Mar

Smithsonian Security: Responsibilities change, dedication never does

Today’s security staff have come a long way from the days when a major task was keeping the water barrels full.

The Smithsonian Guard Force, c. 1900. (Photographer unknown, via Smithsonian Institution Archives)

Long before the Smithsonian Office of Protection Services was created in 1973, the protection and security services for the Smithsonian Institution was the sole responsibility of a “night watchman” for the United States National Museum, hired in 1846. The position required the person to manage the public in the galleries and library of the Smithsonian Castle, keep up the building in adverse and cold weather, and perform additional duties such as manage coal deliveries, water barrels for fighting fire, and errands for the Secretary. The duty hours were 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for a salary of $30.00 a month.

After a fire in the East end of the Castle in January, 1864, the Board of Regents approved the hiring of a second watchman. As new buildings and facilities were added, so were additional security personnel. By 1943, the force had grown to 71, but soon suffered a reduction in force for war time recruitment, with the forces dropping from 71 to 44 guards.

In 1960 the security force totaled 120, and by 1964 it was up to 210. What is now known as the Office of Protection Services was formed in 1973, with Robert Burke leading as the first Director, Jay Chambers, the Chief of Protection Division and Ronald Colaprete, the Assistant Chief. That year, the OPS Guard Force reached a size of 287 employees. The following year, the OPS reached a size of 330 employees.

Today, the Office of Protection Services is the largest unit at the Smithsonian with over 850 employees and 350 contract security staff, with duties that go far beyond coal deliveries and water barrels. Our responsibilities encompass the physical, operational, and personnel security needs of all Smithsonian assets and facilities. Risk management serves as the foundation of our work. That is, the identification, assessment, and prioritization of threats to Smithsonian staff, visitors, collections, and facilities, followed by coordinated decision making about how to most effectively address these threats. OPS staff are dedicated to the mission of ensuring that visitors, staff and collections are safe and secure. Our Law Enforcement and Security Personnel work carefully on a daily basis to balance the safety and security of visitors and employees with ease of access to the Smithsonian.

This is an edited version of a post originally published by the Office Of Protection Services Insider Newsletter.