Department Of Homeland Security Essay

The specific agency operating under The Department of Homeland Security I choose to research was the United States Secret Service. The USSS is a federal law enforcement agency that was operated under the US Department of Treasury before it was adopted by the department of Homeland Security. Many people, including myself up until now, just think that the Secret Service is the US Presidents personal guard. They have much more responsibility then that. Other then the President, they also provide security for past Presidents, Vice presidents, visiting heads of state, presidential candidates, and foreign embassies, as well as their families. They are also responsible for financial crimes, including things like counterfeit U.S currency, U.S treasury
securities, and large scale fraud, which is why they were originally part of the Department of Treasury. With the financial crimes, they do the investigation, not the field work, and with the security for the designated protectees, it is physical protection. The president can also choose specific individuals to be protected by the Secret Service for any reason, as it is an executive order. After the department was taken over by Homeland security, it was then also made responsible for security of specific National Special Security Events, when directed by Homeland Security. A National Special Security Event is "an event of national or international significance deemed by the United States Department of Homeland Security to be a potential target for terrorism or other criminal activity." They stay on the same page and work with local and state police to help ensure the safety and security of these individuals and events. It was not until the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901 that congress asked USSS to provide some additional protection to the President. One year later, they were officially made responsible for the protection of the President and other important national figures. Before that it was only responsible for Treasury problems. Its origins go back to 1865 when counterfeiting U.S currency was a big problem due to the fact that different bills and coins were issued by each state from individual banks.This led to almost one third of the nations currency in circulation being counterfeit during the Lincoln Administration.Due to the lack of manpower, they also assisted the U.S marshals with investigations of all crimes under federal jurisdiction, until they received enough of their own responsibilities.
They quickly accumulated more responsibilities, being the nations first and only domestic intelligence and counter-intelligence agency until the formation of the FBI in 1908. In 1995 they formed an electronics crime task force in New York which concentrated and accumulated local, state, and federal law enforcement, as well as prosecutors, private companies, and academia, to investigate and prevent financial and critical infrastructure of America. This was later expanded nationwide by the U.S patriot act in 2001.The Secret Service was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. Due to the success of the domestic Electronic Crime Task Force, Homeland Security directed the Secret Service to form a European Electronic Crime Task Force in 2009 and then a second one in 2010. Other then investigating financial crimes, they also now investigate certain Homeland Security-related crimes, whatever they are-according to the
Department.