The United States Secret Service (USSS)
The United States Secret Service, also known as the USSS, is a name with which most all American - and many foreign - households are familiar.. The organization is typically seen as a conglomeration of glorified body guards charged with protecting the President of the United States and his - or her - family, but in reality, it is a task force comprised of extremely qualified individuals who come together to form one of the oldest and most elite federal law enforcement agencies in the world.
Today, the most well-known occupation of a member of the Secret Service is to act as physical protection, and those individuals for whom that physical protection is provided are sometimes referred to as “protectees.”. Agents of the USSS are not only authorized …show more content…
to protect the president and the vice president (along with their immediate families), but also former presidents and the spouses of those former presidents (provided that the spouse has not remarried), presidents-elect, the children of former presidents until they are sixteen years of age, foreign leaders and/or distinguished foreign individuals visiting the United States (as well as their accompanying spouses), and official representatives of the United States who are actively performing missions in a foreign land. They must also provide security when deemed necessary by Executive Order of the President, and at designated National Special Security Events (proclaimed so by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security) (“FAQs”). The United States Secret Service is internationally recognized for the degree of protection it is capable of providing, and it utilizes the most innovative technology available to do so (“The Protective”).
In an age of terrorism and advanced warfare, the protective mission of the USSS is a lofty one.
In response to all threats and vulnerabilities, both foreseen and unforeseen, the members of the Secret Service must execute countermeasures that are efficient, usually extremely secretive, and as convenient as possible. One of the most obvious positions as a Secret Service agent is that of an armed bodyguard, but in reality, the measures taken to safeguard those individuals to whom those bodyguards are assigned are far more in-depth and involved then that. There is an entire division of the USSS - known as the Intelligence Division - who is responsible for pre-assessing all possible threats before they are ever encountered (“The …show more content…
Protective”).
Of course, in situations such as the State of the Union Address or White House state dinners, with multiple protectees present, the need for security is intensified massively. It is in that scenario that the Secretary of Homeland Security would declare the event to be an aforementioned National Special Security Event, or NSSE. That declaration makes it possible for the Secret Service to assume the leadership role in both the scheming and the implementation of the security plan that will be the basis for all protective operations during the event. The strategy usually used in that circumstance is one of cooperation between the Secret Service and all other law enforcement agencies available and present, whether they be at the local, state, or federal level. The general goal of the agencies - and their reason for seamless cooperation - is the safety of everyone involved in such an event, including the public as well as the protectees (“The Protective”).
The side of the USSS that is not as publicised is that of an investigative body. In fact, the original purpose of the Secret Service involved the investigation and prevention of the counterfeiting of legal tender. At the time of its original conception, in 1865, the mission of the agency was a simple one: enforce those laws and policies that were in place to counteract the crime of counterfeiting.That mission has expanded and grown, and now it is to shield the entire payment and financial systems of the US from all manner of attacks, including those that are performed electronically, or computer-based. The USSS is responsible for securing some of the most paramount infrastructures of the nation, including those in areas such as banking, cyber crimes (typically of a monetary nature), and finance (“The Investigative”).
Offences involving money are not the only ones that the Secret Service is concerned with. It is classified as a law enforcement agency, and as such, it plays an active role in impeding organized crime that targets United States citizens as well as financial institutions on a transnational level. The USSS boasts a wealth of exceptionally capable forensic specialists, investigative experts, and intelligence analysts who provide near-immediate response and crucial information regarding all areas of protection and investigation that the agency is involved in (“The Investigative”). To further understand the Secret Service, it is necessary to understand the background of the agency. As mentioned above, the original purpose of the Secret Service was to implement compliance with counterfeiting laws in 1865. Surprisingly enough, the protective duties that the USSS is so strongly associated with did not become reality until after the third assassination of a sitting president took place, that of President William McKinley, in 1901 (“USS”). Before that, the duties of the Secret Service had to evolve from handling simple counterfeiting crimes to that of an actual agency charged with enforcing the law. The first expansion of power of the USSS came in 1867, when the branch became charged with the responsibility of detecting those who had committed fraud against the government. That led to investigations such as that of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), smugglers, frauds involving both land and mail, and many other violations of national law. It wasn’t until 1882, fifteen years after that first expansion and sixteen years after its creation, that Congress officially acknowledged the United States Secret Service as its own distinguishable organization within the Treasury Department, which is where it was first instituted. The first time that the Secret Service ever protected a President was President Cleveland in 1894, but since that protection was not formal and only occurred part-time, it is not considered to be the first actual detail of protection for a President. Finally, in 1902, one year after the Secret Service had been officially asked to safeguard the person holding the presidential office, the USSS was handed full responsibility for presidential protection. At that time, there were only two agents who were sent to the White House to work full-time (“USSS”).
