Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700

News and Information

June 2001

Workplace Violence Prevention Taskforce 2000: Attachment C

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and other State and local food safety officers enforce laws to protect consumers from unsafe or illegally labeled meat, poultry and egg products. FSIS inspectors and compliance officers do not carry weapons. If they encounter violent subjects, or hostile and dangerous situations, they require police assistance.

Inspectors generally work in specific plants that prepare foods. Compliance officers and other agents work wherever foods are transported, held or sold. They investigate criminal violations, serve subpoenas for records, and stop the sale of contaminated foods. They work days and nights and on weekends and holidays. Some work undercover or conduct covert surveillance. If food safety officials know that they may encounter resistance, they make advance arrangements for Federal or State Police assistance. If hostile situations develop without warning, they call local police.

These calls must be handled as any other request for law enforcement assistance. Please keep in mind that, if the food safety officers are in the presence of a volatile individual, they may speak calmly to avoid aggravating the situation. Ask if the call is urgent.

If you have questions about FSIS enforcement or wish to request more information, call the Assistant District Manager for Enforcement _____________, local Compliance Officers _____________, or the Compliance and Investigations Division at (202) 418-8874.

For information about FSIS enforcement, see the FSIS Home Page at www.fsis.usda.gov.

On June 21, 2000, two Federal Compliance Officers and one California investigator were shot and killed during a food safety inquiry at a sausage plant. A fourth State employee escaped after being fired on and chased down a busy street at mid-afternoon. The government officials had called for local police backup. But the request was made in a calm and measured tone. The call was scheduled as routine, and backup was not immediately dispatched. The perpetrator has been arrested and charged with three counts of capital murder and one count of attempted murder.