History of the Secret Service

Did you know that the Secret Service (SS) has TWO missions? I learned today that it does. The first is criminal investigations and the other is protection. That is what I learned reading the Congressional Research Service's report dated June 18, 2014.   http://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL34603.pdf  It was written by Shawn Reese, Analyst in Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy and is prepared for members of congress and committees.

Did you know that in 2003 it was transferred from the Department of US Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security(DHS)? Before that SS had been with Treasury for over 100 years. Do you think the two missions are compatible and how would you prioritize them? Do you think the DHS is the appropriate place for the Secret Service? This report was submitted before the recent revelations regarding SS mistakes and missteps that finally led to the resignation of the SS director, Julia Pierson, the first woman to lead that agency.  http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/01/politics/secret-service-director-resigns/index.html

There are many reports in the media concerning the number of death threats against our President and how much of an increase it is since Barack Obama took office. One article from United Kingdom asserted that he received over 30 a day and the SS had to investigate them. And that article was from 2009!   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/5967942/Barack-Obama-faces-30-death-threats-a-day-stretching-US-Secret-Service.html  Other articles dispute that claim.  This one from CBS news is also from 2009:  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/secret-service-threats-against-obama-no-higher-than-normal/

I have not found a current article with actual data. But, what I do know is that something needs to change in our Secret Service. The White House should be protected from uninvited guests, whether it's people crashing a party or a fence jumper trying to force his way into the building. The building should also be protected from a gunman with a long-range rifle! Come on! Something needs to change and soon. We need to have confidence that everything is being done to review policies and procedures and fix this problem!