In 1906, Congress passed an act - the Sundry Civil Expenses Act for 1907 - to secure funding for the Secret Service to serve as the President’s protection. The USSS began to fulfill their investigative role in 1907, when they undertook the investigation of land fraud in the west. As a result of that investigation, the government received millions of acres of land, and an operative - Joseph A. Walker - was murdered while working on a case that involved that land fraud. (“USSS”).
The next major event in the timeline of the agency occurred in 1913, when Congress authorized the Secret Service to protect the President permanently.
In 1915, President Wilson had the Secret Service directed to further fulfill the role of an investigative body by assigning them to examine and scrutinize possible cases of espionage in the US. The number of protectees that the USSS was considered responsible for expanded in 1917, when Congress signed an act that authorized protection for the immediate family of the President. That was also the year that it was made illegal to send threats to the President by mail, so the Secret Service had to expand to cover that, as well
(“USSS”).
The White House Police Force - which is known as the Uniformed Division today - was established in 1922, and eight years later, in 1930, it was placed under the authority of the Secret Service by President Hoover. The first test of the USSS strength came in 1936, when there was an assassination attempt made on Franklin Roosevelt, who was President-elect at the time. The next time something similar happened, it was in 1950, and Private Leslie Coffelt of the White House Police Force died as a result of gunshot wounds he received while he was protecting President Truman at the Blair House. Congressional action was triggered by that attack, and they ratified legislation that would permanently provide protection for the President and his immediate family, as well as the President-elect and the Vice President, if he chose to accept it. In 1962, that law was expanded to provide the Vice President protection regardless of whether or not he wished for it, as well as for the Vice President-elect, and - if he requested it - protection for the former President for a reasonable period of time (“USSS”).
It wasn’t until 1965, two years after the assassination of President Kennedy, that Congress passed legislation that made it illegal to attempt to assassinate a President. In that same year, new regulations were written into law that would authorize the Secret Service to provide life-long protection of the President and his spouse, and, in an action inspired by former First Lady Jackie Kennedy, protection for the widow and minor children of a former President after he leaves or dies in office was extended to last for four years. That was changed again in 1968, when the widows of former Presidents were guaranteed protection either until they passed away or remarried, and the minor children were protected until they reached the age of sixteen, unless they refused. After the assassination of Bobby Kennedy when he was a presidential candidate, Congress enacted legislation to provide major presidential and vice presidential candidates protection, as well. 1971 saw new laws that would call for the Secret Service to guard visiting foreign dignitaries or other officials at the discretion of the President, and in 1974 protection was finally provided for the immediate family of the Vice President (“USSS”).
There were many other changes after that date, and there will be many to continue, but the obvious pattern is that, time and time again, the Secret Service has been called on to protect those who need to be protected. Not only that, but they have the ability to handle investigations that other law enforcement agencies do not have the qualifications for.
Today, the most well-known occupation of a member of the Secret Service is to act as physical protection, and those individuals for whom that physical protection is provided are sometimes referred to as “protectees.”. Agents of the USSS are not only authorized …show more content…
to protect the president and the vice president (along with their immediate families), but also former presidents and the spouses of those former presidents (provided that the spouse has not remarried), presidents-elect, the children of former presidents until they are sixteen years of age, foreign leaders and/or distinguished foreign individuals visiting the United States (as well as their accompanying spouses), and official representatives of the United States who are actively performing missions in a foreign land. They must also provide security when deemed necessary by Executive Order of the President, and at designated National Special Security Events (proclaimed so by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security) (“FAQs”). The United States Secret Service is internationally recognized for the degree of protection it is capable of providing, and it utilizes the most innovative technology available to do so (“The Protective”).
In an age of terrorism and advanced warfare, the protective mission of the USSS is a lofty one.
In response to all threats and vulnerabilities, both foreseen and unforeseen, the members of the Secret Service must execute countermeasures that are efficient, usually extremely secretive, and as convenient as possible. One of the most obvious positions as a Secret Service agent is that of an armed bodyguard, but in reality, the measures taken to safeguard those individuals to whom those bodyguards are assigned are far more in-depth and involved then that. There is an entire division of the USSS - known as the Intelligence Division - who is responsible for pre-assessing all possible threats before they are ever encountered (“The …show more content…
Protective”).
Of course, in situations such as the State of the Union Address or White House state dinners, with multiple protectees present, the need for security is intensified massively. It is in that scenario that the Secretary of Homeland Security would declare the event to be an aforementioned National Special Security Event, or NSSE. That declaration makes it possible for the Secret Service to assume the leadership role in both the scheming and the implementation of the security plan that will be the basis for all protective operations during the event. The strategy usually used in that circumstance is one of cooperation between the Secret Service and all other law enforcement agencies available and present, whether they be at the local, state, or federal level. The general goal of the agencies - and their reason for seamless cooperation - is the safety of everyone involved in such an event, including the public as well as the protectees (“The Protective”).
