The remaining area in which the General Accounting Office suggests improvement is needed is that of procurement. They suggest centralized procurement for the four forces reviewed, which may be feasible for some items, as well as the purchase of goods through the General Services Administration. They cite as an example that a potential savings could have been effected had we purchased shirts through the G.S.A. It should be pointed out that the brand of shirt G.S.A. would have had us purchase was ELBECO. As you remember, Mr. Chairman, we did purchase a quantity of ELBECO shirts on a previous occasion and subsequently had to return them due to poor quality and workmanship. Initial savings on the purchase price of an item is not necessarily an accurate indicator of true cost as we learned in this case. In my opinion, the measure of net savings on items purchased must take into account the total serviceability of an item as well as the cost for maintenance and upkeep.

Mr. Chairman, with the guidance and leadership of the Capitol Police Board and the oversight of the various Congressional Committees, the Capitol Police have achieved a level of professionalism and expertise in which we take pride. As you are aware, operational policies of the force are under constant review and those that are not cost-effective are discontinued or modified. It is my considered opinion that to adopt the personnel policies suggested by the General Accounting Office would seriously jeopardize the standard of security provided the Legislative Branch and drastically limit the ability of the Capitol Police to respond as appropriate to all contingencies.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me an opportunity to respond to the views and findings expressed by this General Accounting Office Staff report.

F. NORDY HOFFMANN

SERGEANT AT ARMS

United Slates Senate

OFFICE OF THE SERGEANT AT ARMS

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510

February 23, 1979

Mr. A. R. Voss, Director

United States General Accounting Office

General Government Division
Washington, D. C. 20548

Dear Mr. Voss:

This is to acknowledge your letter of November 17, 1978, addressed to the Honorable Kenneth R. Harding, Sergeant at Arms, U. S. House of Representatives and Chairman of the U. S. Capitol Police Board during 1978. Your letter was forwarded to me on February 9, 1979, as the current chairman for reply.

Since receiving your letter and enclosed draft of a report prepared by the staff of the GAO, I have reviewed and discussed at length your recommendations to improve the operations of the U. S. Capitol Police with the Chief of the U. S. Capitol Police and his staff.

I am enclosing a copy of a letter prepared by Chief Powell which responds to the specific recommendations contained in your report, and would only add that I concur with the views expressed in Chief Powell's letter.

We hope this information will be of assistance to you in the report your are preparing which I understand will be submitted to Senator Chiles. If we may be of further assistance to you, or to Senator Chiles, concerning this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to call me.

In closing, I wish to compliment the staff of the GAO who worked on this report for their efforts in seeking to improve operations among area law enforcement agencies. This is a goal worthy of all of our best efforts, and I welcome any and all suggestions which would help us do a better job.

REACTION TO GAO REPORT

Mr. BENJAMIN. Please discuss your reaction to the recent GAO report on the proliferation of special police forces in the District. What changes can be made in the Capitol Police Department? Can other services be absorbed? Should they be? Can the Capitol Police with their current employment strength assume any of the other forces responsibilities without an increase in size?

[The following response was supplied for the record:]

As referred to in the letter to the Chairman of the Capitol Police Board no changes are recommended. The Capitol Police would be unable to assume responsibilities of the other forces without an increase in manpower.

METROPOLITAN POLICE DETAIL

Mr. BENJAMIN. Do other members of the subcommittee have questions for the Capitol Police?

Mr. SLACK. I would like to follow up a bit on the chairman's questions of a while ago, Chief Powell.

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir.

Mr. SLACK. How many people, officers, are detailed to Capitol Hill from the Metropolitan Police force this year? Chief POWELL. Twenty-nine at present.

Mr. SLACK. Twenty-nine.

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir.

Mr. SLACK. What are the ranks of these men?

Chief POWELL. I am one. I am from the Metropolitan. As you know, I have been detailed here for 20 years.

Mr. SLACK. How many are above the rank of sergeant?

Chief POWELL. We have two acting captains. We have three lieutenants.

Mr. SLACK. Have any of these officers been promoted since the expression of the committee in this report in the current year, as reported to the chairman?

Chief POWELL. Not except going from acting to permanent on which recommendation this committee and the Congress has final approval.

Mr. SLACK. Do these people have a competitive examination for upgrading?

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir, in the Metropolitan they have a competitive examination.

AMOUNT PAID TO METROPOLITAN POLICE

Mr. SLACK. I note in the current fiscal year there was $1,421,000 paid to the Metropolitan Police for some 34 positions; is that correct?

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir.

Mr. SLACK. And this year for 1980 you are asking for $1,297,000. Chief POWELL. Yes, sir. Actually, Mr. Chairman, that has been amended. We conferred with the Inspector of the Metropolitan Police on that whole thing, and since his presentation one sergeant has retired, and when he made out this, it was 30 rather than 29, and then there are some other differences of opinion as to the computation of it. We now have a new figure of $1,263,000.

