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CAPITOL POLICE

WITNESSES

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1953.

CAPT. WILLIAM J. BRODERICK

WILLIAM F. RUSSELL, SERGEANT AT ARMS

Mr. HORAN. We will next consider further the Capitol Police.

NEED FOR ADDITIONAL POLICE

Mr. RUSSELL. At a meeting of the United States Capitol Police Board, attended by the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Sergeant at Arms of the House, a discussion was held with regard to the lack of proper policing in and about the Capitol Grounds.

Police Capt. William Broderick pointed out the increasing number of crimes committed since the first of the year. There have been robberies, attacks, and many cars have been broken into in the carly morning hours.

It was also pointed out at this meeting that in the 80th Congress a request had been made for 15 additional privates on the Capitol Police Force, but the request was refused by the full committee. However, at that time the Senate later amended the appropriation bill to include 15 men on the Senate side.

The Sergeant at Arms of the House was instructed by the Board to renew, at this time, this request for the 15 additional privates. Mr. HORAN. Have you a record we could put into the hearings listing those crimes?

Mr. RUSSELL. Captain Broderick has compiled statistics.

Mr. HORAN. I feel we have a definite problem in this regard. I would like the record to reflect what that problem is so that if this subcommittee saw fit to grant the increase we would have something to justify the action.

Captain BRODERICK. In many cases of breaking and entering into the Capitol buildings themselves, they are Congressmen's offices or offices of certain Senators. We have had seven such cases in the past month, but I do not think I could list the Congressmen or Senators' offices, because they have asked that even the Metropolitan Police not be notified of it.

ARRESTS

However, I can give you a breakdown of the number of arrests that were made for the entire year of 1952. I have a list of them here which I can give you for the record.

For intoxication, speeding, ignoring traffic signals, negligence and collision of auto, drunk driving, driving without permit or car registration, driving stolen cars, robbery, breaking and entering, petty larceny, common assault, assault with deadly weapon, suspicioninvestigation, fugitives apprehended, mental cases, disorderly conduct, and displaying signs or placards on Capitol Grounds, during the year 1952, 176 arrests were made in the entire year for those offenses.

Mr. GARY. Mr. Chairman, I suggest that list be inserted in the record.

Mr. HORAN. Without objection, it is so ordered.

(The list referred to follows:)

Arrests by the U. S. Capitol Police, period Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1952

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Total amount of fines paid and forfeitures of collateral posted for the
above offenses_

50

11

46

7

4

16

2

1

1

5

5

1

5

1

4

16

1

176

$1, 113

Captain BRODERICK. In the first 4 months of this year we have made 109 arrests for the same offenses.

Mr. HORAN. It is generally conceded, is it not, Captain Broderick, that we do attract people of such disposition to the Capitol at certain times of the year, at least?

Captain BRODERICK. Ys; we do.

Mr. HORAN. It is a small proportion of the tremendous number who visit the Capitol, but nevertheless they have to be policed and everybody protected.

Captain BRODERICK. That is right. And although we have increased the number of arrests, and I may say the number of convictions, we try to avoid arrests here as much as possible. We only make them where it is absolutely necessary. I do not have the number of cases, but they would run into the hundreds, where we take people who visit this city that we know are mentally ill, put them on a train, perhaps through the Travelers' Aid Bureau, and contact their homes by telephone to make sure someone will meet them. They are not treated as police cases. We do not bring them to any precinct.

MANPOWER AVAILABILITY

Although we have increased the number of arrests, I do not think we are doing an adequate job, and we do not have the manpower to do it. We have 157 men in all, but up until last month 89 of my men were going to school. A lot of them will do a good job as a guard, but he does not want to become involved in something that will hold him over in court the next day, so a lot of this work is bypassed. Many of the men are of military age and belong to the Reserves, and when we need them they are taking military leave, which cuts down on the efficiency and the number of men we have here to work.

At times the 2 House Office Buildings from midnight to 8 in the morning have only had 5 or 6 men trying to take care of the 2 buildings, and it is almost impossible to do it. I have strung the men out as far as I can, and I feel although the buildings are important, the traveling public must be taken care of so that we do not have claims against the Government for injuries, and most of the men are on from 4 to 12. The traffic problem is terrific. We try to take care of visitors and Members of Congress, of course, and employees.

This is the list of arrests for the first 4 months of 1953 if you wish to have it.

Mr. HORAN. Without objection, we will put that in the record. (The list referred to follows:)

Arrests by the U. S. Capitol Police, period Jan. 1-Apr. 30, 1953

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Total arrests for this period.

109

Total amount of fines and forfeitures of collateral posted for the above offenses__

$899

POLICE FORCE COMPARISONS

Captain BRODERICK. I have this analysis showing what we have to take care of compared to the Supreme Court and the White House. The White House has more men than we have here, men who are trained by the Metropolitan Police Department. The White House is surrounded by a big iron fence, and they keep people out of the grounds except during certain hours of the day.

