This little-known federal agency can't explain why it needs a fleet of 1,100 flashy SUVs

The Federal Protective Service (FPS) is a relatively unknown division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which is primarily concerned with providing facility security for federal buildings. It's also the not-so-proud manager of a fleet of more than 1,100 pricey vehicles which a new audit finds the agency can't justify.

DHS Inspector General John Roth released a report revealing that FPS leased each law enforcement vehicle for about $9,000 per year, spending $10.5 million on the cars in fiscal year 2014. Some 93 percent of the vehicles were gadget-laden SUVs, though Roth concluded simpler midsize sedans would suffice.

The agency also leased 101 more vehicles than it employed full-time agents, arguing that it needed one excess car for every five agents in case another SUV needed to be repaired.

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