NCJ Number
77624
Date Published
1980
Length
69 pages
Annotation
Officials from the U.S. Secret Service testified to a House of Representatives committee regarding budget requests for fiscal year 1981, with particular emphasis on protection services for candidates for offices and foreign dignitaries.
Abstract
Opening remarks from the Department of the Treasury's Assistant Secretary, for Enforcement and Operations noted that the 1981 budget decreases occurred largely because the Candidate/Nominee program was fully funded in 1980 and only operated for part of fiscal 1981. He also commented that Secret Service costs will probably rise in the future because of increasing visits made by foreign heads of state to the United States and the tendency for both permanent protectees and foreign visitors to travel extensively. The Director of the Secret Service then provided more detailed information on the agency's activities, beginning with protection given to candidates, foreign dignitaries, the President, and former Presidents. Security coverage by a uniformed division for Presidential residences and foreign missions was also discussed. Investigations into counterfeiting, forgery of Government checks, bond forgery, and organized crime were described, along with the agency's minority employment program and requests for records under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts. The Director answered questions from committee members on traveling expenses, the Beltsville, Maryland training facility, terrorism, and counterfeiting trends. Questions submitted for the record by a committee member and answered by the Director are appended. Topics considered include costs of protecting foreign dignitaries, criteria for determining which candidates receive protection, the role of Colombia, South America in counterfeiting, and minority recruitment programs. Charts and financial statements which detail the Secret Service's operating expenses are provided.