The Department of Public Safety on Monday released its internal investigation into the security failures that allowed the firebombing of the Governor’s Mansion on June 8. The memo, from Sgt. Michael A. Escalante of the DPS’ Narcotics Service – and a former member of George W. Bush’s security detail when he was governor – to Allan B. Polunsky, chair of the state Public Safety Commission (the DPS’ oversight body), outlines both events the night of the fire and more importantly, events in the months leading up to the fire. Although Escalante doesn’t come to any final conclusions assigning blame, he does note several gaffes in chain-of-command reporting and staffing that certainly appear to have caused the security lapse.
The report examines the scheduling of DPS troopers for mansion security, problems with the mansion’s electronic security equipment, trooper training, and mansion security policy and procedures. One key failure seems to be the staffing of only one trooper on the June 7-8 nighttime shift. Escalante notes that before the First Family moved out of the mansion last fall so that a renovation project could begin, Chief Randall Elliston of the Texas Highway Patrol (a division of the DPS) authorized only one trooper during the construction work. Lt. David Armistead of the Governor’s Protective Detail worried that this would be insufficient and said as much to his superior, Capt. Dale Avant. A shift was eventually settled on for two troopers on weekdays and one on weekends. No reason was given in the report for the smaller weekend shift, and DPS officials said they have no comment on it at this time.
Apparently, an additional trooper should have been requested on weekends that construction occurred. The construction manager told Escalante that he informed Avant that construction would be occurring on the June 7 weekend, but Avant said he didn’t remember this. Also, another trooper should have informed Avant if additional troopers were needed, but he was incorrectly told to report to someone other than Avant. “As a result of not following the proper chains of command, only one trooper was scheduled. … Two troopers should have been scheduled.”
As for electronic-monitoring equipment, both inoperable equipment and insufficient training of troopers on the equipment were identified as problems. Four cameras were known not to be working before the fire, but after the fire, seven cameras were discovered to not be working. Also, a perimeter system of infrared beams was not monitored by troopers because a piece of equipment known as a Crestron monitor was not installed, and the troopers were not aware that the beams could be manually operated without it. And, “Even if the Crestron monitor was installed, the beams wouldn’t have worked because construction was blocking them,” wrote Escalante. “No DPS officers surveyed the grounds to ensure the beams were not blocked. None of the troopers knew they were supposed to do this as part of the property inspection duties. … Captain Avant did not communicate the security equipment failures up his chain of command.”
Finally, none of the troopers received formal training on mansion security but simply had information passed on to them by other troopers. There were written procedures on smoke-alarm response, but “these procedures were not made available to troopers working during the construction project.”
On Tuesday, the DPS released two video clips – possibly of two individuals, possibly of the same person – taken by security cameras outside the mansion at the time of the fire. You can see the videos at our Newsdesk blog, austinchronicle.com/newsdesk. If you think you can identify the individual(s) in the video, call 506-2849, 506-2861, 506-2862, or the Crime Stoppers toll-free hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).
This article appears in August 1 • 2008.