name and number is being added to further assist OIG officials

in evaluating workload and case status information. In addition, a

correspondence tracking system called the Correspondence Allegations

and Investigative Tracking System (CAITS) was developed to more

efficiently control investigative correspondence. CAITS is accessed

through the OIG's Management Information System (DO.191) menu. However,

the records reside in Treasury/DO .190--General Allegations and

Investigative Records system.

The retention period for investigative indices stored on magnetic

media has been changed to be retained indefinitely. The records will be

updated as necessary.

The system manager responsibility has been delegated to the

Assistant Inspector General for Investigations for increased office

efficiency.

The specific changes to this system of records are set forth

below:

Treasury/DO .190

System name:

General Allegations and Investigative Records--Treasury/DO.

System location:

Office of Inspector General (OIG), Assistant Inspector General for

Investigations, 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20220;

Regional Inspectors General for Investigations in Washington, DC;

Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; and Chicago, IL; and Office of

Investigations field offices in New York, NY, and Glynco, GA. Addresses

may be obtained from the system manager.

* * * * *

Authority for maintenance of the system:

The Inspector General Act of 1978, as Amended, 5 U.S.C.A. App.3.

[[Page 9009]]

Purpose(s):

The records and information collected for and maintained in this

system are used to (a) receive allegations of violations of the

Department's rules of conduct, the Office of Personnel Management merit

system, or any other criminal or civil misconduct and to (b) prove or

disprove, to the extent possible, allegations which the OIG receives

that are made against Department of the Treasury employees.

* * * * *

Storage:

Paper records in file jackets are maintained in a secured locked

room. Also, magnetic media maintained on the Case Tracking Systems are

password protected, secured by an internal lock and locked in a secured

room. Backup of the magnetic media is maintained in a locked safe.

Retrievability:

Alphabetically by name of subject or complainant, by case number,

and by special agent name and/or employee number.

Safeguards:

Paper records and word processing disks are maintained in locked

safes and all access doors are locked when offices are vacant.

Automated records are controlled by computer security programs which

limit access to authorized personnel who have a need for such

information in the course of their duties. The records are available to

Office of Inspector General personnel who have an appropriate security

clearance on a need-to-know basis.

Retention and disposal:

Investigative files and paper indices are stored on-site for 3

years. Indices to those files are stored on-site on magnetic media for

an indefinite time. The magnetic media will be retained indefinitely;

however, they will be updated periodically to reflect changes. Upon

expiration of their respective retention periods, the investigative

files are transferred to the Federal Records Center, Suitland,

Maryland, for storage and in most instances destroyed by burning,

maceration or pulping when 20 years old.

System manager(s) and address(s):

Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Room 7320, 1201

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20220.

* * * * *

Dated: February 27, 1996.

Alex Rodriquez,

Deputy Assistant Secretary (Administration).

[FR Doc. 96-5159 Filed 03-05-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 4810-25-F