LJ049-0008 and detailing police in civilian clothes to be scattered throughout the sizable crowd
LJ049-0009 when president and mrs kennedy shook hands with members of the public along the fences surrounding the reception area they were closely guarded by secret service agents
LJ049-0010 who responded to the unplanned event with dispatch
LJ049-0011 as described in chapter two the president directed that his car stop on two occasions during the motorcade so that he could greet members of the public
LJ049-0012 at these stops agents from the presidential followup car stood between the president and the public
LJ049-0013 and on one occasion agent kellerman left the front seat of the presidents car to take a similar position
LJ049-0014 the commission regards such impromptu stops as presenting an unnecessary danger
LJ049-0015 but finds that the secret service agents did all that could have been done to take protective measures
LJ049-0016 the presidential limousine
LJ049-0017 the limousine used by president kennedy in dallas was a convertible with a detachable rigid plastic bubble top
LJ049-0018 which was neither bulletproof nor bullet resistant
LJ049-0019 the last presidential vehicle with any protection against smallarms fire left the white house in nineteen fiftythree
LJ049-0020 it was not then replaced because the state of the art did not permit the development of a bulletproof top of sufficiently light weight
LJ049-0021 to permit its removal on those occasions when the president wished to ride in an open car
LJ049-0022 the secret service believed that it was very doubtful that any president would ride regularly in a vehicle with a fixed top even though transparent
LJ049-0023 since the assassination the secret service with the assistance of other federal agencies and of private industry
LJ049-0024 has developed a vehicle for the better protection of the president
LJ049-0025 access to passenger compartment of presidential car
LJ049-0026 on occasion the secret service has been permitted to have an agent riding in the passenger compartment with the president
LJ049-0027 presidents have made it clear however that they did not favor this or any other arrangement which interferes with the privacy of the president and his guests
LJ049-0028 the secret service has therefore suggested this practice only on extraordinary occasions
LJ049-0029 without attempting to prescribe or recommend specific measures which should be employed for the future protection of presidents
LJ049-0030 the commission does believe that there are aspects of the protective measures employed in the motorcade at dallas which deserve special comment
LJ049-0031 the presidential vehicle in use in dallas described in chapter two
LJ049-0032 had no special design or equipment which would have permitted the secret service agent riding in the drivers compartment
LJ049-0033 to move into the passenger section without hindrance or delay had the vehicle been so designed it is possible that an agent riding in the front seat
LJ049-0034 could have reached the president in time to protect him from the second and fatal shot to hit the president
LJ049-0035 however such access to the president was interfered with both by the metal bar some fifteen inches above the back of the front seat
LJ049-0036 and by the passengers in the jump seats
LJ049-0037 in contrast the vice presidential vehicle although not specially designed for that purpose
LJ049-0038 had no passenger in a jump seat between agent youngblood and vice president johnson to interfere with agent youngbloods ability
LJ049-0039 to take a protective position in the passenger compartment before the third shot was fired
LJ049-0040 the assassination suggests that it would have been of prime importance
LJ049-0041 in the protection of the president if the presidential car permitted immediate access to the president by a secret service agent at the first sign of danger
LJ049-0042 at that time the agents on the framing boards of the followup car were expected to perform such a function
LJ049-0043 however these agents could not reach the presidents car when it was traveling at an appreciable rate of speed
LJ049-0044 even if the car is traveling more slowly the delay involved in reaching the president may be crucial
LJ049-0045 it is clear that at the time of the shots in dallas agent clinton j hill leaped to the presidents rescue as quickly as humanly possible
LJ049-0046 even so analysis of the motion picture films taken by amateur photographer zapruder
LJ049-0047 reveals that hill first placed his hand on the presidential car at frame three fortythree thirty frames
LJ049-0048 and therefore approximately one point six seconds after the president was shot in the head
LJ049-0049 about three point seven seconds after the president received this wound
LJ049-0050 hill had both feet on the car and was climbing aboard to assist president and mrs kennedy
LJ049-0051 planning for motorcade contingencies
LJ049-0052 in response to inquiry by the commission regarding the instructions to agents in a motorcade
LJ049-0053 of emergency procedures to be taken in a contingency such as that which actually occurred the secret service responded quote
LJ049-0054 the secret service has consistently followed two general principles in emergencies involving the president
LJ049-0055 all agents are so instructed
LJ049-0056 the first duty of the agents in the motorcade is to attempt to cover the president as closely as possible and practicable
LJ049-0057 and to shield him by attempting to place themselves between the president and any source of danger
LJ049-0058 secondly agents are instructed to remove the president as quickly as possible from known or impending danger
LJ049-0059 agents are instructed that it is not their responsibility to investigate or evaluate a present danger
