White House Police Force

Last updated
White House Police patch USA - White House Police - White.png
White House Police patch

The White House Police Force was a security police force formed in 1922 to protect the White House and the President of the United States. It became part of the United States Secret Service in 1930. It was renamed the Executive Protective Service in 1970 and then the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service in 1977.

Contents

History

White House Police officer Ira Lee Law, circa 1938 White House Police 1938.png
White House Police officer Ira Lee Law, circa 1938

The White House Police Force was created on October 1, 1922, at the request of President Warren G. Harding to provide police and security services to the White House and Executive Office Building. [1] Initially the President or his appointed representative supervised the force. [2]

The White House Police Force was placed under the command of the Chief of the United States Secret Service in 1930. In 1970, it became the Executive Protective Service and its roles and size were expanded. Its responsibilities now included the protection of the White House, foreign missions in and around Washington, D.C., and the Naval Observatory. Together they provide protection for the following: The President and Vice President of the United States and their immediate families, presidential candidates, the White House Complex, the Vice President's Residence, and foreign diplomatic missions in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. [3]

The Executive Protective Service became the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service in 1977. When the United States Treasury Police was merged into the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service in 1986 [1] it became responsible for the main Treasury building and the Treasury Annex building, both of which are adjacent to the White House.

Fallen officer

Since the establishment of the White House Police, one officer has died in the line of duty. [4]

OfficerDate of DeathDetails
Officer Leslie William Coffelt
Wednesday, November 1, 1950
Shot in the Truman assassination attempt

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Secret Service</span> U.S. federal law enforcement agency

The United States Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security with the purpose of conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and visiting heads of state or government. The Secret Service was, until 2003, part of the Department of the Treasury, due to their initial mandate of combatting counterfeiting of U.S. currency. The agency has protected U.S. presidents and presidential candidates since 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Customs Service</span> U.S. federal government agency from 1789 to 2003

The United States Customs Service was a federal law enforcement agency of the U.S. federal government. Established on July 31, 1789, it collected import tariffs, performed other selected border security duties, as well as conducted criminal investigations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Protective Service (United States)</span> US Federal law enforcement agency

The Federal Protective Service (FPS) is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It is also "the federal agency charged with protecting and delivering integrated law enforcement and security services to facilities owned or leased by the General Services Administration (GSA)"—over 9,000 buildings—and their occupants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers</span> U.S. government agency

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers serves as an interagency law enforcement training body for 105 United States government federal law enforcement agencies. The stated mission of FLETC is to "...train those who protect our homeland". Through the Rural Policing Institute (RPI) and the Office of State and Local Training, it provides tuition-free and low-cost training to state, local, campus and tribal law enforcement agencies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court Police</span> Federal law enforcement agency

The Supreme Court of the United States Police is a federal security police agency that derives its authority from 40 U.S.C. § 6121. The Supreme Court Police enforces federal and District of Columbia laws and regulations, as well as enforces regulations governing the Supreme Court Building and grounds prescribed by the marshal and approved by the Chief Justice of the United States. The department's mission is to ensure the integrity of the constitutional mission of the Supreme Court of the United States by protecting the Supreme Court, the justices, employees, guests, and visitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis C. Merletti</span>

Lewis Carlo Merletti was the 19th Director of the United States Secret Service. He succeeded Eljay B. Bowron, and was sworn in on June 6, 1997, by the Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin. A 25-year veteran of the United States Secret Service, Merletti has also served as Assistant Director in the Office of Training, and as the Special Agent in Charge of the Presidential Protection Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James F. Sloan</span>

James F. Sloan was an American intelligence official who served as the Assistant Commandant for Intelligence and Criminal Investigations for the United States Coast Guard and head of Coast Guard Intelligence from November 17, 2003 to February 27, 2009. He was responsible for directing, coordinating, and overseeing intelligence and investigative operations and activities that support all U.S. Coast Guard mission objectives, the national strategy for Homeland Security, and National Security objectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Pentagon Police</span> Federal police agency of the Office of the US Secretary of Defense

The Pentagon Police Division (PPD) is the uniformed division of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District of Columbia Protective Services Division</span> Police division in Washington, D.C.

The District of Columbia Protective Services Division is a division of the Department of General Services of the District of Columbia Government. The organization is responsible for "law enforcement activities and physical security of all properties owned, leased or otherwise under the control of the Government of the District of Columbia."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FBI Police</span> Security police protecting FBI facilities

The FBI Police is the uniformed security police of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is part of the Bureau's Security Division. The FBI Police is tasked with protecting key FBI facilities, properties, personnel, users, visitors, information and operations from harm and may enforce certain laws and administrative regulations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal law enforcement in the United States</span> Federal law enforcement agencies of the United States

The federal government of the United States empowers a wide range of federal law enforcement agencies to maintain law and public order related to matters affecting the country as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Parr</span> American Secret Service agent (1930–2015)

Jerry S. Parr was a United States Secret Service special agent who is best known for defending President Ronald Reagan during the attempt on the president's life on March 30, 1981, in Washington, D.C. Parr pushed Reagan into the presidential limousine and made the critical decision to divert the presidential motorcade to George Washington University Hospital instead of returning to the White House. He was honored for his actions that day with U.S. Congress commendations, and is widely credited with helping to save the president's life.

The Protection Command is one of the commands within the Specialist Operations directorate of London's Metropolitan Police Service. The command specialises in protective security and has two branches: Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP), providing protection to the royal family and close protection to government officials, and Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP), providing uniformed security to government buildings, officials and diplomats. In contrast with the vast majority of British police officers, many members of the Protection Command routinely carry firearms in the course of their duties and all are authorised firearms officers.

The United States Treasury Police was the federal security police of the United States Department of the Treasury responsible for providing police and security to the Treasury Building and the Treasury Annex. The Police force merged into the US Secret Service Uniformed Division in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Secret Service Uniformed Division</span> Division of the US Secret Service

The United States Secret Service Uniformed Division is the Federal police force of the U.S. Secret Service, similar to the U.S. Capitol Police or DHS Federal Protective Service. It is in charge of protecting the physical White House grounds and foreign diplomatic missions in the District of Columbia area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Mroz</span> American Secret Service agent (1922–2008)

Vincent Peter Mroz was a United States Secret Service agent and a United States Marine Corps veteran who served during World War II. In 1948, he was assigned to the presidential protection detail during the Harry S. Truman administration. In November 1950, Mroz shot one of two Puerto Rican nationalists who intended to assassinate President Truman. The man was later tried and imprisoned. The event was described as "the biggest gunfight in Secret Service history." The other nationalist was killed by White House Police Officer Leslie Coffelt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Pierson</span> American law enforcement official

Julia Ann Pierson is an American former law enforcement official. On March 27, 2013, President Barack Obama appointed her as the 23rd Director of the United States Secret Service. Pierson was the first female director of the agency. Amid a series of security lapses involving the Secret Service, she resigned the position on October 1, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Director of the United States Secret Service</span>

The director of the United States Secret Service is the head of the United States Secret Service, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations.

References

  1. 1 2 "Secret Service history". United States Secret Service. Archived from the original on 19 February 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  2. 42 Stat. 841
  3. Frederick Kaiser, "Origins of Secret Service Protection of the President: Personal, Interagency, and Institutional Conflict", Presidential Studies Quarterly, 1988, vol. XVIII, num. 1, p. 102. These
  4. The Officer Down Memorial Page

Bibliography