What Other Newspapers Are Saying: How to Fix the Secret Service | News, Sports, Vacancies

A report released about two weeks ago about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump this summer in Butler, Pennsylvania, made alarming conclusions about Secret Service shortcomings. In the absence “fundamental reform” it says “Another Butler can and will happen again.” Will this sobering assessment help bring about real change, and fast?

The 52-page report was written by a bipartisan commission appointed within the Department of Homeland Security. The investigation into Butler’s shooting included 58 interviews and 7,000 documents. It goes into detail about failures on the ground. The roof from which the gunman fired was considered part of the building. “outer perimeter” traditionally staffed by state and local police rather than the Secret Service.

Communication between these agencies was confusing. About 20 minutes before Mr. Trump took the stage, Secret Service officials learned of “suspicious person” who was using a rangefinder, and the police were trying to find him for questioning. “Trump’s unit leadership – those in close proximity to him and tasked with managing his personal movements – were never informed.” says the panel.

The report also contains broader criticism of Secret Service culture, including “a model of insufficient preparation”; attitude “do more with less” which “inconsistent” with his unmistakable mission; “excessive enthusiasm for distributing personnel into categories (former, candidate, nominee)” instead of individual risk assessments; and lack of audit and “continuous improvement” mechanisms.

The group says the new money will help, “But an influx of funds without an increase will not solve the problem.” It includes recommendations for improving communication and planning, and suggests new executives hired from outside the agency. The report also argues that the Secret Service should relinquish responsibility for investigating financial crimes so that it can “hyper focused” on your most important task.

“There is simply no justification for the need to ‘do more with less’ in relation to protecting national leaders.” says the panel. “Until these responsibilities are fulfilled, no resources (funds or time) should be allocated to other missions that are not centrally related to the protective function.” After Butler, this idea should be taken seriously.

– Wall Street Journal