LJ049-0060 but to consider any untoward circumstances as serious and to afford the president maximum protection at all times
LJ049-0061 no responsibility rests upon those agents near the president for the identification or arrest of any assassin or an attacker
LJ049-0062 their primary responsibility is to stay with and protect the president
LJ049-0063 beyond these two principles the secret service believes a detailed contingency or emergency plan is not feasible
LJ049-0064 because the variations possible preclude effective planning
LJ049-0065 a number of steps are taken however to permit appropriate steps to be taken in an emergency
LJ049-0066 for instance the lead car always is manned by secret service agents familiar with the area and with local law enforcement officials
LJ049-0067 the radio net in use in motorcades is elaborate and permits a number of different means of communication with various local points
LJ049-0068 a doctor is in the motorcade
LJ049-0069 this basic approach to the problem of planning for emergencies is sound
LJ049-0070 any effort to prepare detailed contingency plans might well have the undesirable effect of inhibiting quick and imaginative responses
LJ049-0071 if the advance preparation is thorough and the protective devices and techniques employed are sound
LJ049-0072 those in command should be able to direct the response appropriate to the emergency the commission finds that the secret service agents in the motorcade
LJ049-0073 who were immediately responsible for the presidents safety reacted promptly at the time the shots were fired
LJ049-0074 their actions demonstrate that the president and the nation can expect courage and devotion to duty from the agents of the secret service
LJ049-0075 recommendations
LJ049-0076 the commissions review of the provisions for presidential protection at the time of president kennedys trip to dallas demonstrates the need for substantial improvements
LJ049-0077 since the assassination the secret service and the department of the treasury
LJ049-0078 have properly taken the initiative in reexamining major aspects of presidential protection
LJ049-0079 many changes have already been made and others are contemplated some of them in response to the commissions questions and informal suggestions
LJ049-0080 assassination a federal crime
LJ049-0081 there was no federal criminal jurisdiction over the assassination of president kennedy
LJ049-0082 had there been reason to believe that the assassination was the result of a conspiracy federal jurisdiction could have been asserted
LJ049-0083 it has long been a federal crime to conspire to injure any federal officer on account of or while he is engaged in the lawful discharge of the duties of his office
LJ049-0084 murder of the president has never been covered by federal law however so that once it became reasonably clear that the killing was the act of a single person
LJ049-0085 the state of texas had exclusive jurisdiction
LJ049-0086 it is anomalous that congress has legislated in other ways touching upon the safety of the chief executive or other federal officers
LJ049-0087 without making an attack on the president a crime threatening harm to the president is a federal offense
LJ049-0088 as is advocacy of the overthrow of the government by the assassination of any of its officers
LJ049-0089 the murder of federal judges us attorneys and marshals and a number of other specifically designated
LJ049-0090 federal law enforcement officers is a federal crime
LJ049-0091 equally anomalous are statutory provisions which specifically authorize the secret service to protect the president
LJ049-0092 without authorizing it to arrest anyone who harms him the same provisions authorize the service to arrest without warrant
LJ049-0093 persons committing certain offenses including counterfeiting and certain frauds involving federal checks or securities
LJ049-0094 the commission agrees with the secret service that it should be authorized to make arrests without warrant
LJ049-0095 for all offenses within its jurisdiction as are fbi agents and federal marshals
LJ049-0096 there have been a number of efforts to make assassination a federal crime particularly after the assassination of president mckinley
LJ049-0097 and the attempt on the life of presidentelect franklin d roosevelt
LJ049-0098 in nineteen oh two bills passed both houses of congress but failed of enactment when the senate refused to accept the conference report
LJ049-0099 a number of bills were introduced immediately following the assassination of president kennedy
LJ049-0100 the commission recommends to the congress that it adopt legislation which would
LJ049-0101 punish the murder or manslaughter of attempt or conspiracy to murder kidnaping of and assault upon
LJ049-0102 the president vice president or other officer next in the order of succession to the office of president the presidentelect and the vicepresidentelect
LJ049-0103 whether or not the act is committed while the victim is in the performance of his official duties or on account of such performance
LJ049-0104 such a statute would cover the president and vice president or in the absence of a vice president the person next in order of succession
LJ049-0105 during the period between election and inauguration the presidentelect and vicepresidentelect would also be covered
LJ049-0106 restricting the coverage in this way would avoid unnecessary controversy over the inclusion or exclusion of other officials who are in the order of succession
LJ049-0107 or who hold important governmental posts
LJ049-0108 in addition the restriction would probably eliminate a need for the requirement which has been urged as necessary for the exercise of federal power
LJ049-0109 that the hostile act occur while the victim is engaged in or because of the performance of official duties