The side of the USSS that is not as publicised is that of an investigative body. In fact, the original purpose of the Secret Service involved the investigation and prevention of the counterfeiting of legal tender. At the time of its original conception, in 1865, the mission of the agency was a simple one: enforce those laws and policies that were in place to counteract the crime of counterfeiting.That mission has expanded and grown, and now it is to shield the entire payment and financial systems of the US from all manner of attacks, including those that are performed electronically, or computer-based. The USSS is responsible for securing some of the most paramount infrastructures of the nation, including those in areas such as banking, cyber crimes (typically of a monetary nature), and finance (“The Investigative”).
Offences involving money are not the only ones that the Secret Service is concerned with. It is classified as a law enforcement agency, and as such, it plays an active role in impeding organized crime that targets United States citizens as well as financial institutions on a transnational level. The USSS boasts a wealth of exceptionally capable forensic specialists, investigative experts, and intelligence analysts who provide near-immediate response and crucial information regarding all areas of protection and investigation that the agency is involved in (“The Investigative”). To further understand the Secret Service, it is necessary to understand the background of the agency. As mentioned above, the original purpose of the Secret Service was to implement compliance with counterfeiting laws in 1865. Surprisingly enough, the protective duties that the USSS is so strongly associated with did not become reality until after the third assassination of a sitting president took place, that of President William McKinley, in 1901 (“USS”). Before that, the duties of the Secret Service had to evolve from handling simple counterfeiting crimes to that of an actual agency charged with enforcing the law. The first expansion of power of the USSS came in 1867, when the branch became charged with the responsibility of detecting those who had committed fraud against the government. That led to investigations such as that of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), smugglers, frauds involving both land and mail, and many other violations of national law. It wasn’t until 1882, fifteen years after that first expansion and sixteen years after its creation, that Congress officially acknowledged the United States Secret Service as its own distinguishable organization within the Treasury Department, which is where it was first instituted. The first time that the Secret Service ever protected a President was President Cleveland in 1894, but since that protection was not formal and only occurred part-time, it is not considered to be the first actual detail of protection for a President. Finally, in 1902, one year after the Secret Service had been officially asked to safeguard the person holding the presidential office, the USSS was handed full responsibility for presidential protection. At that time, there were only two agents who were sent to the White House to work full-time (“USSS”).
In 1906, Congress passed an act - the Sundry Civil Expenses Act for 1907 - to secure funding for the Secret Service to serve as the President’s protection. The USSS began to fulfill their investigative role in 1907, when they undertook the investigation of land fraud in the west. As a result of that investigation, the government received millions of acres of land, and an operative - Joseph A. Walker - was murdered while working on a case that involved that land fraud. (“USSS”).
The next major event in the timeline of the agency occurred in 1913, when Congress authorized the Secret Service to protect the President permanently.
In 1915, President Wilson had the Secret Service directed to further fulfill the role of an investigative body by assigning them to examine and scrutinize possible cases of espionage in the US. The number of protectees that the USSS was considered responsible for expanded in 1917, when Congress signed an act that authorized protection for the immediate family of the President. That was also the year that it was made illegal to send threats to the President by mail, so the Secret Service had to expand to cover that, as well
(“USSS”).
The White House Police Force - which is known as the Uniformed Division today - was established in 1922, and eight years later, in 1930, it was placed under the authority of the Secret Service by President Hoover. The first test of the USSS strength came in 1936, when there was an assassination attempt made on Franklin Roosevelt, who was President-elect at the time. The next time something similar happened, it was in 1950, and Private Leslie Coffelt of the White House Police Force died as a result of gunshot wounds he received while he was protecting President Truman at the Blair House. Congressional action was triggered by that attack, and they ratified legislation that would permanently provide protection for the President and his immediate family, as well as the President-elect and the Vice President, if he chose to accept it. In 1962, that law was expanded to provide the Vice President protection regardless of whether or not he wished for it, as well as for the Vice President-elect, and - if he requested it - protection for the former President for a reasonable period of time (“USSS”).
It wasn’t until 1965, two years after the assassination of President Kennedy, that Congress passed legislation that made it illegal to attempt to assassinate a President. In that same year, new regulations were written into law that would authorize the Secret Service to provide life-long protection of the President and his spouse, and, in an action inspired by former First Lady Jackie Kennedy, protection for the widow and minor children of a former President after he leaves or dies in office was extended to last for four years. That was changed again in 1968, when the widows of former Presidents were guaranteed protection either until they passed away or remarried, and the minor children were protected until they reached the age of sixteen, unless they refused. After the assassination of Bobby Kennedy when he was a presidential candidate, Congress enacted legislation to provide major presidential and vice presidential candidates protection, as well. 1971 saw new laws that would call for the Secret Service to guard visiting foreign dignitaries or other officials at the discretion of the President, and in 1974 protection was finally provided for the immediate family of the Vice President (“USSS”).
There were many other changes after that date, and there will be many to continue, but the obvious pattern is that, time and time again, the Secret Service has been called on to protect those who need to be protected. Not only that, but they have the ability to handle investigations that other law enforcement agencies do not have the qualifications for.