Dallas Police Press Access Policy
The Dallas Police Department conducted an extensive investigation that revealed no information indicating complicity between any officer and Jack Ruby. Ruby denied receiving any form of assistance. The FBI interviewed every police department member on duty in the basement on November 24, and Commission staff took sworn depositions from many. While Ruby had rather free access to Dallas police quarters after the assassination, there was no evidence implicating police or newsmen in his actions. Although Chief Curry estimated that 25 to 50 of the department’s 1,175 men knew Ruby, and Ruby was known to cultivate relationships by providing free coffee and discounts, the Commission found no evidence of suspicious relationships between Ruby and any officer.
Adequacy of Security Precautions
The shooting of Oswald resulted from the failure of the Dallas Police Department’s security precautions. The Commission assessed that the Dallas police took special security measures but did not include adequate control of the great crowd of newsmen that inundated the building. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover sent a message to Chief Curry on November 22 urging that Oswald be afforded utmost security, though Curry did not recall receiving it. The police pursued their normal press admittance policy set forth in General Order No. 81, which required officers to render every assistance to accredited news representatives. In a February 7, 1963 letter, Chief Curry explained this policy placed on officers a responsibility to lend active assistance to the press. Under this policy, news representatives ordinarily had access to the Police and Courts Building, and once the large press crowd became entrenched on the third floor, no one suggested reversing the policy. Captain King later stated candidly that he simply became “accustomed to the idea of them being out there.” Most department members believed in retrospect that the press should have been excluded after the assassination, but few thought so at the time. Because the newsmen carried individual press cards rather than Dallas police-issued identification, officers could not quickly verify their identities. Jack Ruby himself was able to gain entry to the third-floor corridor on Friday night, illustrating the security risk created by these conditions.
KAPITEL VI. , the Commission has considered whether there is any evidence
This chapter segment details the Commission’s analysis of security failures, uncoordinated law enforcement planning, and excessive press accommodation policies that created the conditions for Lee Harvey Oswald’s fatal shooting while in Dallas police custody.
Security Lapses Leading to Oswald’s Death
Critical security oversights included the third-floor corridor being the only access route between the homicide/robbery bureaus and the jail elevator, with no consideration given to questioning Oswald on another floor. Oswald faced repeated, unnecessary exposure to the press unrelated to investigation, including a Friday evening press conference attended by unauthorized persons such as Jack Ruby. Inadequate press credential checks allowed Ruby and other unauthorized individuals to enter secure areas, while large crowds of newsmen obstructed police ability to detect threats. Publicly announcing transfer plans also attracted unnecessary onlookers and continuous media coverage that could have compromised the operation.
Inadequate Press Access During Oswald’s Custody
The Dallas Police Department permitted unrestricted press access to Oswald during his custody, allowing hundreds of cameramen and reporters direct access to observe him rather than using alternative, lower-risk channels such as updates from visiting family members, the Dallas Bar Association, or community representatives to confirm his treatment and rights were respected. The department also failed to restrict press from the third floor, a measure that provided no unique investigative benefit that could not have been achieved via press releases or off-site press conferences.
Uncoordinated Transfer Leadership
No single Dallas police official assumed clear, full responsibility for planning and coordinating Oswald’s transfer. Chief Curry deferred to Captain Fritz, who led the Oswald investigation, to set transfer timing and logistics, while Fritz believed Curry was directing transfer arrangements. This lack of definitive leadership meant no official oversaw critical security details including vehicle positioning, press placement, and officer assignments in the basement prior to the transfer.
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