Secret Service in Crisis Following Breaches

Secret Service in Crisis Following Breaches

A congressional committee released a report in December detailing several previously undisclosed lapses in security by the United States Secret Service, finding the agency "in crisis" after a year-long investigation.

During the past 10 years, the bipartisan report from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee found, there have been 143 security breaches and attempted security breaches at secured facilities.

The Secret Service has been under intense scrutiny following the 2012 prostitution scandal in Cartagena, Colombia, that was made public. But that was only the first of several high-profile mishaps the organization has faced. Breaches at the White House have led officials to believe the president is in jeopardy.

One of the major problems with the Secret Service, according the report, is staffing levels are down and moral is "critically low" within the agency. Several new revelations were revealed in the report, including emails between two agents in April 2012 with colorful language depicting "the brazen attitude of those engaged in misconduct" surrounding the Colombia trip.  

The report also exposed how a man posed as a congressman at an awards dinner and ended up having a conversation with President Obama. The report went on to talk about how a woman walked backstage without being properly screened at a gala dinner where Obama was a guest.

Those on the reporting committee are concerned with how the Secret Service will move forward from these public downfalls. They suggested restoring staffing to required levels and conducting an inter-agency review to see what non-essential missions the agency might be able to shed.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.