Senator RUSSELL. Has there been any increase, Mr. Secretary, in the
number of agents assigned to guard the President. I thought there had
been some increase in recent years?
Secretary DILLON. There has been some increase, and we have tried very
hard to increase the Secret Service in the last 3 or 4 years. We have
asked for more people every year, and while we never got the amount we
asked for, we did get increases. I have the figures here. In 1961, the
entire Secret Service amounted to 454 individuals, of whom 305 were
classified as agents. In 1964, that is the fiscal year just finished,
the figure was 571, of which 167 were clerks and 404 were agents. So we
had achieved an increase of about 100 agents, a little over a third.
Mr. DULLES. That included both the counterfeiting responsibilities of
the Secret Service as well as the Presidential protection?
Secretary DILLON. That is right. And I think it is important to note
that the counterfeiting problem was also increasing in volume very
rapidly and changing very rapidly at about the same time. Actually that
may have started a few years earlier because of the development of
photography, which enabled one to counterfeit by photography instead of
having to do it by hand engraving.
Representative FORD. Wasn't the specific request for an increase in the
White House detail--I use this in a broad sense for both the President
and Vice President--primarily aimed at the increase of personnel for
the Vice President?
Secretary DILLON. That was in one year.
Representative FORD. 1962?
Secretary DILLON. I think that was in--I think that was in 1963. In
1962 the law was passed, and we did have a deficiency appropriation
which was given to us. The following year when we came up for our
regular appropriation, we not only did not get the full amount that
we thought was necessary to cover the Vice President, but they cut
the protection we had been affording the Vice President in half, and
whereas there had been 20 persons assigned, they reduced it to 10.
Representative FORD. But there had been no reduction in the funds for
the protection of the President?
Secretary DILLON. For the White House detail; no.
Representative FORD. It was a reduction for the protection of the Vice
President.
Secretary DILLON. That is correct. But the thing that I think we are
coming to is, it is perfectly obvious that we have to do a great deal
more in this advance work, field work, in interviewing people who are
dangers to the President or could be classified as such. We need more
people in the field on account of this. That is what I say was not
probably fully realized, although Rowley specifically, when he first
went up in 1962 asking for an increase, pitched it on that basis, but
he did not have a very good reception from the Appropriations Committee
at that time because they felt that the White House detail was the
White House detail, right around the President. I don't think anyone
fully understood the connection with people in the field. I am not sure
that Secret Service made as good a case as they should, to be really
understood on this. It has become clear now.
Representative FORD. Mr. Rowley in that presentation asked for
additional funds for and personnel for the Protective Research Service?
Secretary DILLON. I don't think it was specifically for that. It was
for protection of the President, and he was the first person that made
this type of request. Baughman had always said that people in the field
were counterfeiting and just worked a little bit for the President, and
Rowley when he came in was the first one that made this claim that they
were needed to actually protect the President. He wanted more people in
the field to do these things, and that was the thing that did not go
over right away. I think it would be interesting here. We have----
Mr. RANKIN. May I interrupt a moment? We have a problem with some of
the members of the Commission that have to go to the Congress right
away for the vote. They would like to question you if they may.
Senator COOPER. I have a question which I think you can address
yourself fully to later but considering these new factors which make
the protection of the President more difficult, I would like to ask if
it is your judgment that the Secret Service, if it is provided adequate
personnel and if it is--if a broader criteria for the ascertainment of
the persons who might be dangerous to the President is adopted, if it
is your judgment that the Secret Service could meet these new factors
and provide an effective protection for the President, taking into
consideration the factors which you mentioned?
Secretary DILLON. Yes; I think they could. I think the answer
is clearcut. I don't think that means that under every and all
circumstances you could be absolutely a thousand percent certain that
nothing can happen. You never can be in a situation like this. But I
think they could be a great deal better, and you could feel everything
has been done. We have just completed--the thing I wanted to say--this
study we have been working on many months as to what is needed to
provide this in the Secret Service. Chief Rowley was not able to give
you this when he was here before. I have given a copy of this to Mr.
Rankin. I think it ought to go into the record at this point.
Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Secretary, I will hand to you the document you just
referred to, called Planning Document, U.S. Secret Service, and ask if
that is the document that you were describing.
Secretary DILLON. Yes. That is the document; yes.
Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Chief Justice, I would like to ask leave at this time
to mark this document our next exhibit number which I will furnish
later to the reporter, and offer it in evidence as part of this
examination.
The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Secretary, that is not a security matter that
couldn't go into the record, is it?
