# Is the Secret Service really that good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 13, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716 "2015-08-13T02:10:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/21 "2015-08-13T20:44:42Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Figures the local cops would respect an agency that keeps people in pain from being able to get medication. Los of respect to those who intimidate doctors who try to help their patients. That’s not only offensive, but also legally inaccurate. DEA is a Drug ENFORCEMENT Administration. As an executive entity, it has no real agenda other than to enforce the laws passed by your elected representatives. Is there some over zealousness? Yes - just like in all professions. In my years of working with that agency, I never met anyone with a hard-on for marijuana arrests (in fact, we usually made fun of marijuana arrests). Also, despite the bed that states are slowly jumping into, marijuana’s medicinal properties are already available via drugs like Marinol - a TCH extract. Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually get you (quite as) high. Which is the real reason people are arguing for decriminalization/legalization of marijuana. People want to get stoned. Frankly, I’ve got no beef with weed. But lets not pretend that we have an entire Federal agency hell-bent on solving the “Marijuana Madness” problem; that doesn’t exist. Every law enforcement agency I’ve every worked with was concerned primarily with violence, money laundering, and/or civil rights. ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/22 "2015-08-13T20:46:25Z")
Here’s the one incident that made me seriously question the competence of the Secret Service. The President is sitting in an elementary school classroom, for an event which was scheduled days/weeks in advance. This event is public knowledge. Two planes fly into The World Trade Center. The President is informed that the country is “under attack”. It seems to me that any SS agent with half a brain would grab the President by the elbow and say “Sir, we need to get you to a safe location” and don’t take no for an answer. But instead, the President sits quietly in his chair for seven minutes while the Secret Service just lets him do it. We now know that there were four hijacked planes and the four targets were 1WTC, 2WTC, The Pentagon, and The White House. We know that there wasn’t a fifth plane headed for that elementary school where the President was sitting. But, at the time, they didn’t know that. A competent Secret Service would have considered the possibility and acted on it. That’s my $.02 anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/23 "2015-08-13T21:01:21Z")
The Secret Service employs approx. 3,200 special agents. In an organization that big, it’s not surprising that there are some bad apples. I have a friend that is a special agent. He was on W’s and O’s protective details, but transferred to a field office about 3 years ago to have a more reasonable work/life balance (family with 3 kids). He is very professional. Before he joined the Secret Service he was with the ICE/Border patrol. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/24 "2015-08-14T00:39:14Z")
> [@GiantRat](#): > > That’s not only offensive, but also legally inaccurate. DEA is a Drug ENFORCEMENT Administration. As an executive entity, it has no real agenda other than to enforce the laws passed by your elected representatives. Is there some over zealousness? Yes - just like in all professions. In my years of working with that agency, I never met anyone with a hard-on for marijuana arrests (in fact, we usually made fun of marijuana arrests). > > Also, despite the bed that states are slowly jumping into, marijuana’s medicinal properties are already available via drugs like Marinol - a TCH extract. Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually get you (quite as) high. Which is the real reason people are arguing for decriminalization/legalization of marijuana. People want to get stoned. > > Frankly, I’ve got no beef with weed. But lets not pretend that we have an entire Federal agency hell-bent on solving the “Marijuana Madness” problem; that doesn’t exist. Every law enforcement agency I’ve every worked with was concerned primarily with violence, money laundering, and/or civil rights. This thread really isn’t the place for a drawn out discussion on this, but I want referring to weed. I was referring to legal narcotic pain medication and the interference of the DEA in regards to doctors and pharmacies. Here in Florida there is a Senator calling for an investigation of this. As for me, I’ma pain patient who recently had had my medication cut off after six years at the same D doctor. The reason being is the DEA is investigating doctors in our county and he’s scared to write, leisure or not. I’ve been to pharmacies that refuse to fill, stating DEA interference. In sorry if this runs counter to your beliefs, but when a Senator is overwhelmed , her words, not mine, with people begging for help because they cannot get access to pain medication there is a BIG problem. I’ve no problem with the DEA enforcing the laws when dealing with illegal drugs. But surely they have better things to do than keep pain patients from getting treatment. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/25 "2015-08-14T00:42:43Z")
I apologize for the spelling mistakes. My phone will not let me edit. To correct above, I meant I WASN’T referring to marijuana. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/26 "2015-08-14T00:55:44Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > I read some episode about the SS guarding Cheney. Some random douchebag here at work started trying to tell me something as I started reading this post so I was distracted and forgot what the topic was so I totally thought this implied Nazi SS guarding Cheney…and I still found it a totally feasible situation! FWIW, I have no idea what work douchebag was trying to tell me. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/27 "2015-08-14T03:26:35Z")
