Mr. FAZIO. Does that cover the issues you wanted to highlight? Chief ABRECHT. Yes.

RECRUITING PROCEDURES

Mr. FAZIO. I wanted to ask-it really builds on a question we asked of Mike Shinay earlier. We talked extensively about putting an end to the patronage system, and I think that is long gone as it relates to our police, but how do we go about hiring?

Is there a method that can be quickly described to the committee? I want to assure people hiring is done based on the ability to succeed in police work.

Chief ABRECHT. That is absolutely true. We receive applications; people are then subjected to a civil service test. It is prepared by the Office of Personnel Management. From that, we take the top scorers, conduct background investigations, check their criminal records, talk to prior employers, give physical examinations, and the best candidates are selected. It is really with no influence whatsoever from patronage.

Mr. FAZIO. That applies to both sides of the Capitol? No distinction?

Chief ABRECHT. Absolutely. We don't know, really, which payroll the people will end up on when we hire them. We hire and then see where we have vacancies and slot them in.

Mr. FAZIO. How long has this been the case, to your knowledge? Maybe some others could help us.

There is still an impression, maybe because a few years ago, there were people who went through Georgetown Law School as members of the police force here.

Chief ABRECHT. It has been a substantial period. Bob? This is Assistant Chief Robert Langley.

Mr. FAZIO. Nice to see you.

Mr. LANGLEY. Nice to see you, sir.

Probably, with my tenure, actually, 1967-1968.

Mr. FAZIO. It has been that long?

Mr. LANGLEY. Yes, sir.

Mr. FAZIO. It is out there with free haircuts, you know, which we have not had in the history of the House and in the Senate probably for 40 years, but you keep hearing about it.

I am pleased to have it put on the record that it has been since the late 1960s that patronage was a factor in the hiring of our police personnel.

CIVILIANIZATION

Do you want to talk briefly about the civilianization of the department?

Chief ABRECHT. Yes. As some new Members may not be aware, as of a couple of years ago, I guess, the House Administration Committee required that we civilianize 114 positions, and we are now in the process of doing that.

It is working extremely well. We have been delighted with the quality of people we have been able to hire. We have had a large number of applicants. The people are very happy to be working for

us. We have good morale. We have been just delighted with the way it has been working.

So far most of the people we have been hiring have been doing general clerical work, but we have hired some specialists, vehicle mechanics, some radio maintenance people, and we have pending some reclassifications before the House Administration Committee. And once those are approved, we will be hiring some additional specialists.

The only downside I would mention to this is there has been some resultant lack of flexibility, because now we have 100 positions that used to be police officers that we can no longer call on in the case of a major demonstration or something of that nature.

Previously, when we had a big demonstration, like the March for Life, we would shut down the administrative operation for the day and those 100 officers would go out and perform police work. Now we don't have this flexibility, though we did use the civilians extensively to prep lines for the magnetometers in the Inauguration; in those nonconfrontational-type situations.

But in a large demonstration, we couldn't do that. So there may be some minor overtime impact, but, ultimately, it is the right decision.

Mr. FAZIO. It would be cost efficient if we had a little overtime because we have fewer civilians and somewhat fewer uniform personnel.

Chief ABRECHT. Absolutely. We are delighted with how well it is working and the quality of people we have been able to attract.

Mr. FAZIO. You are finding it possible to attract good people for both uniform and nonuniform personnel?

Chief ABRECHT. Right now we are getting very good personnel. Mr. FAZIO. I have a question to submit for the record. [Question and response follows:]

Question. Where are the civilians being placed (205 out of 1352 employees)? What effect do they have on your administrative productivity and in other areas of civilian placement? Give us a table for the record which distinguishes salary averages for civilians and sworn personnel. Put the civilians in appropriate job groupings.

Answer. Civilians are utilized as security aides, closed circuit television monitors, freight handlers, accounts payable clerks, procurement clerks, mechanics, radio repair technicians, computer programmers, and as administrative clerks throughout the various administrative offices within the Capitol Police organization. There has been no decline in the administrative productivity of the force due to civilianization. In some areas there is a noticeable increase in the productivity due to some of the civilian specialists that were hired. A table reflecting the average salaries for each position is attached. (Attachment A)

JURISDICTION

Mr. FAZIO. Would you speak briefly to the question of jurisdiction? We have had a lot of discussion of this issue. I know you brought your maps. Would you give the committee an idea as to how you are operating under the expansion of jurisdiction, which was, I understand, enacted last year?

Chief ABRECHT. The general order that will actually implement it is still being reviewed by various legal counsel and various congressional entities, but we are operating under an interim guideline and we are already, as we always were, out protecting the congressional properties that are off of the grounds. And what the new arrest authority gives us is the ability to take some action when, while we are out there performing our congressional function, we see a citizen in any kind of need. We can now take some action where before there was some real question as to our legal authority to make arrests in those cases.

We have not had a great number, but a few arrests have been made by our officers on their way to and from visiting those facilities not located on the grounds.

Mr. FAZIO. I have a question on jurisdiction to submit for the record.

[Question and response follows:]

Question. For the record, include a description of the old and new jurisdictions. Answer. The original jurisdiction of the U.S. Capitol Police included the U.S. Capitol Grounds (See Attachment B) which has a northern boundary line which could be generally described as Columbus Circle and a line which runs west along Louisiana Ave. to Constitution Ave. and down Constitution Ave. to 3rd St.; a western boundary which could be generally described a 3rd St.; a southern boundary which could generally be described as a line running east on Independence Ave. from 3rd St. to Washington Ave. (old Canal St.), south on Washington Ave. to South Capitol St., north on South Capitol St. to D St. SE, east on D St. to 1st. SE, north on 1st St. to C St. SE, east on C St. to 2nd St. SE; an eastern boundary of 2nd St. from C St. SE to F St. NE; and those other properties under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol.

The new jurisdiction of the U.S. Capitol Police (see Attachment C) has boundary lines of H St. on the North; 7th St. on the East; 3rd St. on the West. The boundary line on the south runs east from 3rd St. along P St. SW to South Capitol St., south on South Capitol St. to Potomac Ave., East on Potomac Ave. to 1st St. SE, north on 1st St. to M St. SE, and east on M St. to 7th St. SE. Other properties under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol which are outside of these stated boundary lines are also included in the jurisdiction of the U.S. Capitol Police.