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But the Commission saves its sharpest criticism for the federal agency whose specific duty it is to protect the life of the President: the U.S. Secret Service.
The commissioners compliment Secret Service agents for their courage under fire in Dallas, agree that some of the agency's advance security precautions were "thorough and well executed." But in the Secret Service's most important job—that of identifying and thwarting potential assassins—the Commission declares the agency to be "seriously deficient." Incredible as it may seem, the Secret Service did not inspect the Texas School Book Depository before President Kennedy's visit, did not know that Oswald worked there, did not even know who Oswald was.
"Unduly Restrictive View." The Secret Service has 50,000 cases on file, almost all involving persons who have by word or in writing over the last 20 years expressed direct threats against the life of a President. The White House mail room is a prime source for the file, and the list is loaded with harmless crackpots. The Service tries to keep surveillance over about 100 people who are considered to be "serious risks" to the President; of these, between twelve and 15 are especially dangerous because they have no fixed address.
When Kennedy was assassinated, no one from the Dallas-Fort Worth area was on the Secret Service's "serious risk" list. The FBI had a bulky folder on Oswald, but it did not bother to tip off the Secret Service. Says the Commission: "The FBI had no official responsibility, under the Secret Service criteria existing at the time of the President's trip, to refer to the Secret Service the information it had about Oswald. The Commission has concluded, however, that the FBI took an unduly restrictive view of its role in preventive intelligence work prior to the assassination." Adds the Commission: "The Secret Service and the FBI differ as to whether Oswald fell within the category of 'threats against the President' which should be referred to the Service."
Divided Responsibility. Liaison between the Secret Service and the Dallas police was also faulty. Says the Commission: "At the time of the trip to Dallas, the Secret Service as a matter of practice did not investigate, or cause to be checked, any building located along the motorcade route to be taken by the President. The responsibility for observing windows in these buildings during the motorcade was divided between local police stationed on the streets to regulate crowds and Secret Service agents riding in the motorcade. The Commission has concluded that these arrangements during the trip to Dallas were clearly not sufficient."
In rebuttal, Secret Service Chief James J. Rowley testified that an inspection of many blocks of tall buildings is "not practical." But the Commission contends that "an attempt to cover only the most obvious points of possible ambush along the route in Dallas might well have included the Texas School Book Depository Building."
Liquor & Late Hours. In the early morning hours of the assassination day, nine of the 28 agents on the Kennedy tour committed what the Commission calls "a breach of discipline." Secret
Service regulations specify that any agent working in connection with a