Report: Secret Service training a factor in fence jumping response

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- A man with a knife who jumped a fence and made it as far as the North Portico of the White House was able to do so in part due to inadequate training and problems in communication among Secret Service officers.

The Department of Homeland Security released the report Thursday based on interviews with Secret Service officers regarding the Sept. 19 arrest of Omar Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, 42, jumped over the White House fence, ran through bushes surrounding the building and passed through the North Portico doors before he was apprehended.

The report blamed the breach on a lack of training of Secret Service guards due to staffing shortfalls.

"The the extent training was provided to new uniformed division officers, emergency response team officers, or other, the training did not prepare personnel for non-lethal force scenarios such as preventing a noncompliant individual from entering the White House mansion," the report said. "Further, as of the date of the incident, [U.S. Secret Service] training programs did not integrate personnel from the different divisions responding to incidents, which led to confusion regarding the various roles and responsibilities during a fence-jumping incident."

One canine officer did not hear radio communication about the fence-jumper because he was using his cell phone.

"When Gonzalez jumped the north fence, the canine officer was on a call on his personal cell phone (on speaker), without his radio earpiece in his ear, and he had left his second (tactical) radio in his locker," the report said.

The report also cited "technical missteps, lack of radio discipline, improper use of equipment, and aging infrastructure" as contributing factors to Gonzalez being able to get as far into the White House as he did.

One Homeland Security official told NBC News the report was "harsh."

"But it is intended to help fix the problems that this incident made very apparent," the official continued.

"Based on these initial findings the Secret Service has implemented, or is in the process of implementing, a series of training, staffing, communication, tactical and intelligence gathering enhancements," Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said.

Gonzalez has been indicted on one federal charge of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon, and two local charges for carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or place of business and unlawful possession of ammunition.