law enforcement

KN, p. 335 “What Does It Take to Work for the Secret Service?”

If there are no paragraph separations in this article, please double-click on the title and they will appear!   🙂

The Secret Service in the USA is responsible for the protection of certain government officials and their families, as well as the safety of our financial infrastructure. Those two very different areas require a wide range of employees and abilities.

Right now, the Secret Service is looking at community college students and recent graduates for the Uniformed Police section. Signing bonuses may be involved. The Uniformed Police are in charge of guarding Federal Buildings where the protected government officials work and may live. They also have special units including sniper teams, emergency response teams, and K-9 units. Interested? You need:

  • High School Diploma
  • U.S. driver’s license
  • 20 – 37 years old
  • Be a U.S. citizen.
  • Pass a written and physical abilities test
  • Pass a background check (plus drug screening, no criminal record)
  • NO body art. In fact, if you’re interested and have a tattoo somewhere visible, it must be removed before getting accepted.
  • Attend and complete training programs
  • Be proficient and be able to use firearms

If you are more interested in becoming a Special Agent, the additional (or slightly different) qualifiers are needed:

  • 21- 37 years old, unless a Veteran, then the upper limit is 40 years old
  • Pass special vision and hearing tests
  • Qualify for Top Secret clearance
  • Agree in writing to accept assignments anywhere in the world.
  • Top grades obtained in a completed bachelor’s degree

In order to advance in your career as a Special Agent (and receive pay raises) you will have to go back to school. Before those raises or promotions come along, you will be required to have:

  • A year of graduate school
  • At least a year of well-executed investigation, protection, and law enforcement techniques. Initiative is important, as well as being able to accurately analyze evidence and come up with solid leads.
  • The ability to work well with others and take charge in some investigations.

Interested in becoming the head of a department or station? More school, more experience, dedication to the Agency, and improvement in all areas just might get you there.

In order to identify the skills that candidates hold in five different areas, they must take the timed Entrance Exam for Special Agents:

Section 1: Logic-Based Reasoning – read scenarios and the possible conclusions, then decide if those conclusions are valid.

Section 2: Experience Inventory – read descriptions of a few situations and acknowledge  whether or not they have experienced them.

Section 3: Language Usage – check documents for errors in grammar or fact.

Section 4: Experience Inventory – Given several situations and responses, the candidate must choose the responses their former bosses/teachers attributed to them as likely.

Section 5: Detail Observation – presented with several photographs to study, the candidates later respond to detail questions about the photos and other matters, without having the photos to check.

The APAT is a pre-employment physical fitness test measuring strength and endurance, among other things. It is scored on a point-based system, on a scale from 0 to 8. A minimum total score of 20 points with no zeros is needed to pass and the test is not adjusted for age or gender. These are the numbers! (from the Secret Service site)

Point Value Push-Ups Sit-Ups Illinois Agility

Run

 1.5 Mile Run
0 14 or less 22 or less 23.89 or higher 19:41 or higher
1 15-16 23-28 23.88-22.18 19:40-16:53
2 17-19 29-30 22.17-21.66 16:52-16:09
3 20-22 31-33 21.65-21.13 16:08-15:26
4 23-26 34-36 21.12-20.60 15:25-14:43
5 27-29 37-41 20.59-20.23 14:42-14:12
6 30-37 42-45 20.22-19.44 14:11-13:07
7 38-43 46-49 19.43-18.65 13:06-12:02
8 44 or more 50 or more 18.64 or lower 12:01 or lower

Special Operations Division: The Counter Assault Team  (CAT) operates within the U.S. Secret Service to provide tactical support to the President, certain government officials, certain buildings, and certain National Security Events. This group is a bit like SWAT teams and if that kind of action is what you’re looking for, be prepared to:

  • Undertake 33 weeks of Special Agent Training
  • Be assigned to the Washington Field Office (WFO)
  • Undergo an additional 9 weeks of CAT Selection and Basic Training
  • Accept that it takes anywhere from 12 to 24 months from start to finish to prep for this potentially dangerous job.
  • Have already served in a military or law enforcement position or have been a professional athlete

Candidates for an Administrative, Professional or Technical (APT) position must meet the same requirements as Secret Service agents and uniformed police in the areas of citizenship, body art, age, hearing and vision, background checks, and top secret clearances.