Secretary DILLON. No. I have one thing I would like to say about that,
and I think it should go into the record. What this is is our report
as to how many personnel are needed and what has to be done and what
they should do. We have transmitted that with a covering letter to
the Bureau of the Budget. The final decision on what will be done on
many of these things is taken in the light of recommendations of the
Bureau of the Budget to the President and what he finally decides for
budgetary reasons. So ordinarily budgetary matters are not published
prior to the time the President has approved them. He hasn't approved
this. He hasn't seen it, but I think under the circumstances I see no
reason under this special circumstance, why this report should not go
into the record, and I think it is perfectly all right.
The CHAIRMAN. The report may be admitted and take the next number.
(Commission Exhibit No. 1053-A was marked for identification and
received in evidence.)
Representative FORD. This would be the recommendation of the Treasury
Department to the Bureau of the Budget for the personnel and the funds
for the Secret Service in fiscal year 1966?
Secretary DILLON. No. This is a recommendation to the Bureau of the
Budget for the personnel and equipment that would be needed to put the
Secret Service in what they consider adequate position to fully handle
this problem. They feel that it would take about 20 months to get all
the necessary people on board and trained. If this were started right
away, as we think it could be if a reapportionment on a deficiency
basis were approved, this could start in fiscal year 1965 and depending
on whether such is approved, the fiscal year 1966 final recommendation
would be affected. But this is the total picture, and it is assuming
our recommendation that they start in the next couple of months.
Representative FORD. In other words, this is the plan that you would
like instituted immediately regardless of budget considerations.
Secretary DILLON. That is right.
Mr. McCLOY. Mr. Secretary, there is nothing in this exhibit that in any
way, according to your judgment, would compromise the protection of the
security of the President if it became----
Secretary DILLON. Oh, no; and there is also with it--it is just a
covering letter but I think it is equally important--it is a letter
which I wrote to the Director of the Budget on Monday when I forwarded
this plan to him, and I think that probably should also go in because
it has a recommendation at the end covering the matter Mr. Ford raised.
Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Secretary, I will ask you if this document, dated
Angust 31, 1964, is a copy of the letter that you have just referred to
now?
Secretary DILLON. That is correct.
Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Chief Justice, I ask that this letter, dated August 31,
1964, directed "Dear Kermit," from the Secretary, be marked the next
number in order and offered in evidence as part of the record.
The CHAIRMAN. It will be admitted.
(Commission Exhibit No. 1053-B was marked for identification and
received in evidence.)
Secretary DILLON. It is marked "limited official use," and I think that
should be declassified for this purpose.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, Mr. Secretary, will you very briefly describe the
general plan of your planning document. We have that so we can use it
in considerable detail, but if you can just summarize briefly.
Secretary DILLON. Well, in brief, this asks for a total of 205
additional agents, which is about--not quite but nearly--a 50 percent
increase from the 415 agents they now have. It asks also for 50 clerks
to add to the 171 that are presently there. Those are stenographers,
typists and other clerical workers. And for five technicians. Of this
the idea is to put 17 agents and the 5 technicians in the PRS. Five
would be used to maintain 24-hour coverage in the PRS which is not
presently in force because of lack of personnel. One would add to the
Research and Countermeasures Unit to fill out three full units that
could be operating all the time. Six of them would do advance work for
PRS with local agencies and institutions. One of the new things we have
instituted is that each time they do an advance, someone from the PRS
goes out and works with the local law enforcement agencies. I think
that is obviously a very important thing. They need more people in view
of the volume of traveling. Then they also need five more employees
to expand our liaison with the other law enforcement and intelligence
agencies. We now have one man assigned really full time to that. We
found even in the period that we have been doing this that while
that is a great help, much the best way would be to have individuals
assigned to each agency that work full time with the agency, know the
people in the agency, and that is the only way we can be sure we have
adequate liaison.
Mr. DULLES. May I ask, would that include the FBI?
Secretary DILLON. Oh, yes.
Mr. DULLES. And the CIA and military intelligence services?
Secretary DILLON. Oh, yes.
Mr. DULLES. And the State Department possibly?
Secretary DILLON. Yes.
Representative FORD. Could you specify those agencies. I was interested
in what agencies you were referring to.
Secretary DILLON. Well, I would think certainly it would be the
military, the FBI, the security services of the State Department, and
the CIA.
Now, there may be additional ones. There are additional ones within the
Treasury Department. I think we probably have one, for instance, with
the intelligence section of the Internal Revenue Service, Alcohol and
Tobacco Tax Unit, and so forth, which a good deal can come out of.
In addition we recommend here five technical specialists, two of which
would be highly trained computer technicians, programers, and three
less well trained to work with these others. The purpose of this is to
automate the whole PRS operation. We have been thinking of that for
some time. It was something that obviously needed to be done.
Mr. RANKIN. Excuse me, Mr. Secretary. Will you describe a little more
what you mean by automate.
