Omar Bennett
The United States Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency that falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It was formed on July 5, 1865, as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, which was a serious problem at the time. The Secret Service has two critical missions: protecting the nation's leaders and safeguarding the financial and critical infrastructure of the United States. By law, the Secret Service is authorized to protect the president, vice president, president-elect, former presidents, and others. By custom, it also provides protection to the secretary of the treasury and secretary of homeland security, as well as other individuals as directed by the president.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of establishment | 1865 |
| Founding body | Department of the Treasury |
| Current parent department | Department of Homeland Security |
| Year of transfer to current department | 2003 |
| Purpose | Protection of the president, vice president, and others; investigations into crimes against the financial infrastructure of the United States |
| Protection offered to | The president, vice president, president-elect, vice president-elect, their immediate families, former presidents, former vice presidents, former presidents' spouses, former vice presidents' spouses, former presidents' children under 16, those in the presidential line of succession, major presidential and vice-presidential candidates and their spouses, visiting foreign heads of state, and heads of government, the secretary of the treasury, the secretary of homeland security, the White House chief of staff, the national security advisor, and others |
| Number of protectees | 36 |
| Powers | Making arrests without warrants for any offense against the United States committed in their presence, or for any felony under the laws of the United States if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed such a felony; offering and paying rewards for services and information leading to the apprehension of lawbreakers; conducting criminal investigations of, making arrests in, and presenting for prosecutorial consideration, cases relating to electronic fund transfer frauds, credit and debit card frauds, and false identification documents and devices; establishing the National Threat Assessment Center |
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What You'll Learn
- The Secret Service was a branch of the US Treasury Department
- The Secret Service's mission is to protect the president and vice president
- The Secret Service investigates financial crimes
- The Secret Service provides protection to the secretary of the treasury
- The Secret Service was moved to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003
The Secret Service was a branch of the US Treasury Department
The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) was founded in 1865 as a branch of the US Treasury Department. It was established to combat the counterfeiting of US currency, which was a serious problem at the time. Indeed, following the Civil War, it was estimated that one-third to one-half of the currency in circulation was counterfeit.
In addition to its original mandate, the Secret Service's responsibilities were soon broadened to include "detecting persons perpetrating frauds against the government". This led to investigations into a wide range of criminal activities, including the Ku Klux Klan, smugglers, mail robbers, and land frauds.
In 1901, following the assassination of President William McKinley, the Secret Service was tasked with its second primary mission: the protection of the president. Since then, the Secret Service has been responsible for the physical security of the White House Complex, the neighbouring Treasury Department building, the vice president's residence, and the principal private residences of the president, vice president, and former presidents.
Over time, the Secret Service's protective role has expanded further. In 1965, Congress authorized the Secret Service to protect former presidents and their spouses during their lifetime, unless they decline protection. The Secret Service also provides security for major presidential and vice-presidential candidates and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election.
In addition to its protective duties, the Secret Service continues to play a critical role in investigating financial crimes, including counterfeiting, forgery, credit card fraud, telecommunications fraud, computer fraud, and identity fraud.
Effective March 1, 2003, the Secret Service was transferred from the Treasury Department to the newly established Department of Homeland Security. Despite this change, the Secret Service continues to provide protection to the secretary of the treasury and other key individuals as directed by the president.
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The Secret Service's mission is to protect the president and vice president
The United States Secret Service (USSS) is one of the oldest federal investigative law enforcement agencies in the country. It was established in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, which was a serious problem at the time.
In 1901, following the assassination of President William McKinley, the Secret Service was tasked with protecting the president. Today, the Secret Service's mission is two-fold: protection of the president, vice president, and others; and investigations into crimes against the financial infrastructure of the United States.
By law, the Secret Service is authorized to protect the president, vice president, and their immediate families; former presidents, their spouses, and their children under 16; those in the presidential line of succession, including the president-elect and vice president-elect; major presidential and vice-presidential candidates and their spouses; and visiting foreign heads of state and heads of government.
The Secret Service also provides protection to the secretary of the treasury and secretary of homeland security, as well as other people as directed by the president, such as the White House chief of staff and national security advisor.
The Secret Service has primary jurisdiction to investigate threats against those it protects, as well as financial crimes, including counterfeiting of U.S. currency, credit card fraud, identity fraud, and certain other crimes affecting federally insured financial institutions. They are authorized to make arrests without warrants for any offense against the United States committed in their presence or for any felony under U.S. law if they have reasonable grounds to believe the person has committed such a felony.
The Secret Service works closely with other federal, state, and local agencies to maintain a safe environment for the president and other protectees. They also provide physical security for the White House Complex, the neighbouring Treasury Department building, the vice president's residence, the principal private residences of the president, vice president, and former presidents, and all foreign diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C.
The Secret Service is the lead agency in charge of the planning, coordination, and implementation of security operations for events designated as National Special Security Events (NSSE). They utilize advanced security techniques and resources, such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams and communications support from the military, to ensure the safety of the president and vice president.
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The Secret Service investigates financial crimes
The United States Secret Service (USSS) is a federal law enforcement agency that was founded in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department. Its original mandate was to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, which was a serious problem following the Civil War. In addition to investigating financial crimes, the Secret Service also provides protection to U.S. political leaders, their families, and visiting heads of state or government. This includes the president, vice president, president-elect, vice president-elect, former presidents, and their spouses and children under the age of 16.
The Secret Service has a long history of safeguarding America's financial and payment systems from criminal exploitation. As the U.S. financial system has evolved from paper currency to plastic credit cards to digital information, the Secret Service has expanded its investigative responsibilities to address new types of financial crimes. Today, Secret Service agents, professionals, and specialists work in field offices around the world to fight 21st-century financial crimes, many of which are conducted through cyberspace.
The Secret Service has primary jurisdiction to investigate financial crimes, including counterfeiting of U.S. currency, forgery or theft of U.S. Treasury checks, bonds, or other securities, credit card fraud, telecommunications fraud, computer fraud, identity fraud, and certain other crimes affecting federally insured financial institutions. They also investigate crimes that use social engineering and deception to exploit victims for financial gain, such as romance and investment scams, extortion, and online sexual exploitation.
In addition to investigating financial crimes, the Secret Service also plays a critical role in safeguarding the nation's critical infrastructure. This includes protecting the White House Complex, the neighbouring Treasury Department building, the vice president's residence, the principal private residences of the president, vice president, and former presidents, and all foreign diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C. The Secret Service works closely with other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the military, to ensure the safety of the president and other protectees.
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The Secret Service provides protection to the secretary of the treasury
The United States Secret Service (USSS) is a federal law enforcement agency that falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It was originally established in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, which was a serious problem at the time.
In addition to its original mandate, the Secret Service now has two critical national security missions: protecting the nation's leaders and safeguarding the financial and critical infrastructure of the United States. This includes the president, the vice president, the president-elect, the vice president-elect, their immediate families, former presidents, and their spouses and children under the age of 16.
By custom, the Secret Service also provides protection to the Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of Homeland Security, as well as other individuals as directed by the president, such as the White House chief of staff and national security advisor. This protection for the Secretary of the Treasury has been a matter of debate, with some lawmakers arguing that the Secret Service should be moved back to the Treasury Department, where it was housed until 2003.
The Secret Service has a broad range of powers, authorities, and duties, including the ability to make arrests without warrants for offenses against the United States committed in their presence. They also have jurisdiction to investigate threats against protectees and financial crimes, such as counterfeiting, credit card fraud, identity fraud, and crimes against federally insured financial institutions. The Secret Service works closely with other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the military, to ensure the safety of those under their protection.
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The Secret Service was moved to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003
The United States Secret Service (USSS) was established in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department. Its initial mandate was to combat the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, which was a serious problem at the time. In 1901, following the assassination of President William McKinley, the Secret Service was tasked with its second mission: protecting the president.
Over the years, the Secret Service's responsibilities expanded to include investigating frauds against the government, such as the Ku Klux Klan, nonconforming distillers, smugglers, mail robbers, and land frauds. In 1913, Congress authorized permanent protection of the President and statutory authorization for President-elect protection through the Treasury Department Appropriations Act. In 1917, Congress authorized protection for the President's immediate family.
In 2001, the USA Patriot Act mandated the Secret Service to establish a nationwide network of Electronic Crimes Task Forces (ECTFs) to combat crimes involving new technology, organized criminal groups, and those with significant economic or community impact.
On March 1, 2003, the Secret Service was transferred from the Treasury Department to the newly established Department of Homeland Security. This move was a result of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, enacted in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Department of Homeland Security became the third-largest Cabinet department, with over 240,000 employees.
The Secret Service's mission remains two-fold: protection of the president, vice president, and other government officials; and investigations into crimes against the financial infrastructure of the United States, including counterfeiting and cybercrime.
Despite the move to the Department of Homeland Security, the Secret Service still provides physical security for the Treasury Department building and continues to investigate financial crimes. Additionally, by custom, the Secret Service provides protection to the secretary of the treasury and other individuals as directed by the president, such as the White House chief of staff and national security advisor.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, by custom, the Secretary of the Treasury is provided protection by the Secret Service.
No, the Secret Service was established in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department. It was moved to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.
Yes, in 2020, a bill was introduced to facilitate the transfer of the Secret Service back to the Treasury Department.