LJ049-0110 the governmental consequences of assassination of one of the specified officials give the united states ample power to act for its own protection
LJ049-0111 the activities of the victim at the time an assassination occurs and the motive for the assassination
LJ049-0112 bear no relationship to the injury to the united states which follows from the act
LJ049-0113 this point was ably made in the nineteen oh two debate by senator george f hoar the sponsor of the senate bill quote
LJ049-0114 what this bill means to punish is the crime of interruption of the government of the united states and the destruction of its security by striking down the life
LJ049-0115 of the person who is actually in the exercise of the executive power or
LJ049-0116 of such persons as have been constitutionally and lawfully provided to succeed thereto in case of a vacancy it is important to this country
LJ049-0117 that the interruption shall not take place for an hour end quote
LJ049-0118 enactment of this statute would mean that the investigation of any of the acts covered and of the possibility of a further attempt
LJ049-0119 would be conducted by federal law enforcement officials in particular the fbi with the assistance of the secret service
LJ049-0120 at present federal agencies participate only upon the sufferance of the local authorities
LJ049-0121 while the police work of the dallas authorities in the early identification and apprehension of oswald was both efficient and prompt
LJ049-0122 fbi director j edgar hoover who strongly supports such legislation testified that the absence of clear federal jurisdiction
LJ049-0123 over the assassination of president kennedy led to embarrassment and confusion in the subsequent investigation by federal and local authorities
LJ049-0124 in addition the proposed legislation will insure
LJ049-0125 that any suspects who are arrested will be federal prisoners subject to federal protection from vigilante justice and other threats
LJ049-0126 committee of cabinet officers as our government has become more complex
LJ049-0127 agencies other than the secret service have become involved in phases of the overall problem of protecting our national leaders
LJ049-0128 the fbi is the major domestic investigating agency of the united states
LJ049-0129 while the cia has the primary responsibility for collecting intelligence overseas to supplement information acquired by the department of state
LJ049-0130 the secret service must rely in large part
LJ049-0132 the commission believes that it is necessary to improve the cooperation among these agencies
LJ049-0133 and to emphasize that the task of presidential protection is one of broad national concern
LJ049-0134 the commission suggests that consideration might be given to assigning to a cabinetlevel committee or the national security council
LJ049-0135 which is responsible for advising the president respecting the coordination
LJ049-0136 of departmental policies relating to the national security the responsibility to review and oversee the protective activities of the secret service
LJ049-0137 and the other federal agencies that assist in safeguarding the president the committee should include the secretary of the treasury and the attorney general
LJ049-0138 and if the council is used arrangements should be made for the attendance of the secretary of the treasury
LJ049-0139 and the attorney general at any meetings which are concerned with presidential protection
LJ049-0140 the council already includes in addition to the president and vice president the secretaries of state and defense and has a competent staff
LJ049-0141 the foremost assignment of the committee would be to insure that the maximum resources of the federal government are fully engaged in the job of protecting the president
LJ049-0142 by defining responsibilities clearly and overseeing their execution
LJ049-0143 major needs of personnel or other resources might be met more easily on its recommendation than they have been in the past
LJ049-0144 the committee would be able to provide guidance in defining the general nature of domestic and foreign dangers to presidential security
LJ049-0145 as improvements are recommended for the advance detection of potential threats to the president it could act as a final review board
LJ049-0146 the expert assistance and resources which it could draw upon would be particularly desirable in this complex and sensitive area
LJ049-0147 this arrangement would provide a continuing highlevel contact for agencies that may wish to consult respecting particular protective measures
LJ049-0148 for various reasons the secret service has functioned largely as an informal part of the white house staff with the result
LJ049-0149 that it has been unable as a practical matter to exercise sufficient influence over the security precautions which surround presidential activities
LJ049-0150 a cabinetlevel committee which is actively concerned with these problems would be able to discuss these matters more effectively with the president
LJ049-0151 responsibilities for presidential protection
LJ049-0152 the assignment of the responsibility of protecting the president to an agency of the department of the treasury was largely an historical accident
LJ049-0153 the secret service was organized as a division of the department of the treasury in eighteen sixtyfive to deal with counterfeiting
LJ049-0154 in eighteen ninetyfour
LJ049-0155 while investigating a plot to assassinate president cleveland the service assigned a small protective detail of agents to the white house
LJ049-0156 secret service men accompanied the president and his family to their vacation home in massachusetts
LJ049-0157 and special details protected him in washington on trips and at special functions
