US Secret Service

[PatAllballz]

I've seen "In the Line of Fire" a billion times and I've even watched "24," but can somebody point me in the direction of some solid research material on the Secret Service... in particular lingo, chain of command, advance team speak and what not.
Thanks a lot!

[Fortean]

For obvious reasons, the U.S. Secret Service does not make its methods and means for protective services publicly known. As recently as the September 11th attacks, the activities and whereabouts of President Bush were kept secret, (as Air Force One flew him to a number of secure locations before his return to Washington); and, the Secret Service said that it had received a terrorist threat directed at Air Force One, only to later disclaim this alleged threat.

You'll find some general information and a bit of history at the Secret Service web-site, at:

www.treas.gov/usss/protection.shtml (http://www.treas.gov/usss/protection.shtml)

During the Nixon presidency, (when the White House Police wore some rather silly uniforms), I happened to visit the North Entrance of the White House. There was a large mirror on one wall, but someone had left the window in the adjacent room open to the light. As a result, the one-way mirror let me have a good look at the Secret Service agents working in that hidden room, watching people thru the mirror and on television monitors. However, I was much more interested to meet a butler, who had served at the White House thru several presidencies. Security measures at the White House increased considerably during the Nixon years.

In contrast, Canada's prime minister was defended from a prowler by his wife's locking the bedroom door and his grabbing an Inuit sculpture, ready to clobber the potential attacker, minutes before the Mounties caught Andre Dallaire, who had climbed over the fence and broke into 24 Sussex Drive, (the prime minister's official residence). I don't think the sculpture used by Jean Chretien was ever identified by the Prime Minister's Protection Detail of the RCMP.

[Kenn Hoekstra]

You can also check here:
www.secretservice.gov/index.shtml (http://www.secretservice.gov/index.shtml)

Some decent info... The nice thing is, you probably know as much about the secret service as anyone. I found "In The Line of Fire" to be perfectly believable. I'm sure everyone did...except any secret service agent who watched it. ;)

--Kenn