Secretary DILLON. I mean using electronic processing, punchcard
systems, so that they would be able to pull out of their files for any
locality, various different types of people that might be a danger or
might have made threats to the President or to other high officials,
so that they would be able to function rapidly and well in planning
protection as the President travels to these various cities.
Mr. RANKIN. Does that include computer systems?
Secretary DILLON. Yes. And what I was going to say was about 2 or
3 months before the events in Dallas, the Secret Service had asked
the IBM Co. to make a study of this problem for it. That study was
not completed until after the events in Dallas, and it did not prove
satisfactory because from our point of view it did not go into enough
detail in being able to handle criteria so you could tell when you
retrieved a name from the file whether it was truly dangerous or not.
We needed a more complex system and after working with Rand Corp., the
Research Analysis Corp., and also talking with IBM, we all felt the
best way would be to hire some good programers, knowing our problems,
and then work out a pilot program and get consultants in.
One of the things we recommend here is appropriation of $100,000 to get
consultants from IBM Co., Honeywell or other companies, and get pilot
machines to try to work out the details of this system.
Mr. McCLOY. For the record, Mr. Secretary, you had no electronic system
of this character operating before the assassination?
Secretary DILLON. No. Now, the total of that is 17 agents and 5
specialists for the PRS.
In addition, for a long time, Mr. Rowley has believed that it would
be preferable to improve the capacity of the White House detail if we
could establish a headquarters pool of 18 men where new individuals
who are going into the White House detail would be fully trained
first--before, they had to be trained sort of partially on the job--and
also through which you could rotate people from the field from time to
time, bringing them up to date on Presidential protection.
So we would ask for 18 people, 18 spaces for that.
We have asked for 25 spaces to provide adequate protection for the Vice
President in addition to the 10 that are already on board.
Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Secretary, excuse me. I think spaces may not be clear
to all our readers. Will you explain what that means?
Secretary DILLON. Twenty-five job positions. I think the thing that is
very important here is to keep in mind that to keep one man on the job
around the clock covering a post, which is the way the Secret Service
works--one man that would be always with the President or the Vice
President, that would be always watching his house--to get one man
requires five job positions. In the first place, the coverage required
is for 24 hours a day.
In the second place, there are holidays, there are weekends off. On
a full-time basis, the Secret Service works a 40-hour week, 5-day
week, as the rest of the Government does, and there are provisions for
sickness and leave, and so forth. When the number of hours that a man
can work a year full time is figured out, it requires 5 men to fill one
spot.
So that is one reason why these protective numbers may seem rather high
to the uninitiated.
When you are talking about the Vice President, and 10 people are
required to produce two posts, coverage of two posts, it is obviously
not adequate because you have to cover his house, whether he is there
or not, so that someone can't come in and put a destructive device in
it.
This simply can't be done with the present numbers that are assigned.
Then, going beyond this to complete this list, there is a request for
145 agents in the field offices who would handle the substantially
increased volume of security investigations. We are now getting about
twice as many referrals already as we did before. Instead of something
like 25,000, we are up to something over 50,000, and they expect it
will go over 60,000 next year.
To really run these down out in the districts, they need, obviously,
more men than they have had.
Now, one thing that they also need these fellows for, which I think is
important, is keeping track of more dangerous individuals. They have
tried to keep track of a few of them. But I think that probably a good
many more should be put on that list. It requires more people, so they
can periodically check up, and particularly before a visit, that all
of these people are looked at to see where they are and what they have
been doing recently before the President visits a particular place.
Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Secretary, while you are on that subject, could you
explain to the Commission how you make use of your agents in the White
House duty and those in the field so they will understand that?
Secretary DILLON. Well, yes; the White House detail is composed of
about 60 people now. About half of these are what you might call, more
or less, permanent employees. They have been there for a long time, 10
years, 12 years, 15 years, on the White House detail.
The other half are shorter time employees who generally serve up to
3 years on the White House detail and then either leave because they
prefer other duty in the Secret Service or sometimes leave because the
Secret Service feels they can do other duty better.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, for the protection of the President. Mr. Secretary, is
there any need to have the White House detail have any connection or
reciprocal arrangement with those in the field?
Secretary DILLON. Well, I think it is a great help. Because of this
turnover that I mentioned, very many of the agents in the field have
had service in the White House detail of up to 2 or 3 years. So they
know what the problems are and they are able to fit in very easily and
very readily and very quickly with the White House detail which is with
the President when he comes out on a trip.
Mr. DULLES. By fieldwork you mean attached to your field stations, of
which I believe there are 65 in the United States?
Secretary DILLON. Yes; that is right. And if they had not had this
training, obviously they would be enforcement officers and they could
work with White House detail when they come out, but they wouldn't be
able to be as cognizant of its procedures, how the matter is handled,
and they wouldn't be able to be fitted right into the routine as well
as they can presently. I think it is highly valuable that we have this
pool of experienced people around the country and, of course, this is
again one reason that if we get a few more people out there, we will be
able to do better.