> [@sbunny8](#): > > Here’s the one incident that made me seriously question the competence of the Secret Service. > > The President is sitting in an elementary school classroom, for an event which was scheduled days/weeks in advance. This event is public knowledge. Two planes fly into The World Trade Center. The President is informed that the country is “under attack”. It seems to me that any SS agent with half a brain would grab the President by the elbow and say “Sir, we need to get you to a safe location” and don’t take no for an answer. But instead, the President sits quietly in his chair for seven minutes while the Secret Service just lets him do it. > > We now know that there were four hijacked planes and the four targets were 1WTC, 2WTC, The Pentagon, and The White House. We know that there wasn’t a fifth plane headed for that elementary school where the President was sitting. But, at the time, they didn’t know that. A competent Secret Service would have considered the possibility and acted on it. > > That’s my $.02 anyway. Yet a short time later Bush wasn’t heading to New York in Air Force One because he said the Secret Service wouldn’t let him. Even though he was their boss. Even though he was the commanding officer of the pilot. So maybe they’re limited by the guy they have to protect. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/28 "2015-08-14T05:03:25Z")
I dunno, I think both things can be true. I can certainly fault the SS for not acting when Bush was in the classroom. And I fault Bush himself for not acting. But let’s just say it’s not the finest moment for either. Later the SS said he couldn’t go back to Washington and he listened; until he decided to overrule them and go back anyway. Cheney’s guy, on the other hand, by Cheney’s own story, grabbed him by the belt and frogmarched him down to the bunker. The VP isn’t the president. But Cheney’s guy showed more presnce of mind IMO. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/29 "2015-08-14T18:52:51Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > grabbed him by the belt and frogmarched him down to the bunker…Cheney’s guy showed more presence of mind Cheney’s SS guy didn’t have to think, or show any real initiative. When there is a threat to the White House , taking Cheney down to the bunker is standard operating procedure (After all, that’s why there is a bunker in the White House.) It is (I assume) a routine spelled out in the training manual, which the SS guy has practiced: the guy who frogmarched him down there knew the route, and had the key(or whatever) to open the door of the bunker. But I do agree that the President and his staff who were reading My Pet Goat should have had the presence of mind to react faster than they did. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/30 "2015-08-14T19:20:24Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > This thread really isn’t the place for a drawn out discussion on this, but I want referring to weed. I was referring to legal narcotic pain medication and the interference of the DEA in regards to doctors and pharmacies. Here in Florida there is a Senator calling for an investigation of this. As for me, I’ma pain patient who recently had had my medication cut off after six years at the same D > doctor. The reason being is the DEA is investigating doctors in our county and he’s scared to write, leisure or not. I’ve been to pharmacies that refuse to fill, stating DEA interference. > > In sorry if this runs counter to your beliefs, but when a Senator is overwhelmed , her words, not mine, with people begging for help because they cannot get access to pain medication there is a BIG problem. I’ve no problem with the DEA enforcing the laws when dealing with illegal drugs. But surely they have better things to do than keep pain patients from getting treatment. That’s fine. I think it’s a mis-understanding - DEA is a Drug ENFORCEMENT Administration. They don’t write laws, they enforce them - hence them being under the DoJ, which is part of the executive branch. Any drug law pushed their way has to be ENFORCED under executive guidelines. DEA has minimal impact on legislative action (other than temporary injunctions against drugs/chemicals/compounds that put American lives at risk). It follows DoJ/Presidential orders. In other words, “enforcement.” ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/31 "2015-08-14T19:56:24Z")
> [@GiantRat](#): > > That’s fine. I think it’s a mis-understanding - DEA is a Drug ENFORCEMENT Administration. They don’t write laws, they enforce them - hence them being under the DoJ, which is part of the executive branch. Any drug law pushed their way has to be ENFORCED under executive guidelines. DEA has minimal impact on legislative action (other than temporary injunctions against drugs/chemicals/compounds that put American lives at risk). It follows DoJ/Presidential orders. > > In other words, “enforcement.” I’ll agree they don’t don’t the laws, but when your form of enforcement scares doctors and pharmacist from writing and filing legitimate prescriptions because they are terrified of being wrongly targeted I’d say you’re doing it wrong. When legitimate pain suffers are forced to suffer in agony because of over zealous enforcement, the DEA might want to rethink their policies. ---
**Author:** ![Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Last\_Glacial\_Maximum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Last_Glacial_Maximum)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/32 "2015-08-14T22:35:19Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > The Secret Service employs approx. 3,200 special agents. In an organization that big, it’s not surprising that there are some bad apples. > > I have a friend that is a special agent. He was on W’s and O’s protective details, but transferred to a field office about 3 years ago to have a more reasonable work/life balance (family with 3 kids). He is very professional. Before he joined the Secret Service he was with the ICE/Border patrol. I worked with a guy for a few years, and then he transferred to the SS. I think it was a perfect fit for him, as he was both very capable AND exercised good judgement. I’m glad he is part of the SS . . ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/33 "2015-08-15T00:27:07Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I can’t tell you how good they are because it’s a secret. I can tell you how good they are because I’ve worked with them, and that’s no secret. Tripler VIPPSA support to the 2012 DemCon–Charlotte, NC. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/34 "2015-08-15T06:43:14Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > But I do agree that the President and his staff who were reading My Pet Goat should have had the presence of mind to react faster than they did. The school is an environment they have secured. The open road is not. It was well worth their time to make sure there weren’t any immediate threats before heading out into the chaos. I don’t fault them for standing by. They needed a few minutes to make sure the path was clear. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/35 "2015-08-15T15:54:13Z")
I think you have to keep this in mind about the U.S. Secret Service: When they screw up, it makes the news, but when they do something right, you don’t hear about it. At least, the Executive Protection part. Breaking up a counterfeiting operation might make the local news. I have a cousin who’s a Special Agent of the FBI. He told me he spent half of 9/11 on a rooftop in Wash, D.C. with a Redeye SAM at arm’s reach. Then he spent the rest of that day and the next couple of days at a secure undisclosed location as part of Cheney’s entourage. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/36 "2015-08-16T14:25:11Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > I can tell you how good they are because I’ve worked with them, and that’s no secret. > > Tripler > VIPPSA support to the 2012 DemCon–Charlotte, NC. Hearing such things from a fellow professional is the best kind of compliment. I am glad I learned something good today. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/37 "2015-08-16T15:55:45Z")
_Which is the Secretest Service? the one that makes the other Service nervous? Fuckin’-A man! CIA man!_ - The Fugs ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/38 "2015-08-16T16:23:40Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > If you want to know about federal law enforcement, ask someone in local law enforcement. The DEA they respect. The FBI-the only part that impresses local police I have talked to is the huge budget the FBI has for informants. Other than their ability buy information, they get very little respect. Of course, it may be sour grapes or envy. One can never be sure. But I have heard this from multiple people in law enforcement. I have not heard anything about the SS one way or the other from local cops. OTH, one of the FBI’s express purposes is to investigate state law enforcement corruption, that cannot have people too pleased to see them. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/39 "2015-08-17T07:56:51Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > OTH, one of the FBI’s express purposes is to investigate state law enforcement corruption, that cannot have people too pleased to see them. True, but local police interact frequently with federal law enforcement. So they see relatively routine operations far more frequently than corruption investigations. So most opinions would be based on simple observation, not concern about the FBI digging into the police force. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716/40 "2015-08-17T10:52:12Z")
IMHO - the secret service does a pretty good job. IMHO - they are much more professional than the FBI. Just cause they get caught banging hookers in a foreign country and have some issues with alcohol and dead presidents - doesn’t mean they don’t know what they are doing. Much of what is done is clouded in urban legends and blown out of proportion. Here’s an interesting case involving the perhaps less known half of their duties - stopping counterfeiting: > **[North Korea's Counterfeiters](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2009/09/office-39-200909)** > > Office 39, North Korea’s billion-dollar crime syndicate, pays for Kim Jong Il’s missiles and cognac. Why did the Bush White House choose not to shut it down? Even when dealing with “supernotes” - you again have stuff that is mysterious and perhaps a bit of propaganda thrown in. Various countries have been blamed for these at various times and the Swiss government apparently has raised eyebrows at some of the allegations made by the US on some of the matters. Other than the FBIs record on stopping kidnap pings - there are very few other serious crimes that are caught as well as the Secret Service does with counterfeiting US currency. The fact that that being US president is one of the most lethal jobs in the world, but isn’t perceived as such - I’m not sure what to attribute that to. In the last 52 years they’ve had a pretty good track record. Sure Reagan got shot, and I’m sure there are things that could have been done different, but they seemed to do pretty much exactly what they were supposed to when the shots were fired likely saving his life (although perhaps accidentally getting things worse by the nature of the protection). The fact that they can keep him safe even when overseas (one close miss in Georgia if memory serves) is also pretty amazing. They are pretty much the only agency I know of that investigates EVERY crime that falls under their jurisdiction (well the threatening the president and counterfeiting thing). Not sure about the electronic crimes stuff they also deal with. I found the book: Confessions of an Ex-Secret Service Agent To be highly informative and entertaining. Included are anecdotes about investigating someone for counterfeiting a few quarters and the time Nixon (as ex president) wanted to go to the post office himself and mailed himself a package and the clerk (who was told by her boss “no, he doesn’t have to pay postage” (franking privilege) and the clerk asked why not and the supervisor said “cause he used to be president of the United States” and the clerk said “I don’t care who he was - the scale says $5.22”) FWIW - Nixon wasn’t trying to get out of paying the $5 (or whatever it was) - the supervisor was the one who noted this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-secret-service-really-that-good/727716.md?page=1)