Likewise for The Technical Law Enforcement (TLE) jobs that include:

  • Investigative Protection Officers (IPO):
  • Protective Armored Specialists (PAS):
  • Technical Security Investigators (TSI):

Under that umbrella can be found work in Chemical Biological Countermeasures; Electronics; Explosive Ordnance Disposal; or Technical Surveillance Countermeasures.

If your interest is piqued after taking a look at these brief descriptions of the work and requirements possible within the Secret Service Agency, be aware of yet another possible detractor. Travel away from home for periods of 30 days or longer is not unusual and may in fact, if on protective duty, be hazardous to your health.

Whether in the lab, office, or out in the field, the men and women who are chosen to work for the Secret Service are highly qualified and come from all walks of life.

*Some information (and the Logo) from the Secret Service site.

KN, p. 335 “What Does It Take to Work for the Secret Service?” Read More »

KN, p. 334 “What Does the Secret Service Do?

The United States has a federal agency called the Secret Service, tasked with the job of protecting the sitting President and Vice-President (and their families) along with other government leaders, past Presidents, and major Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates. If there are visiting Heads-of-State, it falls to the Secret Service to provide security for them while in the USA.

Vice-Presidents, their spouses and children, are protected for an additional six months after leaving office, unless the sitting President feels they need additional protection by the Secret Service. Children of former Presidents have a Secret Service detail until they reach the age of 16.

One aspect of the protection part of the job is to provide security for various federal buildings in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., as well as the officials in them. The vice-president’s residence as well as embassies fall into that category.

Now under the umbrella of Homeland Security, the Secret Service was created in 1865 within the Treasury Department to investigate counterfeiting and other financial crimes. Today, the investigations might include work to combat credit card and bank fraud, stop identity theft, and defeat computer fraud.

Cybercrime is a major focus for several federal agencies and with the Secret Service mission mandate of “protecting the integrity of our U.S. currency” and “safeguard America’s financial infrastructure,” agents can specialize in several areas. Some might do deep dives into computer investigations, find and create code in order to further those investigations, while others use that information to interview witnesses in person and gather physical evidence.

Among other activities, Secret Service agents carry firearms, have arrest powers, and can pay rewards for information germane to an investigation. It’s important to note that interfering with a Secret Service investigation can lead to hefty fines and time in jail.

It’s up to Homeland Security to organize protection for national events where government leaders will be present, and generally the Secret Service will be the agency in charge of the planning and execution of those procedures.

Training to become a Secret Service agent starts with eleven weeks at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, where other Law Enforcement Officers also train. They study basic police skills, the law, undergo firearms and defensive training, and learn how to craft clear and concise reports.

When that training is complete, the agents move on to a Secret-Service-only training facility, where they spend four months honing their skills. This is where they will study counterfeit money detection, and investigate the methods used in credit card fraud by ‘bad actors’ in the world. There will be classes in self-preservation and special driving techniques to be used in possible high speed chases or Presidential protection details.

Training never stops. Periodically, experts in any given field applicable to the Secret Service work will conduct intensive instruction, either to update or reinforce what was taught in the past.

Recognized as a source of state-of-the-art forensic assistance for their own cases as well as those of other law enforcement agencies, the Secret Service Forensic Sciences Lab helps with document and fingerprint analysis, targeting cybercrime and financial incidents. Polygraphs, securities fraud, DNA analysis, forensic photography, forensic accounting – all might be areas of interest for the Lab. And it’s not just big business, or the country’s leaders that capture the Secret Service time and energy. They also delve into crimes against missing or exploited children, lending forensic assistance and actual investigative support when needed.

“The Secret Service employs approximately 3,600 special agents, 1,600 Uniformed Division officers, and more than 2,000 other specialized administrative, professional and technical support staff.” *

Special agents protect top U.S. and visiting foreign officials, and investigate financial crimes.

The Uniformed Division officers guard facilities in which the Secret Service protected persons reside or work.

The Technical Law Enforcement group lends support to the special agents as well as the Uniformed Division officers. 

The Civil Service Professionals support the overall protective and investigative missions.

Is there an area that interests you? *

 

*Data and categories from secretservice.gov

Up next: Qualifications needed to become part of the Secret Service.

Stay tuned.

 

KN, p. 334 “What Does the Secret Service Do? Read More »

KN, p. 241 “SWAT Equipment and Strategies”

If there are no paragraph separations in this article, please double-click on the title to create a more readable version.

In “The Swat Team Experience,” I discussed the events that might cause a SWAT team to be called to active duty.

