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Panel calls for deep changes at the Secret Service Panel calls for deep changes at the Secret Service
(35 minutes later)
An independent panel is recommending deep changes at the Secret Service, including heightened security around the White House, calling the elite protective agency “an organization starved for leadership.’’An independent panel is recommending deep changes at the Secret Service, including heightened security around the White House, calling the elite protective agency “an organization starved for leadership.’’
The panel, named in October by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson after a series of highly publicized security failures, recommends that the fence around the White House be immediately upgraded. It was reacting to a Sept. 19 incident in which a man scaled the White House fence and ran far into the executive mansion through an unlocked front door.The panel, named in October by Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson after a series of highly publicized security failures, recommends that the fence around the White House be immediately upgraded. It was reacting to a Sept. 19 incident in which a man scaled the White House fence and ran far into the executive mansion through an unlocked front door.
In what would be a series of major changes, the panel also recommended that a new Secret Service director come from outside the agency, training of agents be improved and the service be allowed to hire more agents. The panel also recommended that a new Secret Service director come from outside the agency, training of agents be improved and the service be allowed to hire an additional 85 agents and 200 Uniformed Division officers.
“The problems exposed by recent events go deeper than a new fence can fix,’’ said the report’s executive summary. “We believe that at this time in the agency’s history, the need for Service experience is outweighed by what the Service needs today: dynamic leadership that can move the Service forward into a new era and drive change in the organization.’’“The problems exposed by recent events go deeper than a new fence can fix,’’ said the report’s executive summary. “We believe that at this time in the agency’s history, the need for Service experience is outweighed by what the Service needs today: dynamic leadership that can move the Service forward into a new era and drive change in the organization.’’
The report comes after the fence-jumping incident and a cascade of other revelations, including reporting by The Post that detailed the agency’s fumbling response to a November 2011 incident in which a man fired a semiautomatic rifle at the White House residence while Sasha Obama was home. The revelations led to the resignation of Julia Pierson as Secret Service director . The report comes after a cascade of revelations, including reports by The Post that detailed the agency’s fumbling response to a November 2011 incident in which a man fired a semiautomatic rifle at the White House residence while Sasha Obama was home. The revelations led to the resignation of Julia Pierson as Secret Service director and a re-examination of an agency that had long been highly regarded — and immortalized in Hollywood films.
In a statement, Johnson called the report “astute, thorough and fair . . . The Secret Service itself must commit to change.’’ He vowed that Homeland Security, of which the Secret Service is a part, would actively monitor the reforms to “ensure that the Secret Service has and utilizes what it needs to get the job done.’’In a statement, Johnson called the report “astute, thorough and fair . . . The Secret Service itself must commit to change.’’ He vowed that Homeland Security, of which the Secret Service is a part, would actively monitor the reforms to “ensure that the Secret Service has and utilizes what it needs to get the job done.’’
The panel was composed of two former Obama administration officials and two who served under President George W. Bush. Its full report was not released, and many of its recommendations were not included in the executive summary because officials said they were too sensitive. Republicans said the report did not go far enough in addressing wide-ranging cultural flaws inside the agency. “While this review is a good start, the (Secret Service) faces significant challenges on how to best prioritize reforms in these tight budgetary times,’’ said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He called for Congress to create a panel “to conduct a truly independent, bipartisan, top-to-bottom review.’’
The panel was composed of two former Obama administration officials -- former associate attorney general Tom Perrelli and Cabinet secretary Danielle Gray — and two who served under President George W. Bush — Mark Filip, a former deputy attorney general, and Joseph Hagin, a former deputy chief of staff for operations. None of the panelists has served in the Secret Service.
The panel’s full report was not released, and many of its recommendations were not included in the executive summary because officials said they were too sensitive.
In the executive summary, the panel noted that some of its physical security recommendations dated all the way back to suggestions made by the Warren Commission that investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, along with more recent reviews of the service. The panel said it was not discussing the details of those recommendations to avoid sharing security vulnerabilities.
A culture change inside the service is necessary, the panel found, saying that “some will resist and will need to move on.’’