Mr. SLACK. One more question, Mr. Chairman, if I may.

There is a surcharge attached to this figure, is there not?
Chief POWELL. Yes, sir.

Mr. SLACK. What is a surcharge?

Chief POWELL. Surcharge is an arrangement that I might say I didn't have anything to do with. Somehow the city government arrived at an overall cost pertaining to their total outlay for retirement and the operation of the training facility, including the police and fire clinic, et cetera, and it came up to this 61.4 percent of the actual salaries of the active members of the force, and they presented that to the respective committees here I believe some time ago.

Mr. SLACK. Would it be fair for me to say that out of the appropriation of $1.4 million, that about $540,000 was a surcharge? Am I in the ball park?

Chief POWELL. Well, sir, I can give you the exact figure on that. The actual salary compilation was $682,029. A projection was made allowing for overtime and longevity of $100,588. Then the surcharge was the $480,382.

Mr. SLACK. Do these officers from downtown who are detailed to Capitol Hill by Metropolitan have any special qualifications other than what your people have on the Hill?

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir, to some degree. Primarily I think they have in-depth experience. I don't like to undercut my own people. I am very proud of the Capitol Police force, and I like to think that I have contributed somewhat to our advancement over the last 20 years. They are fine officers. However, there is a certain degree of experience that you are able to gain downtown in the middle of homicide squads or robbery squads or whatever that we, I am proud to say, can't give, because we don't want that type of crime situation where they get that much practice up here.

Then, in addition to that, we have some jurisdictional problems which we can handle by having a few Metropolitan men here under our supervision. We are able to respond, for instance, if some member of the House or of the Senate may have some problem that needs investigating with some skilled, intelligent person, which may involve some situation other than on the Capitol grounds.

APPRECIATION OF CAPITOL POLICE

Mr. SLACK. Let me say finally, if I may, Mr. Chairman, that it is my judgment that you, Chief Powell, have done an outstanding job down through the 20 years you have been here.

Chief POWELL. Thank you, sir.

Mr. SLACK. All of the force that I have had any contact with has been courteous at all times, and in my judgment they are people of high quality, and I have had nothing but good comments from the public that visits Capitol Hill. They always have something nice to say about the Capitol Hill Police, and I want you to know for the record I think you have done an outstanding job.

Chief POWELL. Thank you, sir.

Mr. BENJAMIN. Mr. Rudd?

Mr. RUDD. To follow up on what Mr. Slack is talking about, there is no question that everybody appreciates a police officer when you need one. I certainly do. And I appreciate the good work that you

35-533 O 79 17 (Pt. 2)

do up here. Was the Capitol Hill Police as such started right after the shoot-out by the Puerto Ricans in 1954?

Chief POWELL. They had a force back years ago but I think it took on a new approach at that point, yes, sir. In other words, there was a definite need for security and it became more apparent.

SURCHARGE FOR METROPOLITAN POLICE

Mr. RUDD. You are talking about the surcharges for the Metropolitan detail, and I think the surcharge has now been established at 61.4 percent, has it not?

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir.

Mr. RUDD. Why do the D.C. authorities utilize that particular figure, do you know?

Chief POWELL. No, sir.

Mr. RUDD. Would you find out and put it in the record for me, please? I would like to know that, because it jumped overnight from 30 percent to 61.4 percent, and I think it is important to know why.

[See page 1390 for the reply.]

PHASEOUT OF METROPOLITAN POLICE DETAIL

Mr. RUDD. I think you also came up here originally on special assignment from the Metropolitan Police Department?

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir, I was a civil service captain when I came up here.

Mr. RUDD. But there is no interchange. I mean the Metropolitan Police Department does not receive the Capitol Hill Police Department for any assignment at all?

Chief POWELL. No, sir. That has never been.

Mr. RUDD. Wasn't the original intent to phase out the Metropolitan Police detail?

Chief POWELL. It still is, generally, yes, sir.

Mr. RUDD. But it hasn't been done?

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir, it is being done. As the men retire, they are not being replaced.

Mr. RUDD. Rosters of Metropolitan Police provided for prior hearing records show that several metropolitan officers did retire or left for some reason since 1975, and seven people were brought back in to replace some of the people that did leave. Out of the 19 Metropolitan Police who have left your rolls since 1975, I think there are 11 who have not been replaced, but the others were replaced. Can I have some facts on that for the record?

Chief POWELL. Yes, sir. I don't quite follow you on that. In the last few years as the Metropolitan men have retired, they haven't been replaced.

Mr. RUDD. Seven new Metropolitan Police officers were added to the detail since 1975, according to the information that I have from prior hearing records.

Chief POWELL. No, sir, that is not correct information. You may have somehow, and I don't have those figures-