Supreme Court of the United States Police Department

Not to be confused with United States Marshals Service.

The Supreme Court of the United States Police Department (SCUSPD),^[1] commonly referred to as the Supreme Court Police, is a United States federal security police agency responsible for security and law enforcement services concerning the properties, personnel, and visitors of the Supreme Court of the United States. The SCUSPD enforces federal and District of Columbia 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. In addition to more common law enforcement tasks, SCUSPD personnel, in conjunction with United States Marshals Service 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 40 U.S.C. § 6121.

Supreme Court of the United States Police Department
Patch of the Supreme Court of the United States Police
Logo of the Supreme Court of the United States
"Standard" badge of the SCUSPD
Common name	Supreme Court Police
Abbreviation	SCUSPD
Agency overview
Formed	1935
Employees	189
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency	U.S.
Operations jurisdiction	U.S.
Governing body	Marshal of the United States Supreme Court
General nature	Federal law enforcement Civilian police
Specialist jurisdictions	Buildings and lands occupied or explicitly controlled by the institution and the institution's personnel, and public entering the buildings and precincts of the institution. Protection of international or domestic VIPs, protection of significant state assets.
Operational structure
Headquarters	Supreme Court Building 1 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C.
Sworn members	189
Website
scuspd.gov

Special Agent Badge Dignitary Protection Unit

An officer of the Supreme Court Police in March 2012

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, and the original force of 33 officers were selected from the ranks of the United States Capitol Police. As of 2024^[update], 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

Two officers on duty. One is a K9 officer with a police dog

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^[2]

Training

Two Supreme Court Police officers on duty

New Supreme Court Police officers attend the 13-week Uniformed Police Training Program (UPTP) at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (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.^[3] 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.^[3]

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.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• List of United States federal law enforcement agencies