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Date :

Page :

06/28/96

1

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : USSS

RECORD NUMBER

:154-10002-10222

RECORDS SERIES

: HISTORICAL VAULT

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

Released under the John

Assassination Records

Collection Aet of 1992

144 USC 2107 Motel.

Case#:NW 54214 Date:

10=11-2017-------

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : USSS

FROM

: CHIEF-USSS

TO : SAICS AND RAS

TITLE : BULDING AND ROUTE SURVEY

[R]

DATE

: 09/08/64

PAGES

: 5

SUBJECTS

: METHODS AND TECHNIQUES USED IN BUILDING AND ROUTE

SURVEYS [R]

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

RESTRICTIONS : 5

CURRENT STATUS : POSTPONED IN FULL

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 06/21/96

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

--_

[R] - ITEM IS RESTRICTED

MH 54214

DocId: 32977037

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OFFICE

OF

THE CHIEF

TREASURY DEPARTMENT

UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20220

September 8, 1964

CONFIDENTIAL

MEMORANDUM

TO:

All Special Agents in Charge and Resident Agents

FROM: Chief

SUBJ: Presidential Protection - Building and Route Surveys

At my request, the Assistant Chief for Security and the Special

Agent in Charge of the White House Detail have submitted a

written evaluation of a new Presidential protective technique

we have been using since November 22, 1963. I believe their

evaluation will be beneficial to all offices which are, or

should be, conducting surveys of a similar nature. The salient

portions of their report are reproduced as a part of this

memor andum.

"A route and building survey of a route to be traveled by the

President encompasses a block-by-block or area-by-area physical

inspection and an interview with the occupants of the buildings

which are adjacent or overlook the route. Conducting such a survey

represents a considerable task.

There is call for skill, ingenuity,

and a capacity for evaluating and identifying danger points and the

devising of countermeasures to be effected for the time the Presí-

ins of ty

dent is in the particular area. With this, there must be docu-

mented the information that is developed preparatory for taking

steps that are necessary to offset each of the existing hazards.

Also called for on the part of the personnel who engage in surveys

is an adeptness in the art of good public relations work.

"Concerning the personnel and the manner of conducting surveys,

during our testing process since November 1963, this has been

done in various ways. As afore indicated, the work is extensive

and a concentration of manpower is required although for a com-

paratively limited period. Thus, in New York City, in March 1964,

a survey was made of the routes generally used by the President.

These included the routes from the airports to downtown and

HW 54214. DocId:32977037 Page 2

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• 3.

All Special Agents in Charge

and Resident Agents

"Pursuant to the observation and contact phases of a survey,

there must be developed protective measures to offset each of

the hazards uncovered. This is manifested in establishing

posts of duty for agent personnel and police officers when the

President is present and in employing such other safeguards as

called for by each of the existing circumstances. In this same

respect, by means of the survey, there is facilitated the ad-

vance programming for the security communications that will

serve best needs while the President is there. Generally speak-

ing, the communications facilities for a Presidential movement

must be of scope to permit radio and/or telephone contact as

between the President's car

(plane, helicopter, train), Secret

Service security cars, security aircraft, designated police

cars, designated networks of security posts, Secret Service

command posts, police headquarters, and others.

"Significant, it is felt, is that the results accomplished by

any particular survey cannot be calculated to continue inde-

finitely. In this it is thought that the benefits derived are

in direct relation to the length of time which elapses between

the time of the survey and the time of the President's visit.

If the elapsed time is extended, the benefit to be expected must

diminish. This due to physical changes as from construction,

from changes in occupancy of premises and for the fact that in

dealing with the public, contacts must be kept current. This

means that resurveys must be periodically conducted.

However,

a resurvey or bringing one to date is of course easier and less

time consuming than an original one.

