U.S. CAPITOL POLICE
New Chief Has 21 Years With Agency
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Saturday, October 28, 2006
Congressional officials named a new chief yesterday to lead the U.S. Capitol Police, a force that has grown dramatically since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but that has come under fire recently for security lapses.
Phillip D. Morse, a 21-year veteran of the agency, is scheduled to start his new job Monday. He played a key role in organizing security for President Bush's second inauguration, in 2005, and the Democratic and Republican conventions in 2004. He has been serving as deputy chief for the Uniformed Services Bureau, the largest component of the Capitol Police.
"He has outstanding experience, and, probably even more importantly, he has outstanding leadership qualities," said William H. Pickle, the Senate sergeant-at-arms and a member of the Capitol Police Board that selected Morse.
Morse, 43, is replacing Acting Chief Christopher M. McGaffin, who is retiring. McGaffin had been filling in since Chief Terrance W. Gainer resigned last spring.
Capitol Police have been struggling to transform themselves into a crack force to protect one of the world's top terrorism targets. The department has grown to about 2,300 people, a 50 percent increase since 2001. Its annual budget has roughly tripled in that time.
Yet a drug-addled man, a pistol in his waistband, dodged officers and slipped through an unguarded door of the domed building last month. He led officers on a four-story chase before being captured. Capitol Police were sharply criticized after the incident.
As a member of the force, Morse, a native of Wilmington, N.C., has worked in emergency response, dignitary protection and the office of professional standards and compliance, among other areas. He has a master of science degree in management from Johns Hopkins University.
Andy Maybo, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police labor committee for the Capitol Police, said officers were "extremely proud" to have Morse take on the new job. "We feel his knowledge, talents and leadership ability are going to continue us on the road to becoming the best law enforcement agency in the country," Maybo said.