Mr. HORAN. And they are very closely watched.

Captain BRODERICK. Very closely watched.

The Supreme Court has 33 men to take care of one building which at 4 or 4:30 in the evening is completely secured. You can hardly get in there unless you are invited in by a member of the Court. Our buildings are open all night, and open to much of the public, so that we certainly need more money if we are going to police those buildings.

It has been a great concern of mine--and I am sure it would be of you gentlemen-that in many of the offices in the Capitol buildings there are papers having to do with our national security.

SCOPE OF POLICE WORK

Mr. HORAN. What is the area those men are required to police? Captain BRODERICK. We have 157 men, that is the total complement, including the House and Senate rolls. We take care of the grounds from the Union Station to New Jersey Avenue, from First Street to First Street. We take care of the Botanic Garden and the powerplant and all of the buildings comprising the Capitol group. This police force works 24 hours, in three 8-hour shifts. The greatest number of men are used during daylight hours, when we have the greatest number of tourists and visitors here.

I would like to bring out that from time to time when there are vitisiting dignitaries here we are requested by the Police Department or the White House to furnish details of from 10 to 12 men to take care of them and see that they are not molested when they are on the grounds.

Mr. Bow. Can you separate the number of men on your force as between the House and the Senate?

Captain BRODERICK. We have 84 on the Senate payroll and 73 on the House payroll. However, those men work wherever they are assigned.

I have here a breakdown of the Capitol Police if you would like to have it, with their salaries and so on included, but they are not broken down as between the House and Senate.

RELATIONSHIP TO METROPOLITAN POLICE FORCE

Mr. HORAN. Would you also explain what the relationship of the Capitol Police is with the Metropolitan Police force? They have some officers assigned up here; do they not?

Captain BRODERICK. Yes. We have 2 Metropolitan Police officers, plainclothes men, assigned to the Capitol, 1 to the Senate side and i to the House side of the Capitol. Their main duties here are to watch the galleries to make certain that no mental cases enter the galleries, and to investigate crimes in the House and Senate Office Buildings.

Mr. HORAN. There are some Metropolitan Police officers assigned to intersections, too, are there not?

Captain BRODERICK. No. We have requested them, Mr. Chairman, and from time to time they will assign a man on Independence Avenue and New Jersey Avenue. But the Capitol Police have been policing that at least on two shifts.

Mr. Chairman, we do not have authority to police the streets outside of the Capitol curbs, and I have been afraid some of my men would be hurt there. I have had two men knocked down by automobiles there, and although they were not seriously hurt, if it should ever be brought up in court, the courts have ruled in one case where an arrest was made in an automobile case that we had no right to police those streets.

Mr. GARY. Mr. Chairman, is there any reason why this table should not go in the record?

Mr. HORAN. I see no reason why it should not.

Mr. GARY. I ask that it be inserted in the record. In doing so, I think it ought to be pointed out that of the total 157 Capitol police

men, 84 are employed on the Senate side and 73 on the House side of the Capitol.

Mr. RUSSELL. May I also add that the captain is on the Senate roll and not on the House roll.

Mr. HORAN. Your office is on the Senate side too, is it not?

Captain BRODERICK. Yes, just on the other side, in the center of the building.

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NOTE. The difference in pay for lieutenant and sergeant is $195.78 per annum. sergeant and private is $191 per annum.

SPECIAL POLICE FORCES

The difference in pay for

Captain BRODERICK. I also have a breakdown of the number of men on the United States Supreme Court Police, if you think it would be of assistance.

Mr. GARY. This comes under the judiciary budget.

Mr. HORAN. Who polices the Library of Congress?

Captain BRODERICK. They have their own police force, and the Supreme Court has its own police force, as well as other Federal buildings around the city. I think a recent survey shows there are about 17 police departments.

Mr. HORAN. Including military police for all the services, the White House, the Supreme Court, the National Airport, the Park Police, and so forth. There are places in Washington where the Metropolitan Police are not allowed to make an arrest; you have to get a park policeman.

What is your relationship with the policemen of the Supreme Court, and Library of Congress; are they separate?

Captain BRODERICK. They are separate.

Mr. GARY. They have separate captains?

Captain BRODERICK. Yes.

I also have a breakdown of the White House Police. They have 170 men to take care of the White House.

Mr. HORAN. Is there anything else that ought to be brought to the attention of the committee?

ANALYSIS OF POLICE DUTIES

Captain BRODERICK. Did you want this analysis of the duties of the Capitol Police placed in the record? It is just something that I worked up.

Mr. Bow. I think it would be well to put it in the record.

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