Mr. EDWARDS. Thank you, Mr. Hartnett.

I believe we'll hear first from Jack E. Swagerty. Mr. Swagerty is assistant chief postal inspector, criminal investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Mr. Swagerty.

STATEMENT OF JACK E. SWAGERTY

Mr. SWAGERTY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before this subcommittee to discuss the Postal Service involvement in investigating the explosive devices placed in the mails and addressed to abortion and Planned Parenthood clinics in the Portland, Oregon, area.

With your permission, I have a brief prepared statement I'd like to read into the record.

Mr. EDWARDS. Without objection.

Mr. SWAGERTY. I'd like to tell you a little bit about the Inspection Service itself. As the investigative and audit arm of the U.S. Postal Service, we have jurisdiction and enforcement responsibility over all violations of Federal laws relating to the integrity and security of the mails and safety of all postal valuables, property, and personnel. Included in this jurisdiction is the responsibility to investigate bombs and explosives when they fall into one or more general classifications such as mailed bombs and explosives, bombs and explosives placed in postal facilities or property, bomb threats by telephone, mail, or other means directed at postal functions and/or properties, and hoax bombs.

Specifically, postal inspectors have primary jurisdiction over bomb incidents violating 18 United States Code, section 1716. With respect to other related statutes, the enforcement responsibilities under 18 U.S.C. 841 to 848 are vested with the Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of the Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The Postal Inspection Service basically has investigative jurisdiction for violation of these sections as they relate to mails and postal property.

As you are aware, Mr. Chairman, based on the jurisdiction I've cited, the Postal Inspection Service has been and still is the primary agency investigating a series of explosive devices placed in the mails with the intended targets being abortion clinics in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. I might add that this is the only Postal Inspection Service investigation in the Nation involving abortion and Planned Parenthood clinics as intended targets.

To set the stage in December 1985, I'd like to briefly relate the crimes that occurred there. On December 2, 1985, a parcel bomb was delivered by the Postal Service to the Portland Women's Feminist Health Center in Portland, Oregon. The same day, three similar devices were identified in the custody of the Postal Service in Portland. These parcels were addressed for delivery to well known abortion clinics or birth control information centers in the Portland area. Fortunately, all the parcels, the one delivered and the three under custody of the Postal Service, were safely deactivated by bomb squad personnel before anyone was injured.

Since last December, as you can well imagine, the Portland office of the Postal Inspection Service as well as representatives from

other agencies who initially formed a task force, including the ATF, have expended a great deal of resources on suspect development. Most traditional tools of law enforcement investigation have been and still are being used, including polygraph examinations, criminal psychological profiling, and, as of May 1986, we raised the Inspection Service reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible from $10,000 to $20,000.

Bombs sent via the mail are given the highest investigative priority by the Inspection Service, and initially every resource in our Portland division was devoted to this investigation. Our contribution to the task force was initially 10 inspectors, and at this time we continue to devote all the resources needed to investigate every lead. I can't reveal specific information on suspects and investigative techniques, but I can assure you that our Portland division has at its disposal every resource necessary to continue its investigation.

As important as it is to identify and arrest the person or persons responsible for these crimes, it is equally important to ensure preventive measures are taken to minimize the danger to life and property inherent in these crimes.

In addition to the resources devoted to the investigation, inspectors contacted every abortion clinic, Planned Parenthood clinic, and pro-life clinic in the Portland area and talked to them about preventive measures, profiling the parcel bombs and so on, and we're confident that the work we did in this area, including the work that the ATF did in the prevention effort, did lead to an absence of these bombs following that.

That is all of my prepared statement. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

[The statement of Mr. Swagerty follows:]

STATEMENT OF JACK E. SWAGERTY

ASSISTANT CHIEF POSTAL INSPECTOR - CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

BEFORE THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

SUB-COMMITTEE ON CIVIL AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

DECEMBER 17, 1986

MR. CHAIRMAN:

MY NAME IS JACK E. SWAGERTY, AND I AM THE ASSISTANT CHIEF POSTAL INSPECTOR FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR BEFORE THIS SUBCOMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THE U. S. POSTAL SERVICE'S INVOLVEMENT IN INVESTIGATING THE EXPLOSIVE DEVICES PLACED IN THE MAILS ADDRESSED TO ABORTION AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINICS IN THE PORTLAND, OREGON METROPOLITAN AREA.

