STATEMENT OF

THE HONORABLE HOWARD O. GREENE, JR

SERGEANT AT ARMS, UNITED STATES SENATE

AND

CHAIRMAN, CAPITOL POLICE BOARD

BEFORE

THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS

UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FOR THE FY 1996 BUDGET REQUEST FOR THE U.S.C.P.

February 15, 1995

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, as Chairman of the Capitol Police Board, it is my privilege and honor to appear before you to present the FY'96 Budget Request for the United States Capitol Police.

Before the Board and the Chief address some of the specifics of this budget request, I would like to express our appreciation to the Subcommittee and your staff for your continued understanding of the unique responsibility the Police have in providing law enforcement service to the Legislative Branch. To accomplish this goal we continually balance the security needs of the Congress with open access to the public. We would like to thank you for your continued cooperation over the years in supporting this organization.

With our recent election as Sergeants at Arms of the House and Senate, Bill Livingood and I were given the responsibility to review the security requirements for the Capitol Complex. To ensure that the security of the Congress and the Capitol Complex is not further compromised by reductions, the Capitol Police Board has established a task force, consisting of security experts from the United States Secret Service and the Capitol Police. Their purpose is to examine each and every post and assignment the police are currently required to cover as well as all other duties and responsibilities that may be assigned to them. Upon completion of this comprehensive review, the Board will prepare a detailed report to the Leadership of the House and Senate and to the Appropriations Subcommittees of these legislative bodies. As our resident expert in security matters, Mr. Livingood may address some of his concerns.

While we have a detailed submission of the budget which we are presenting for the record, if the Chairman or other Members of the Subcommittee have any specific questions, we and Chief Abrecht would be very pleased to respond.

The Capitol Police budget request for FY96 is $74,214.000, an increase of $2,832,000 (3.97%) over the amount appropriated for FY95. This request will fully fund the 1281 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions authorized for the Capitol Police. In addition to salary and benefits, this request includes funding for the uniform allowance and hazardous duty pay differential approved in FY95, $2,000,000 for Overtime and necessary funding for scheduled increases. Scheduled increases are longevities, after training salary adjustments, and advancement to rank of Private First Class (PFC) after completion of thirty months of satisfactory service. Funding is also requested to continue to provide USCP officers with a comparability increase comparable to what other federal law enforcement officers are now receiving.

The requested increase is for mandatory items listed below, except for the general expense increase of $190,000 which is requested to fund the biennial promotional process scheduled for FY96

Note: The projected cost for scheduled increases is $525,000. However, this projected increase is offset by forecasted savings of about equal amounts from the salary difference of beginning officers and officers at the top of the salary schedule who are expected to retire and the projected lapse time that occurs during periods when positions remain vacant.

The following information is an overview of the General Expense Budget by object class.

USCP Fiscal 1996 Budget Request

1

The General Expense Budget Submission for FY96 is $2,190,000. The increase for the General Expense Budget for FY96 is due entirely to the cost for the biennial promotional process scheduled for FY96.

This object class includes airfare, car rental, mileage, tolls, per diem, and other expenses incidental to official travel by employees of the Department. These travel expenses are related to protective details, transporting employees to and from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) for recruit and other specialized training, as well as other developmental training that is not held at FLETC or in the D.C. area. It also includes costs associated with other travel related to official business such as investigations, ceremonial functions, competitions, etc.

This object class includes freight costs incurred when parts, uniforms, or materials must be sent to another location (e.g., our liaison office at FLETC), when equipment is shipped to a repair facility, when items of evidence must be sent to another site for analysis or investigation, shipment of household goods for officers assigned to FLETC, etc. Funds contained in this object class cover any transportation costs except regular mail services (contained in Rents, Communications, and Utilities) and travel and per diem costs (contained in Transportation of Persons).

This object class provides funds for the lease and rental of equipment and services such as law enforcement computer files, automated research services, and photocopying machines. It also includes funds for U.S. Postage, and commercial long distance telephone service.

USCP Fiscal 1996 Budget Request

2

This object class includes all services not specifically covered by any other object class. It encompasses such things as repairs and alterations to equipment, maintenance contracts, tuition and registration fees for training programs, conferences, seminars, etc., uniform maintenance and alterations (including laundry and dry cleaning), and professional services such as recruit physicals, forensic services, stenograhic services, veterinary care, psychological evaluations, employee assistance program, including but not limited to professional referrals, drug screening, promotional assessment, etc. The increase is due to the cost for the biennial promotional process scheduled for FY96.

This object class includes charges for commodities, whether acquired by formal contract or other form of purchase, that are ordinarily consumed or expended within one year after they are put into use. It contains items such as weapon parts and accessories, automotive maintenance supplies, fuel, oil, repair parts, photographic supplies, K-9 supplies, training supplies, electronic supplies, office supplies, publications, uniforms and accessories, ammunition and explosives, and other miscellaneous supplies.

This object class provides for the purchase of equipment that has a normal life expectancy of a year or more after being put into use, without material impairment of its physical condition, and has a unit cost of at least one hundred dollars. Included in this object class are weapons, vehicles, photographic equipment, automotive maintenance equipment, electronic equipment, investigative equipment, etc.

3

USCP Fiscal 1996 Budget Request

Mr. PACKARD. Thank you very much, Mr. Greene.

Before we have questions, I think we will hear from each of you and then open it up to the Members of the panel.

Mr. Livingood.

REMARKS FROM MR. LIVINGOOD

Mr. LIVINGOOD. Mr. Chairman and Members of the subcommittee, once again it is an honor for me to appear here before you, this time as a member of the Police Board, and to present the 1996 Capitol Police budget request.

Let me begin by pointing out the professional relationship that exists between Mr. Greene and myself. The spirit of this professional relationship has operated in a spirit of comity since day one, which I feel is an essential ingredient in enabling the board to pursue our important security goals.

Mr. Chairman, this high degree of cooperation and communication will inevitably enhance our ability to deliver the highest quality of security services to the Congress.

Additionally, before the Chief addresses some of the specifics of the budget request, I would like to thank the subcommittee and your staff for the commitment and support you have given to the Capitol Police in their difficult task of providing police services to the congressional community.

As you are aware, the police services provided are unique in that we have to balance our security goals with the people's needs and demands for open access to the Capitol and their Representatives. Having spent over 30 years with the Secret Service, I am keenly aware of the troubling aspects of providing high-level security without unduly compromising our basic freedoms and our societal need for openness.

In addition, I would like to personally commend the Police Chief and the men and women of the force for their constant and consistent display of professionalism as evidenced by their efforts involving the recent Presidential State of the Union Address. It was outstanding.

While the Police Board recognizes the overwhelming responsibility of the Committee on Appropriations in these times of budgetary restraint, we feel it is important to balance our mutual goal of fiscal responsibility with the realities presented by the ever increasing violence in this country and throughout the world. This increased violence in our culture necessitates a heightened security awareness, and recent incidents at the White House and in other places in this city alone demonstrate need for security consciousness and awareness.

Bearing in mind these financial and security concerns, we believe that the Capitol Police have presented an extremely responsible budget.

However, we on the board feel that it is important for the subcommittee to understand that the current board-with two recently elected Sergeants at Arms-is somewhat reluctant to give unequivocal endorsements of the overall financial requirements of the Capitol Police.

Having had little or no time in which to perform our own comprehensive evaluation of the Capitol Police needs-both current