Take a look at some of the equipment/gear they might use during an active crime scene:

#1
#2                                                      #3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ballistic shield on the left is larger and heavier, covering more of the body, and has an armored viewing port. The smaller, lighter weight shield (#2) is preferred by some officers because it allows for an easier reach around it with weaponry. It does cover a smaller part of the body’s core. See #3: Both versions have hand holds on the back and attachments for neck support.

 

The equipment might weigh 50-65 pounds when fully hooked up. Many team members carry

  • Medical kit
  • Ammo Clips
  • Notebook
  • Glock 22
  • Nomex fire retardant gloves
  • Ballistic goggles
  • Ballistic helmet
  • Gas mask

They wear cargo pants because of the fit and all the practical pockets. Some tactical grade cargo pants have extra lining, allowing the officers to carry additional magazines (ammo), and are made of rip stop fabric. They are similar in weight and texture to several camping cargo pants I have from LLBean. They breathe well and allow sweat to wick away, but mine aren’t tough enough to hold ammo.

 

A sniper has to be prepared to observe and report the event as it unfolds, so they choose a spot within 50-75 yards of the scene that is good for watching, as well as shooting in case that has to happen. In order to communicate their intel, they use an encrypted digital signal that can’t be picked up on scanners, but can be heard by other members of the team. SWAT team snipers generally work in pairs, rotating positions every 15-30 minutes. Snipers want to be on the same plane as the target(s). The more off a 90 degree angle they are, the more off a straight line the shot will go after it hits glass, etc. that might be between the shooter and the target.

 

One of the tricky, but essential, parts in gathering information is to find is where in the house or building the target is. The agencies involved identify positions around the house for ease of information sharing, using letters or numbers. i.e.: “I’m at Position A, ten yards out.”

 

                                      C

                                Back of house

B                                                                          D   

                                      A

 

Or, using positions on a clock, an officer might say, “I’m at 12:00, twenty yards out.”

 

A SWAT team is not the bomb squad, although they are able to call upon a bomb expert if needed. In general, no robots are sent in to surveil the area, because the bad guy could pick the robot up and put it in a closet.

 

The scary part of breaching a building is not knowing what’s on the other side of the door. The teams get very quiet before entrance, but the ride after the mission can be very loud as they burn off the high intensity of the operation. The job does take a toll.

 

What is used to force out the bad guys?

Flash-bangs (stun grenades) are one tool, called that because of the blinding flash and ear-splitting bang meant to only temporarily blind and deafen, therefore disorienting the target. The goal is not to kill the suspects, just to flush them out into the open. Teams try not to use this in domestic situations because of the potential collateral damage.

 

Gas grenades: The s-6 multi-launcher gas rounds can cause pain in the face and eyes. FYI, the gas gets into the clothes of everyone in close proximity and lasts for more than 24 hours, even in the wash.

 

Remington Ball Camera:  This can be tossed into the house, where it will land and take photos in a 360 degree arc. It also records sound.

 

 

 

In order to show you the relative size, an Academy participant held it upright while I took the photo.

 

The sniper rifle is very loud (308 caliber) and if shot inside a house might cause permanent loss of hearing to those in the room, so handguns or other firearms are used, if needed at all.

 

Armored vehicles:  the teams wait in them while part of the team is working. Not all towns have them at a price tag of from $180K to $630K. Why the hefty cost? At the high end, the armored vehicles can withstand ammo assault from below and to the engine, are bulletproof through continued attack, and have the option of roof mounted gun turrets. The opening scene in Jamie Freveletti’s novel, “Blood Run,” gives a realistic portrayal of a substantially armored vehicle under attack.

This armored vehicle is used by the Neenah, Wisconsin Police Department.

 

Curious about salaries for doing this dangerous and challenging job?

In 2025:

Nationwide average in the USA:   $73,000

New York: $79,937
Wichita Falls, TX average:  $64,000
North Carolina average:  $56,538

 

Thanks go to the Neenah Police Department members who shared their information and experiences at a Writers’ Police Academy held in Wisconsin.

 

Many thanks to Lee Lofland for organizing this outstanding annual event.

 

Additional information from:

https://policeandsecuritynews.com

http://www.wichitafallstx.gov/154/Special-Operations-Section


Photo credits:
All except armored truck: Patti Phillips.
Armored truck: Neenah, Wisconsin Police Department

 

KN, p. 241 “SWAT Equipment and Strategies” Read More »