United States Secret Service: Encyclopedia - United States Secret Service

United States Secret Service

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 2003, it was under the United States Department of the Treasury).

United States Secret Service - Role

The Secret Service has primary jurisdiction over the prevention of counterfeiting of U.S. 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.

United States Secret Service - Appearance

Plainclothes agents of the Secret Service wear attire that is appropriate for the surroundings. In most circumstances, this means a conservative business suit. Photographs often show them wearing sunglasses and a communication earpiece. The attire for members of the Uniformed Division includes police dress uniforms for White House guards, police work uniforms for investigative officers, and work clothes and identification vests for members of the countersniper team.

United States Secret Service - History

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 only member of the Secret Service to die while actually defending the president from an assassination attempt is Private Leslie Coffelt of the White House Police (now Uniformed Division). In 1950, President Truman was residing in the Blair House, across the street from the White House, while the executive mansion was undergoing renovations. Two men approached the Blair House with the intent to assassinate President Truman. Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, who were Puerto Rican nationalists, opened fire on Private Coffelt and other White House Police Officers. Though mortally wounded by three shots from a 9mm Luger to his chest and abdomen, Private Coffelt returned fire, killing Torresola with a single shot to his head. Collazo was also shot, but survived his injuries and served 29 years in prison before returning to Puerto Rico in 1979.

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, in Air Force 1 Boeing 747, Marine 1 Helicopter, and by limousine in motorcades.

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 a limited quantity of federal services with the necessary abilities and resources. 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 on a number of occasions. In the end, however, the job went to the Secret Service.

The Secret Service has over 5,000 employees: 2,100 special agents, 1,200 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 police officers protect:

• the White House Complex, the Main Treasury Building and Annex, and other presidential offices
• the President and members of his immediate family
• the temporary official residence of the Vice President in the District of Columbia
• the Vice President and members of his 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 and foreign diplomatic missions in the Washington, D.C. area. The Uniformed Division was originally a separate organization known as the White House Police, but was incorporated into the US Secret Service in the 1970s.

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 (Treasury Department Appropriations Act, 1995: 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 Secret Service also has concurent jurisdiction for violation of federal computer crime laws. They have created a network of 15 Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTF's) across the United States. These task forces create partnerships between the Service, federal/state and local law enforcement, the private sector and acadamia aimed at combating technology based crimes.

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 at events given such a designation.

Effective March 1, 2003, the Secret Service was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the newly established Department of Homeland Security.

United States Secret Service - 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)

United States Secret Service - Secret Service in popular culture

• 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.
• Along Came a Spider - mystery novel and film
• Dave - A film that shows the camaraderie between the president, Kevin Kline, and his primary Secret Service Agent, Ving Rhames.
• First Daughter - A film starring Katie Holmes as the daughter of the president, Michael Keaton which showcases the protective lengths her father takes to protect his college-bound girl.
• First Kid
• Guarding Tess - Film about a Secret Service agent assigned to guard a former First Lady.
• In the Line of Fire - Film about a presidential assassination plot starring Clint Eastwood.
• The Interpreter - Nicole Kidman plays an interpreter at the United Nations in New York who is under protection of the US Secret Service when her life is in danger.
• The Matrix - The characters known as Agents wear business suits, sunglasses, and earpieces. Like the Secret Service, they investigate computer crimes.
• Murder at 1600 - The head of the Secret Service interferes the investigation of a murder in the White House.
• Prison Break
• To Live and Die in L.A. - A film about a Secret Service agent (William L. Petersen) determined to bring down a counterfeiter (Willem Dafoe) by any means necessary.
• The West Wing - A popular TV series about the West Wing of the White House starring Martin Sheen as the president. The show has featured the Secret Service in many capacities over its seven seasons.
• Wild Wild West - Western parody starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline. In the final scene, President Ulysses S. Grant declares Smith and Kline to be the first Secret Service men.

See also

• Presidential Security Service
• Praetorian Guard
• Federal Protective Service
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police national Protective Security Program

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "United States Secret Service", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki