NCIS-NavalCriminalInvestigativeServices

United States Secret Service

The United States Secret Service is mandated by statute and executive order to carry out two significant missions: protection and criminal investigations. The Secret Service protects the President and Vice President, their families, heads of state, and other designated individuals; investigates threats against these protectees; protects the White House, Vice President’s Residence, Foreign Missions, and other buildings within Washington, D.C.; and plans and implements security designs for designated National Special Security Events. The Secret Service also investigates violations of laws relating to counterfeiting of obligations and securities of the United States; financial crimes that include, but are not limited to, access device fraud, financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud; and computer-based attacks on our nation’s financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure.

The Secret Service Division began on July 5, 1865 in Washington, D.C., to suppress counterfeit currency. Chief William P. Wood was sworn in by Secretary of the Treasury Hugh McCulloch. Secret Service responsibilities were broadened to include "detecting persons perpetrating frauds against the government." This appropriation resulted in investigations into the Ku Klux Klan, non-conforming distillers, smugglers, mail robbers, land frauds, and a number of other infractions against the federal laws. Secret Service headquarters relocated to New York City. Then Secret Service headquarters returned to Washington, D.C. Secret Service began protecting the President-elect. Also, President Roosevelt transferred eight Secret Service agents to the Department of Justice. They formed the nucleus of what is now the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Presidential Threat Protection Act (Public Law 106-544) is passed, which in part, authorizes the Secret Service to participate in the planning, coordination, and implementation of security operations at special events of national significance ("National Special Security Event"), as determined by the President. The Patriot Act (Public Law 107-56) increases the Secret Service's role in investigating fraud and related activity in connections with computers. In addition it authorizes the Director of the Secret Service to establish nationwide electronic crimes taskforces to assist the law enforcement, private sector and academia in detecting and suppressing computer-based crime; increases the statutory penalties for the manufacturing, possession, dealing and passing of counterfeit U.S. or foreign obligations; and allows enforcement action to be taken to protect our financial payment systems while combating transnational financial crimes directed by terrorists or other criminals. The Department of Homeland Security is established with the passage of (Public Law 107-296) which in part, transfers the United States Secret Service from the Department of the Treasury, to the new department effective March 1, 2003.

The Investigative Mission

At the close of the Civil War, between one-third and one-half of all U.S. paper currency in circulation was counterfeit. On July 5, 1865, the Secret Service was created as a bureau under the Department of the Treasury to combat this threat to the nation's economy. In less than a decade, counterfeiting was sharply reduced.

During its early years, the Secret Service investigated many cases unrelated to counterfeiting. These cases included the Teapot Dome oil scandals, the Ku Klux Klan, Government land frauds, and counterespionage activity during the Spanish-American War and World War I. As other federal law enforcement agencies were created, the investigative jurisdiction of the Secret Service became limited to Treasury-related crimes.


The Protective Mission

In 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated in Buffalo, New York. He was the third President killed in 36 years, and the public demanded protection for U.S. Presidents. As a result, Congress directed the Secret Service to protect the new President, Theodore Roosevelt. In 1906, Congress enacted legislation making presidential protection a permanent Secret Service responsibility.

Protective responsibilities expanded greatly since that time, and the Secret Service completed a number of temporary protective duties. These assignments included providing security for the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Gutenberg Bible, and other valuable documents during World War II; providing protection for a number of foreign leaders who visited the U.S. during World War II; and providing protection for Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" while on exhibit in the United States.

The Secret Service continues to suppress the counterfeiting of currency and securities of the United States and of foreign governments. The Service is also responsible for investigating the fraud and forgery of U.S. checks, bonds, and other obligations. In 1982, Congress passed legislation expanding Secret Service investigative jurisdiction to include fraud related to false identification documents and devices. In 1984, Congress passed additional legislation expanding Secret Service investigative jurisdiction further to include fraud and related activities involving credit and debit cards; investigative authority relating to computer fraud; and, at the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, authorization to investigate fraud associated with the electronic funds transfer system of the U.S. Treasury. In 1990, Congress further expanded the Service's jurisdiction regarding criminal violations against federally insured financial institutions to include savings and loan investigations.


Secret Service protective responsibilities have increased dramatically since the days of President Theodore Roosevelt. Today the Service protects:

• the President, the Vice President (or other official next in order of succession to the Office of President), the President-elect and Vice President-elect;
• the immediate families of the above individuals;
• former Presidents* and their spouses, except when the spouse remarries;
• children of former Presidents until age 16;
• visiting heads of foreign states or governments and their spouses traveling with them, other distinguished foreign visitors to the U.S., and official representatives of the U.S. performing special missions abroad;
• major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, and, within 120 days of the general Presidential election, the spouses of such candidates;
• other individuals at the direction of the President.

*In 1997, Congressional legislation become effective limiting Secret Service protection for former presidents to a period not more that 10 years from the date the President left office.

The Secret Service Uniformed Division

The first formal attempt to provide security at the White House occurred during the Civil War. The "Bucktail Brigade" (members of the 150th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Volunteers) and four officers from the Metropolitan Washington Police Force were assigned to protect White House property. On October 1, 1922, President Warren G. Harding created the White House Police under the supervision of the White House Military Aide's Office.

President Hoover decided that White House Police officers and Secret Service agents at the White House could better coordinate their efforts if they were under centralized control. In 1930, Congress placed the White House Police under the supervision of the U.S. Secret Service.

White House Police responsibilities increased significantly in 1970, to include security for foreign diplomatic missions in the Washington, D.C. area. At the same time, the force was renamed the Executive Protective Service. In 1977, the name was changed again to the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division.

Today, Uniformed Division officers provide security at the White House, the Vice President's residence, buildings in which Presidential offices are located, the U.S. Treasury Building and the Treasury Annex, foreign diplomatic missions in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and foreign diplomatic establishments in other parts of the United States as the President may direct.

Uniformed Division officers carry out their protective responsibilities through a network of foot patrols, vehicular patrols, and fixed posts. They provide additional assistance to the overall Secret Service protective mission through special support programs such as the canine, magnetometer, and countersniper units.

The Secret Service relies heavily on the support of outside organizations and individuals. Federal, state, county, and local law enforcement organizations are valued partners of the Secret Service in every phase of its investigative and protective operations.

Citizens also assist the Secret Service in various ways by: learning about counterfeiting and fraud; taking steps to protect themselves from these crimes; and by reporting any suspicious occurrences to their local police or Secret Service office. The support of all Americans helps the Secret Service succeed in its dual investigative and protective missions.

Here is the badge Kate wore aboard Air Force One: This is the badge of the United States Secret Service Special Agent Division.

The Star badge; has 5 meanings in relation to Protection Detail.

The top point is Duty

The middle-left point is Loyalty

The bottom-left point is Honesty

The bottom-right point is Courage

The middle-right point is Justice