LJ049-0158 these informal and parttime arrangements led to more systematic protection in nineteen oh two after the assassination of president mckinley
LJ049-0159 the secret service then the only federal investigative agency assumed fulltime responsibility for the safety of the president
LJ049-0160 since that time the secret service has had and exercised responsibility for the physical protection of the president
LJ049-0161 and also for the preventive investigation of potential threats against the president
LJ049-0162 although the secret service has had the primary responsibility for the protection of the president
LJ049-0163 the fbi which was established within the department of justice in nineteen oh eight has had in recent years an increasingly important role to play
LJ049-0164 in the appropriations of the fbi there has recurred annually an item for the quote protection of the person of the president of the united states end quote
LJ049-0165 which first appeared in the appropriation of the department of justice in nineteen ten under the heading quote miscellaneous objects end quote
LJ049-0166 although the fbi is not charged with the physical protection of the president it does have an assignment as do other government agencies
LJ049-0167 in the field of preventive investigation in regard to the presidents security
LJ049-0168 as discussed above the bureau has attempted to meet its responsibilities in this field by spelling out in its handbook
LJ049-0169 the procedures which its agents are to follow in connection with information received quote
LJ049-0170 indicating the possibility of an attempt against the person or safety of the president end quote or other protected persons
LJ049-0171 with two federal agencies operating in the same general field of preventive investigation
LJ049-0172 questions inevitably arise as to the scope of each agencys authority and responsibility
LJ049-0173 as the testimony of j edgar hoover and other bureau officials revealed the fbi did not believe that its directive required the bureau
LJ049-0174 to notify the secret service of the substantial information about lee harvey oswald which the fbi had accumulated
LJ049-0175 before the president reached dallas
LJ049-0176 on the other hand the secret service had no knowledge whatever of oswald his background or his employment at the book depository
LJ049-0177 and robert i bouck who was in charge of the protective research section of the secret service believed that the accumulation of the facts known to the fbi
LJ049-0178 should have constituted a sufficient basis to warn the secret service of the oswald risk
LJ049-0179 the commission believes that both the fbi and the secret service have too narrowly construed their respective responsibilities
LJ049-0180 the commission has the impression
LJ049-0181 that too much emphasis is placed by both on the investigation of specific threats by individuals and not enough on dangers from other sources
LJ049-0182 in addition the commission has concluded that the secret service particularly tends to be the passive recipient of information
LJ049-0183 regarding such threats and that its protective research section is not adequately staffed or equipped
LJ049-0184 to conduct the wider investigative work that is required today for the security of the president
LJ049-0185 during the period the commission was giving thought to this situation
LJ049-0186 the commission received a number of proposals designed to improve current arrangements for protecting the president
LJ049-0187 these proposals included suggestions to locate exclusive responsibility for all phases of the work
LJ049-0188 in one or another government agency to clarify the division of authority between the agencies involved and to retain the existing system
LJ049-0189 but expand both the scope and the operations of the existing agencies particularly those of the secret service and the fbi
LJ049-0190 it has been pointed out that the fbi as our chief investigative agency
LJ049-0191 is properly manned and equipped to carry on extensive information gathering functions within the united states
LJ049-0192 it was also suggested that it would take a substantial period of time for the secret service to build up the experience and skills necessary to meet the problem
LJ049-0193 consequently the suggestion has been made on the one hand that all preventive investigative functions relating to the security of the president
LJ049-0194 should be transferred to the fbi
LJ049-0195 leaving with the secret service only the responsibility for the physical protection of the president that is the guarding function alone
LJ049-0196 on the other hand it is urged that all features of the protection of the president and his family should be committed to an elite and independent corps
LJ049-0197 it is also contended that the agents should be intimately associated with the life of the presidential family
LJ049-0198 in all its ramifications and alert to every danger that might befall it
LJ049-0199 and ready at any instant to hazard great danger to themselves in the performance of their tremendous responsibility
LJ049-0200 it is suggested that an organization shorn of its power to investigate all the possibilities of danger to the president
LJ049-0201 and becoming merely the recipient of information gathered by others would become limited solely to acts of physical alertness and personal courage
LJ049-0202 incident to its responsibilities
LJ049-0203 so circumscribed it could not maintain the esprit de corps or the necessary alertness for this unique and challenging responsibility
LJ049-0204 while in accordance with its mandate
LJ049-0205 this commission has necessarily examined into the functioning of the various federal agencies concerned with the tragic trip of president kennedy to dallas
LJ049-0206 and while it has arrived at certain conclusions in respect thereto it seems clear
