Learn about our team’s most exciting stories, projects, events, and more!

Deer trapped on a fence with eyes closed and limbs dangling. It’s rare that Officers at the Zoo have to worry about animals trying to get in.

Smithsonian Office of Protection Services Police Officer Dale Anderson and Sgt. Christopher Carter helped free a fawn trapped in a fence at the National Zoo.
Water Rescue by OPS Officers

On September 10, 2020, the National Weather Service issued an emergency flash flood watch. Rain poured down and quickly caused the nearby Rock Creek to overflow and dangerously fill the roadway.
Smithsonian Hosts Vaccination Clinics

OPS staff assisted in two large-scale events that helped make the COVID-19 vaccine more widely available and was critical in controlling the spread of COVID-19.
OPS Officer stops Illegal Lobster Fishing in Panama

On April 21, around 2 a.m., Officer Martinez observed four individuals fishing for lobsters on Galeta, a protected island near the entrance of the Panama Canal and the Smithsonian Tropical Institute’s first Caribbean marine lab.
The First Consortium Graduates

On Sept. 30, 2021, OPS Museum Protection Officers Bassie Kanu, Jimmy Rivera, and Ronald Gaskins became the first Smithsonian graduates from the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area’s Campus Public Safety Institute (CPSI).
OPS Transports Cellos With Combined Age of 2,000 Years

OPS assisted with the Smithsonian Institutions 175th Anniversary celebration on August 10, 2021, by transporting these precious instruments.
More Than 400 Toys Collected for OPS Toy Drive

OPS hosted its annual toy drive on Dec. 17, 2021 with over 400 toys collected.