I call BS on the Secret Service

Alright, today in the news a security contractor was fired at the CDC…

He was on an elevator with Obama, taking pictures of the President.

The Secret Service detained him.  For taking pictures.

The company fired him pretty much on the spot.

He then turned over his gun and badge and the Secret Service freaked out.

Aright, why call BS on them?

Personal Experience with President Reagan and President Bush.  Personal experience with the Secret Service, White House Staff etc.

I was there.  I’ve seen it.  I know their policies and procedures.  I know what happens before and after a Presidential Visit.

 

Prior to a visit, especially to a different city like Atlanta, a Secret Service Advance team goes in to make contact, work out motorcade routes, helicopter landing sites, and to talk to the people who are being visited.  WH Staff members and White House Communications Agency (at least in my time) sent advance teams as well.  The jobs overlapped, and the three teams worked together.  Occasionally a Military Aide would appear and coordinate things like HMX-1 (the Marine helicopter).

In ALL of that coordination, a determination of who was going to be on site the day of the visit was made and background checks performed.  Any personnel at the site being visited who didn’t pass muster would be asked to not be at work that day.

Now – here’s why I call BS.

WHY was this man DETAINED for taking a picture?

Instead of determining the guy had a felony arrest record (which goes back to the contractor serving the CDC, NOT the secret service) and denying him a job in the first place, he was given a job, given a badge, given a gun and asked to protect the facility.

When he made the mistake of taking a picture of the President, he is detained.  He is checked out. He is fired.  Then and ONLY then does this REASONABLE man say, “Ok, well, if I’m fired, here’s my gun.”

 

WHAT?!?!?!

 

Where were the metal detectors?

Where was the pre-checking needed to protect the President?

Where were the company bosses who allowed this man to have his job in the first place?

Why did the USSS DETAIN a man for TAKING A PICTURE?