LJ049-0207 that it was not within the commissions responsibility to make specific recommendations as to the longrange organization of the presidents protection
LJ049-0208 except as conclusions flowing directly from its examination of the presidents assassination can be drawn
LJ049-0209 the commission was not asked to apply itself as did the hoover commission in nineteen fortynine
LJ049-0210 for examples to a determination of the optimum organization of the presidents protection
LJ049-0211 it would have been necessary for the commission to take considerable testimony much of it extraneous to the facts of the assassination of president kennedy
LJ049-0212 to put it in a position to reach final conclusions in this respect
LJ049-0213 there are always dangers of divided responsibility
LJ049-0214 duplication and confusion of authority where more than one agency is operating in the same field but on the other hand
LJ049-0215 the protection of the president is in a real sense a governmentwide responsibility which must necessarily assumed by the department of state
LJ049-0216 the fbi the cia and the military intelligence agencies as well as the secret service
LJ049-0217 moreover a number of imponderable questions have to be weighed if any change in the intimate association now established
LJ049-0218 between the secret service and the president and his family is contemplated
LJ049-0219 these considerations have induced the commission to believe
LJ049-0220 that the determination of whether or not there should be a relocation of responsibilities and functions should be left to the executive and the congress
LJ049-0221 perhaps upon recommendations based on further studies by the cabinetlevel committee recommended above or the national security council
LJ049-0222 pending any such determination however this commission is convinced of the necessity of better coordination
LJ049-0223 and direction of the activities of all existing agencies of government which are in a position to and do furnish information
LJ049-0224 and services related to the security of the president
LJ049-0225 the commission feels the secret service and the fbi as well as the state department and the cia when the president travels abroad
LJ049-0226 could improve their existing capacities and procedures so as to lessen the chances of assassination
LJ049-0227 without therefore coming to final conclusions respecting the longrange organization of the presidents security
LJ049-0228 the commission believes that the facts of the assassination of president kennedy point to certain measures which
LJ049-0229 while assuming no radical relocation of responsibilities
LJ049-0230 can and should be recommended by this commission in the interest of the more efficient protection of the president
LJ050-0001 for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox dot org report of the presidents commission on the assassination of president kennedy
LJ050-0002 the warren commission report
LJ050-0003 by the presidents commission on the assassination of president kennedy chapter eight the protection of the president part five
LJ050-0004 general supervision of the secret service
LJ050-0005 the intimacy of the secret services relationship to the white house
LJ050-0006 and the dissimilarity of its protective functions to most activities of the department of the treasury
LJ050-0007 have made it difficult for the treasury to maintain close and continuing supervision
LJ050-0008 the commission believes that the recommended cabinetlevel committee will help to correct many of the major deficiencies of supervision
LJ050-0009 disclosed by the commissions investigation other measures should be taken as well to improve the overall operation of the secret service
LJ050-0010 daily supervision of the operations of the secret service within the department of the treasury should be improved
LJ050-0011 the chief of the service now reports to the secretary of the treasury
LJ050-0012 through an assistant secretary whose duties also include the direct supervision of the bureau of the mint
LJ050-0013 and the departments employment policy program and who also represents the secretary of the treasury on various committees and groups
LJ050-0014 the incumbent has no technical qualifications in the area of presidential protection
LJ050-0015 the commission recommends that the secretary of the treasury appoint a special assistant with the responsibility of supervising the service
LJ050-0016 this special assistant should be required to have sufficient stature and experience in law enforcement intelligence or allied fields
LJ050-0017 to be able to provide effective continuing supervision
LJ050-0018 and to keep the secretary fully informed regarding all significant developments relating to presidential protection
LJ050-0019 this report has already pointed out several respects
LJ050-0020 in which the commission believes that the secret service has operated with insufficient planning or control
LJ050-0021 actions by the service since the assassination indicate its awareness of the necessity for substantial improvement in its administration
LJ050-0022 a formal and thorough description of the responsibilities of the advance agent is now in preparation by the service
LJ050-0023 work is going forward
LJ050-0024 toward the preparation of formal understandings of the respective roles of the secret service and other agencies with which it collaborates
LJ050-0025 or from which it derives assistance and support
LJ050-0026 the commission urges that the service continue this effort to overhaul and define its procedures
LJ050-0027 while manuals and memoranda are no guarantee of effective operations
LJ050-0028 no sizable organization can achieve efficiency without the careful analysis and demarcation of responsibility