One of the additional things that we are now undertaking, is, for
instance, these building surveys that are partially a result of a study
by the Research Analysis Corp. This seems to be something that we can
probably do something about. We will probably use more people when the
President travels through a city than we have in the past because you
can have some success in designating certain buildings as high risk or
higher risk than other buildings, and as I say, they are now trying
to map the whole United States, at least the major cities where the
President might travel, the routes he might follow, coming in from an
airport, going to a major stadium or something like that so they will
know ahead of time what the danger spots are. And one of the obvious
ones which has come out is a warehouse where there are not so many
people in it and where someone could more likely be alone and therefore
more dangerous. A building that is full of people is not as dangerous
because the other people would be watching. It is that sort of
criteria. The same thing about roof access. If there is easy access to
a roof and people are not usually on it, that would be more dangerous
than if there wasn't.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, have you made quite a change in the Secret Service in
regard to the inspection of buildings along a motorcade route since the
assassination?
Secretary DILLON. Oh yes. We have been doing this, and we have used
a great many more people as a result of this in our procedures, both
local police officers and also our own people. The figures we have
here are interesting. They are in this report. From February 11--I
don't know why that was the beginning date for these figures--but from
there through June 30, we used 9,500 hours of work by other enforcement
agencies. About 2,000 of that came from the Justice Department and the
rest of it from other Treasury agencies, the biggest one being the
Intelligence Section of the Internal Revenue, but also the Bureau of
Narcotics, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Unit and so on.
Mr. RANKIN. And that is in connection with this motorcade route?
Secretary DILLON. That is largely in connection with that, both
planning it out ahead and also stationing them in buildings that they
thought might be difficult.
Mr. RANKIN. Now, Mr. Secretary, returning to your Planning document, is
there anything else that you have not covered in that?
Secretary DILLON. Well, this is just the number of people. It does
not include in this figure any purchases of automatic data processing
equipment. It just includes the study I mentioned. There are funds for
a new armored car, various funds for improving the intrusion detection
at the White House, and lighting at the White House. There is no
automatic system now. If anyone breaks through the fence at night,
nobody knows it unless someone should see them. They have developed
such systems and the Secret Service would like to get one installed,
so if anyone broke through, a bell rings automatically, and they know
someone is on the grounds, and they can take action accordingly. Also,
they would like emergency lighting that would be hidden behind various
trees or behind the wall so that if someone broke through at a place,
the lights would go on automatically and the person would be seen. Then
there is just miscellaneous equipment that goes with increased staff,
such as automobiles, radios, travel and transportation that goes with
more staff, and so forth.
I mentioned some of the things briefly that they intend to do. I
mentioned the PRS program, and ADP study. These special agents in the
field I think we have covered pretty well. They have clearly in here a
number of things they have to do, which there certainly is plenty of.
In addition to that--I mentioned the pool. In addition to that we have
made arrangements with the Department of Agriculture and the General
Services Administration has put the funds in their budget, to get a
new training facility. All we have now is a pistol range out at the
Arboretum, and this new one will have classrooms, pistol range, and a
place where they can practice automotive protection on a practice road.
This will be out at Beltsville at the Agricultural Station out there.
It is very useful. There are no funds for that in the plan.
Mr. McCLOY. May I just ask you about the armored car, Mr. Secretary. Is
that to transport the President?
Secretary DILLON. Yes; that is right. A protected car, a second one.
One was fixed for the Government free by the Ford Motor Co., but our
guess is that it cost the Ford Motor Co. somewhere between $175,000 and
$200,000 to do this, and it didn't cost the Secret Service anything,
although there was some research work done on the glass and armor by
the Defense Department. This was combined with research work they
needed for their own use, to develop protective glass and armor to use
in helicopters in Vietnam. They split the cost. It cost about $30,000.
So I think they assigned $15,000 of it to this project. But it was paid
by the Defense Department. That is the only cost on that one. But I
think the companies think that the Government should buy the new car.
Mr. McCLOY. We had some testimony here in connection with the
assassination where it was developed that the access within the car to
the body of the President became very important. In the car in which
the President was assassinated there was a bar behind the front seat
making it very difficult if not impossible for the Secret Service
man who was operating from the front seat to get to the body of the
President, and we were strongly of the view that cars that should be
hereafter designed should have freedom of access. Either the man should
be in the jump seat or there should be means by which you could get,
the Secret Service man could get to the body of the President in case
of a threat of an attack, and I think it is likely we will mention that
in the report. But it seemed to me this is something to bear in mind in
connection with the design of a new armored car.
Secretary DILLON. That would apply to an open car.
Mr. McCLOY. Yes.