As a dozen Homeland Security vehicles wailed their way through the streets of Washington, onlookers stopped and stared. Even in the nation’s capital, already conditioned to a variety of motorcades, the parade of a dozen SUVs drew a crowd of curious bystanders.
But it was the uniformed and armed men and women inside those vehicles who were doing the real watching. Twice a week, agents from the Federal Protective Service (FPS) conduct surprise visits at the federal buildings throughout the capital region that the agency is charged with protecting.
Known as “Operation Shield,” these visits serve the dual purpose of inspecting the security measures in place at various buildings and providing a visible law enforcement presence meant to deter potential criminal or terrorist acts.
“As illustrated in numerous events, national icons like major cities and federal facilities have always been labeled as attractive and strategically important targets for terrorists,” said FPS Director Gary W. Schenkel in describing the recent D.C. operation as the best way to monitor, test and improve the counterterrorism measures put into place at high-profile federal facilities.
“Operation Shield is an important part of our comprehensive approach to avert and obstruct potential terrorist and criminal threats,” said Mr. Schenkel.
FPS, as part of the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, protects and delivers integrated law enforcement and security services to facilities owned or leased by the General Services Administration (GSA).
The agency employs 1,225 federal staff, including 900 law enforcement security officers, criminal investigators, police officers and support personnel, and 15,000 contract guard staff to secure more than 9,000 buildings and those who work inside them.
And FPS knows that Operation Shield, a national initiative, has had a particular resonance in the Washington area with its abundance of federal buildings, courthouses, other facilities and even the agency’s headquarters.
Patrick Moses, director of the FPS’ national capital region, one of 11 geographic offices, said his charges have conducted 89 operations during this fiscal year, up from 58 the year before. He described the D.C. area as “the most complex of all the regions, just because of the symbolism.”
Mr. Moses said the importance of tightening security at the buildings under his watch have increased in the wake of June’s shooting rampage at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that was extremely critical of the FPS.
In the Holocaust Museum shooting, an 89-year-old white supremacist and Holocaust denier opened fire at the building’s front door, killing a security guard before other guards shot and wounded him. The suspect, James von Brunn, died earlier this year.
About a month after the shooting at the museum, which does not fall under FPS protection, the GAO found that many of the FPS’ contracted security officers lacked adequate certifications and training specific to the buildings they were assigned. To highlight the security deficiencies, GAO agents were able to sneak bomb parts into 10 federal buildings and assemble the explosives in bathrooms.
The report, one in a series of critical investigations of the agency, was especially troubling because the FPS relies on roughly 13,000 privately contracted security guards to protect the buildings under its care. Each federal building also either has an FPS agent assigned to it at all times or one who rotates through several buildings.
Mr. Moses said that while Operation Shield began in 2007, its intensity has steadily increased, particularly since June 2009. The Holocaust Museum shooting and the GAO report serve as important reminders to remain diligent.
On a recent Thursday afternoon, The Washington Times accompanied Mr. Moses and his team during an Operation Shield inspection of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, which sits just three blocks from the White House and hosts the headquarters of federal agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as well as private-sector tenants.
The inspection begins with a test of security protocols with undercover agents attempting to improperly enter the building. That was followed by the caravan of Homeland Security SUVs parking at the front door for a far less subtle inspection.
Mr. Moses said at least 25 FPS agents participate in each operation. First, the FPS tested the metal detectors, X-ray scanners and private security guards at each entrance.
They passed a bag filled with prohibited items, such as weapons, through the X-ray scanner to make sure the scanner worked and the security officers could correctly identify the items inside. FPS also made sure the training credentials of each private security officer were up to date.
FPS agents also conducted training sessions that included specific information about the building with each of the private security guards. Security officers, who listened attentively and took notes during a session attended by The Times, also learned how to handle a gunman, conduct searches and operate equipment properly.
Outside the building, a team of FPS K-9 and bicycle officers maintained a highly visible presence.
Mr. Moses said such a show of force is aimed at dissuading criminals from targeting the building under FPS protection. Crime statistics provided by FPS show that reported offenses at federal buildings in the region have decreased at the same time Operation Shield has increased in intensity.
During the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, reported thefts were down 76 percent when compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the statistics.
Perhaps more importantly, Mr. Moses is hopeful such a visible law enforcement presence will serve as a deterrent to terrorists.
“We want the terrorists to know there is no such thing as a soft target,” he said.
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