History of the Secret Service
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The History of the 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).
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President William McKinley
On July 5, 1865, the Secret Service Division was created in Washington, D.C., to suppress counterfeit currency. Chief William P. Wood was sworn in by Secretary of the Treasury Hugh McCulloch. In 1867, the Secret Service responsibilities were broadened to include "detecting persons perpetrating frauds against the government." This addition 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. After the assiassination of President William McKinley, in 1901, Congress asked the Secret Service to begin protecting the President and his family.
President William McKinley
In 1906, Congress passed Sundry Civil Expenses Act for 1907 that provided funds for Presidential protection by the Secret Service. Secret Service operatives began to investigate the western land frauds. The Service's investigations returned millions of acres of land to the government. Operative Joseph A. Walker was murdered while working on one of these cases. He was the first operative killed in the line of duty.

His territory included Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. On November 3, 1906, Walker was investigating a case of land fraud with another Secret Service agent and two Interior Department engineers. While the other three men were down inside a mine shaft, Walker was shot in the back with a rifle. Two suspects were arrested and tried for the murder, but were found not guilty by a jury that feared reprisals.

The Secret Service of today 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. The name "Secret Service" is believed to have come from the fact that they are not allowed to reveal who they are when asked.

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 police officers, police work uniforms for investigative officers, and work clothes and identification vests for members of the countersniper team.

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 official residence of the Vice President at the US Naval Observatory 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 as well as their spouses during election years.

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    Secret Service Agents Protecting The President
    Secret Service agents protecting the President