The Supreme Court of the United States Police Department (SCUSPD), commonly referred to as the Supreme Court Police, is a

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

federal security police agency responsible for security and

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...

services concerning the properties, personnel, and visitors of the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

. The SCUSPD enforces federal and

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

laws and regulations, as well as enforces regulations governing the Supreme Court Building and grounds as prescribed by the head of the SCUSPD (the Marshal of the United States Supreme Court) and as approved by the

Chief Justice of the United States The chief justice of the United States is the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States and is the highest-ranking officer of the U.S. federal judiciary. Appointments Clause, Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution g ...

. In addition to more common law enforcement tasks, SCUSPD personnel, in conjunction with

United States Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the United States federal judi ...

personnel, are responsible for providing personal protection details to Supreme Court justices (and the chief justice) both domestically and internationally, as well as the justices' homes. Sworn SCUSPD personnel may exercise law enforcement powers and carry firearms throughout the District of Columbia, and nationally when protecting SCOTUS justices or property; such authority is derived from .

History

Established in 1935, the Supreme Court security force was tasked to provide protection for the new Supreme Court building. The Court had previously resided in the

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

, and the original force of 33 officers were selected from the ranks of the

United States Capitol Police The United States Capitol Police (USCP) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States with nationwide jurisdiction charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States an ...

. , the Supreme Court Police has an authorized force of 189 officers.

Duties

The Supreme Court Police are responsible for providing a full range of police services, including: * ''Protection'' of the Supreme Court Building and grounds, and persons and property therein * ''Dignitary protection'' for the Supreme Court justices, both domestically and internationally * ''Maintain suitable order and decorum'' within the Supreme Court building and grounds, to include policing demonstrations and large-scale events * ''Provide courtroom security * ''Prepare numerous reports'' to include incident, found property, accident, and arrest reports, as well as testify in court Special Units are available to officers depending on time-in-service, completion of training, and experience.

Units

The Supreme Court Police offers both part-time and full-time specialized units. These units include: * Dignitary Protection Unit * Protective Intelligence Unit * K-9 Unit * Background Investigations Unit * Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) Team * Recruitment Division * Police Operations Center - Dispatch * Physical Security Unit * Liaison positions with partner agencies (FBI, JTTF, DHS, USCP) * Training Unit * Honor Guard * Various instructor positions, including: Firearms, Driving, Defensive Tactics, CPR/First Aid, Fitness Coordinators

Training

New Supreme Court Police officers attend the 13-week Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP) at the

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC; pronounced ) is a law enforcement training school under the United States Department of Homeland Security, serving 105 federal law enforcement agencies within the United States federal governm ...

(FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. Designated members of specialized units attend the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at FLETC.

Salary and compensation

In 2024, the starting salary for a newly hired member of the Supreme Court Police was $81,552 a year. The Supreme Court Police also accept lateral hires from local, State and Federal agencies. The starting salary for a lateral hire is $81,552–$139,419. Working for the Supreme Court Police offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health insurance benefits, premium pay, and eligibility for retirement with 20 years of service at age 50, or 25 years’ service at any age.

References

{{Federal law enforcement agencies of the United States Government agencies established in 1949

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...