On September 19, 2014 there was another incident where the President of the United States was exposed to a breach of security.

It is time to refocus on what U.S. Secret Service is doing right then a few lapses in judgment and execution.  Bar none, they are still considered the “standard bearers” for protective services operations and execution amongst the security and law enforcement community.

Over the last three decades, I have had the privilege and honor of supporting the US Secret Service on numerous occasions in protecting some of our Presidents and served as the Operations Officer for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command’s Group responsible for providing oversight and execution of protective services for senior U.S. Department of Defense leaders to include the Secretary of Defense.

The techniques and procedures of the U.S. Secret Service are the most widely used in protective services operations. Here are the facts:

1.    Because of overlapping security coverage, The President and his family were never in danger. 

In fact, a common protection practice used is the laying “rings” of security or overlapping security coverage to protect a person.  Although an assailant may penetrate one layer of security, there are others layers he/she must penetrate to be considered a serious threat to the President and/or his family.

At times, the news media has a habit of exaggerating Presidential breaches of security to the point of convincing people that there are some major problems within the U.S. Secret Service.  Not so, we must allow the U.S. Secret Service leadership sufficient time to address and correct deficiencies.

2.     There is no “perfect” security or law enforcement agency and this includes the U.S. Secret Service. 

There are always people who will attempt to breach security measures, but as long as there are procedures in place to mitigate and/or eliminate a security breach, then the U.S. Secret Service agency is doing what they are supposed to do.  In every security breach, the assailant was caught before becoming a serious threat.  The challenge for the U.S. Secret Service is the difficult task of explaining to people who truly do not understand protective services operations that appropriate and proactive protection measures are in place to ensure the safety of the President and/or his family, whether at home or abroad.

3.    The U.S. Secret Service has some of the most dedicated and professional protective services agents. 

The organization is not broken and they are fully capable of continuing to provide first-class and superb protection to the President, Vice President and/or their families.  Again, like any other organization, they can do better.  So, let us allow the U.S. Secret Service leadership to continue to assess their processes and procedures, and take appropriate corrective actions to address identified weaknesses.  They will continue to be the most criticized protective services agency in America when there is any type of security breach and rightfully so.

The U.S. Secret Service will continue to maintain the status as the “standard bearers” for protective services operations because their protection techniques, processes and procedures work.  For more information, please contact BAF Security Solutions.