United States Secret Service
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The United States Secret Service is a United States federal government law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security (prior to the founding of that department in 2002, it was under the United States Department of the Treasury).
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Role
The Secret Service has primary jurisdiction over the prevention of counterfeiting of currency and U.S. treasury bonds and notes, and protection of the President, Vice President, their immediate families, other high ranking government officials, past presidents and their spouses, certain candidates for the offices of President and Vice President, and visiting foreign heads of state and government (all called "protectees"). It also investigates a wide variety of financial fraud crimes and identity theft and provides forensics assistance for some local crimes.
History
The act creating the service was signed by president Abraham Lincoln as one of his last official acts. Ironically, Lincoln established the Secret Service on the day he was shot, April 14, 1865. The Secret Service was commissioned on July 5, 1865 in Washington, D.C., to suppress counterfeit currency, which is why it was established under the United States Department of the Treasury. After the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, Congress informally requested Secret Service presidential protection. A year later, the Secret Service assumed full-time responsibility for protection of the President. In 1902, William Craig was the first Secret Service agent killed while protecting the president.
The Secret Service Presidential Protection Detail safeguards the President of the United States and his immediate family. They are heavily armed and work with local police and the military to safeguard the President when he travels.
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Although today this is the Secret Service's most visible role, personal protection is an anomaly in the responsibilities of an agency focused on fraud and counterfeiting. The reason for this combination of duties is that when the need for presidential protection became apparent in the late 19th century, there were only a few federal services with the necessary abilities. The FBI, CIA, BATF, and DEA did not yet exist. The United States Marshals Service was the only other logical choice, and in fact the U.S. Marshals did provide protection for the president at some points. In the end though, the job went to the Secret Service.
The Secret Service has over 5,000 employees: 2,100 special agents, 1200 Uniformed Division employees, and 1,700 technical and administrative employees. Special agents either serve as bodyguards for public officials or investigate financial fraud.
Per Public Law 91-217, passed in 1970, Secret Service Uniformed Division security police officers protect:
- the White House Complex, the Main Treasury Building and Annex, and other presidential offices
- the President and members of his or her immediate family
- the temporary official residence of the Vice President in the District of Columbia
- the Vice President and members of his or her immediate family
- foreign diplomatic missions in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and throughout the United States and its territories and possessions, as prescribed by statute.
- the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates during election years.
The United States Secret Service Uniformed Division is similar to the Capitol Police and is in charge of protecting the physical White House grounds.
In 1968, as a result of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy's assassination, Congress authorized protection of major presidential and vice presidential candidates and nominees (Public Law 90-331). Congress also authorized protection of the widows of presidents until death or remarriage, and their children until age 16.
Congress passed legislation in 1994 stating that presidents elected to office after January 1, 1997, will receive Secret Service protection for 10 years after leaving office. Individuals elected to office prior to January 1, 1997, will continue to receive lifetime protection (Public Law 103-329).
The Service also investigates forgery of government checks, forgery of currency equivalents (such as travelers' checks), and certain instances of wire fraud (such as the so called Nigerian "419" advance fee scheme) and credit card fraud.
The Service and the FBI each see themselves as the most prestigious and capable federal law enforcement agency. (However, a June 17, 2002 U.S. News and World Report cover article detailed numerous allegations of incompetent, illegal or contrary to Secret Service regulations behavior by agents.) There is some animosity between the two organizations, and very few agents have served in both.
In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed Presidential Decision Directive 62, which established National Special Security Events (NSSE). In that directive, it made the Secret Service the federal agency responsible for security in the event that an event is given such a designation.
Directors
1. William P. Wood (1865 - 1869)
2. Herman C. Whitley (1869 - 1874)
3. Elmer Washburn (1874 - 1876)
4. James Brooks (1876 - 1888)
5. John S. Bell (1888 - 1890)
6. A.L. Drummond (1891 - 1894)
7. William P. Hazen (1894 - 1898)
8. John E. Wilkie (1898 - 1911)
9. William J. Flynn (1912 - 1917)
10. William H. Moran (1917 - 1936)
11. Frank J. Wilson (1937 - 1946)
12. James J. Maloney (1946 - 1948)
13. U.E. Baughman (1948 - 1961)
14. James J. Rowley (1961 - 1973)
15. H. Stuart Knight (1973 - 1981)
16. John R. Simpson (1981 - 1992)
17. John W. Magaw (1992 - 1993)
18. Eljay B. Bowron(1993 - 1997)
19. Lewis C. Merletti (1997 - 1999)
20. Brian L. Stafford (1999 - 2003)
21. W. Ralph Basham (2003 - Present)
Secret Service in popular culture
- In the Line of Fire - Film about a presidential assassination plot starring Clint Eastwood.
- Wild Wild West - Western parody starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline. In the end scene, President Ulysses S. Grant declares Smith and Kline to be the first Secret Service men.
- Air Force One - Action film starring Harrison Ford. A group of Russian terrorists hijack Air Force One and hold the president's family and staff hostage. One of the president's Secret Service agents is revealed to be a traitor working with the terrorists.
See also
- Presidential Security Service
- Praetorian Guard
- Federal Protective Service
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police national Protective Security Program
External links
- United States Secret Service website (http://www.secretservice.gov/)
- Protecting the US president abroad (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4535911.stm)de:United States Secret Service
fr:United States Secret Service he:השירות החשאי no:U.S. Secret Service pl:United States Secret Service sv:Secret Service