"Of interest

to the question of the survey technique is that

this has long been a standard protective procedure relative to

inaugural parades. This has been upon the premise that the huge

crowd assembled from country-wide and world-wide warranted the

added precaution. Our security personnel has recognized that

the same procedure was desirable incident to any public move-

ment by the President but this could never be accomplished due

to our continuing critical personnel situation. Therefore, the

technique is not new or novel. Rather, it is

a current all-out

effort by means of borrowing other enforcement

personnel and in-

fluencing police interest to thereby gain the result and the

attending benefits.

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-5 .

All Special Agents in Charge

and Resident Agents

This to have the benefit of persons who have

the best experience in such endeavor. However,

when this is not possible, surveys should be

made regardless from where the personnel who

do the work become available. We feel the

benefits from surveys in

the inexperience factor. "any event outweigh

It is imperative that all offices complete their surveys as

soon as possible in order that our protection capabilities

be extended to the fullest.

gener g.144

CONFIDENTIAL

14 54214

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- 4 .

All Special Agents in Charge

and Resident Agents

"Following are the views of the writers from our experience and

observations concerning route surveys:

1. Route surveys are beneficial in providing in-

creased protection for the President when he

travels.

Outer perimeter security hazards can

be identified and countermeasures established

• to permit an increased degree of safety. Thus,

agents and police personnel can be assigned to

critical locations as on roof tops and other

points lending to best possible protection.

2. When the President moves in an open car, a

survey lends as a principal countermeasure

against hidden attack from the outer perimeter.

This from having advance intelligence and the

support and cooperation of the citizens as

developed through the advance contact with

them.

3.

Surveys conducted to date reflect that citi-

zens generally are cooperative and eager to

lend aid as by identifying and reporting

suspicious persons and circumstances. Also,

it has been found they are willing to assume

a degree of responsibility for their particular

area when called upon. We believe that when the

President exposes himself, as in an open car,

that this cooperation and aid by citizens is a

vital security factor.

4.

Route

surveys produce a favorable psycholo-

gical result.

The belief that one is being

watched is of itself a deterrent to a wrongful

act.

5. We believe that if it was possible, it would

be desirable that surveys be conducted ex-

clusively by Secret Service personnel aided by

personnel

from local police organizations.

WH 54214 DocId: 32977037

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weed

• 2 .

All Special Agents in Charge

and Resident Agents

between the hotels where he generally stops.

This was done by

Secret Service and Treasury Agents teaming with City Detectives.

They worked in two-man teams and about 44 teams were used. Com-

pletion of the survey required approximately seven working days.

Similarly, in May 1964, a survey was made in Chicago covering

the route

from O'Hare International Airport to the Conrad Hilton

Hotel. The same team arrangement was used as in New York City.

In Chicago, about 30 two-man teams, Secret Service and Treasury

Agents. teamed with Detectives, were employed. They worked about

five days, although this does not include the clerical time for

the preparation of reports and data forms. Likewise, this is

not included in the total time shown above for New York City.

In Atlantic City, a survey was made of the route from the air-

port to Convention Hall and in Newark, N. J., the route from

the airport to the Lincoln Tunnel.

In each of these surveys,

the work was done by uniformed officers of the City Police or

in rural areas by the New Jersey State Police having jurisdiction.

The officers assigned generally worked individually. Surveys

have been made in quite a number of other cities, such as Wash-

ington, D. C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Miami, etc.

"Concerning the actual work of conducting an outer perimeter

route survey, the first aspect is an observation process to

identify vantage points for attack as by rifle fire or thrown

objects. In this there must be taken into account roof tops,

obstructions, overpasses, waterways, bridges, construction work,

natural growth, terrain, and every other physical thing along

the way that lends to covert design and presents a danger hazard.

"A related aspect is the building canvass with the occupant, or

in the case of' a public building, the manager or security officer

being contacted and informed of the nature of the visit, 1.e.,

for cooperation in the protection of the President of the United

States, who, while in the city, passes the area.

Obtained is

any available security intelligence and identifying data concern-

ing the person contacted which is recorded for future reférence.

There is left with the person contacted the telephone number of

this Service and the Police Department interested so that infor-

mation can be reported.

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