BEFORE I DO THAT HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY TELL YOU A LITTLE ABOUT THE INSPECTION SERVICE. AS THE INVESTIGATIVE AND AUDIT ARM OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE, WE HAVE JURISDICTION AND ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITY OVER ALL VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL LAWS RELATING TO THE INTEGRITY AND SECURITY OF THE MAILS, AND SAFETY OF ALL POSTAL VALUABLES, PROPERTY AND PERSONNEL. INCLUDED IN THIS JURISDICTION IS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO INVESTIGATE BOMBS AND EXPLOSIVES WHEN THEY FALL INTO ONE OR MORE GENERAL CLASSIFICATIONS SUCH AS MAILED BOMBS AND EXPLOSIVES, BOMBS AND EXPLOSIVES PLACED IN POSTAL FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT OR PROPERTY: BOMB THREATS BY TELEPHONE, MAIL OR OTHER MEANS DIRECTED AT POSTAL FUNCTIONS OR PROPERTIES; AND HOAX BOMBS.

SPECIFICALLY, POSTAL INSPECTORS HAVE PRIMARY JURISDICTION OVER BOMB INCIDENTS VIOLATING 18 U.S.C. 1716. WITH RESPECT TO OTHER RELATED STATUTES, THE ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER 18 U.S.C. 841-848 ARE VESTED WITH THE POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE, THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, AND THE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS. THE POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE BASICALLY HAS INVESTIGATIVE JURISDICTION FOR VIOLATION OF THESE SECTIONS AS THEY RELATE TO MAILS AND POSTAL PROPERTY.

AS YOU ARE AWARE MR. CHAIRMAN, BASED ON THE JURISDICTION I'VE CITED, THE POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE HAS BEEN AND STILL IS THE PRIMARY AGENCY INVESTIGATING A SERIES OF EXPLOSIVE DEVICES PLACED IN THE MAILS WITH THE INTENDED TARGETS BEING ABORTION CLINICS IN THE PORTLAND, OREGON METROPOLITAN AREA. I MIGHT ADD THAT THIS IS THE ONLY POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE INVESTIGATION IN THE NATION INVOLVING ABORTION AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINICS AS INTENDED TARGETS.

TO SET THE STAGE OF DECEMBER 1985, I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY RELATE THE CRIMES IN QUESTION. ON DECEMBER 2, 1985, A PARCEL BOMB WAS DELIVERED BY THE U. S. POSTAL SERVICE TO THE PORTLAND WOMEN'S FEMINIST HEALTH CENTER IN PORTLAND, OREGON. THAT SAME DAY, THREE SIMILAR DEVICES WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE CUSTODY OF THE POSTAL SERVICE IN PORTLAND. THESE PARCELS WERE ADDRESSED FOR DELIVERY TO WELL KNOWN ABORTION CLINICS OR BIRTH CONTROL INFORMATION CENTERS IN THE PORTLAND AREA. FORTUNATELY, ALL OF THE PARCELS, THE ONE DELIVERED AND THE THREE UNDER CLISTODY OF THE POSTAL SERVICE, WERE SAFELY DEACTIVATED BY BOMB SQUAD PERSONNEL BEFORE ANYONE WAS INJURED.

SINCE LAST DECEMBER, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE PORTLAND OFFICE OF THE POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE, AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE OTHER AGENCIES WHO INITIALLY FORMED A TASK FORCE, HAVE EXPENDED A GREAT DEAL OF RESOURCES ON SUSPECT DEVELOPMENT. MOST TRADITIONAL TOOLS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATION HAVE BEEN AND STILL ARE BEING USED, INCLUDING POLYGRAPH EXAMINATIONS, CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILING, AND, AS OF MAY 1986, RAISING THE INSPECTION SERVICE REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE CRIMINAL ACTS FROM $10,000 TO $20,000.

BOMBS SENT VIA THE MAIL ARE GIVEN THE HIGHEST INVESTIGATIVE PRIORITY BY THE INSPECTION SERVICE, AND INITIALLY, EVERY RESOURCE IN OUR PORTLAND DIVISION WAS DEVOTED TO THIS INVESTIGATION. OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE TASK FORCE, WAS INITIALLY 10 INSPECTORS, AND AT THIS TIME WE CONTINUE TO DEVOTE ALL THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO INVESTIGATE EVERY LEAD. I CAN'T REVEAL SPECIFIC INFORMATION ON SUSPECTS AND INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT OUR PORTLAND DIVISION HAS AT ITS DISPOSAL EVERY RESOURCE NECESSARY TO CONTINUE ITS INVESTIGATION.

AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS TO IDENTIFY AND ARREST THE PERSON OR PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE CRIMES, IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE PREVENTIVE MEASURES ARE TAKEN TO MINIMIZE THE DANGER TO LIFE AND PROPERTY INHERENT IN THESE CRIMES.

IN ADDITION TO THE RESOURCES DEVOTED TO THE INVESTIGATION, INSPECTORS CONTACTED EVERY ABORTION CLINIC, PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINIC, AND PRO-LIFE