Security measures at the Abraham Lincoln
Presidential Library and Museum have been decreased during the past
four weeks, according to local law enforcement and sources inside
the complex. Ever since an ALPLM security guard accidentally
discharged his weapon into the carpet on March 27, all but one
guard has been unarmed.
Christine Glunz, ALPLM spokesperson, declines
to confirm the status of the guards, but says the security
situation was placed under review when one officer inadvertently
fired his weapon while handing the gun over to another officer
inside the security control room.
“An internal investigation is being
conducted, and an external investigation, in regards to the
discharged round that struck the floor,” she says.
“There may have been changes made within security, but those
changes are due to the investigation currently underway and are in
no way permanent.”
The officer responsible for the accidental
discharge has been disciplined and reassigned, Glunz says.
Another officer not involved in the incident
subsequently resigned, citing an inability to ensure the safety of
employees.
Last week, during opening festivities, ALPLM
security was augmented by the presence of officers from a variety
of law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service.
It’s a ticklish problem —
protecting priceless artifacts, such as the Gettysburg Address,
written in Abraham Lincoln’s own hand, in a place built to
attract the general public. Other presidential library and museum
complexes use armed security guards at least part of the
time. Most security directors were reluctant to go into detail for the
record, saying to do so could compromise security. But they say some
guards carry weapons some of the time.
At the Gerald R. Ford Museum, in Grand Rapids,
Mich., only one guard carries a firearm, while the other three (or
four, depending on time of day), are unarmed, Deputy Director Jim
Kratsas says in an e-mail. “Our police department is only two
minutes away,” he adds.
At the Harry S. Truman Museum, in Independence,
Mo., a security officer who asked not to be quoted by name said a
certain number of officers carry weapons. Most security officers at the
complex, he says, are retired cops.
Most such libraries and museums fall under the
supervision of the National Archives and Records Administration.
Susan Cooper, spokesperson for NARA, says the museums follow
guidelines set by the office of Homeland Security.
This article appears in Apr 28 – May 4, 2005.
