The US Secret Service is struggling with a significant loss of its experienced agents, leaving the remaining workforce overworked, underpaid, poorly trained, and lacking access to state-of-the-art technology. These issues were brought to light following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in 2024, as reported by the New York Times.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned after the near-fatal incident in Butler, Pennsylvania. The attempted assassination exposed major flaws within the agency, including its lack of advanced technology and communication failures. For instance, the shooter utilized a drone to scout the event venue while the protective detail was not equipped with one and their radios were faulty.
The most pressing issue, however, has been the departure of highly-trained personnel. According to current and former agency employees, at least 1,400 out of 7,800 Secret Service workers left during fiscal years 2022 and 2023 – the largest loss in two decades. While the agency has expanded its workforce to a record 8,100 by summer 2024, this number still falls short of the required staff levels.
Concerns have been raised about the fitness of new recruits and the challenges associated with training them at adequate facilities. The primary training site is reportedly in poor condition, often flooding during heavy rains. As a result, the agency has had to resort to using a scale model of the White House built in Atlanta by filmmaker Tyler Perry since Congress declined to approve funds for building their own facility.
The main reason cited by most veterans for leaving the Secret Service was an excessive amount of overtime work, sometimes without compensation due to federal salary caps. A survey conducted by a federal police association found that 68 out of 153 agents who responded had reached their maximum allowable overtime last year, resulting in lost earnings of up to $30,000. Former agent Jonathan Wackrow described the management’s approach to workforce management as “You ride your horse until it dies, and then you eat it.
Louis Fitzig, another former agent, claimed that nepotism, favoritism, and corruption are ingrained in the agency’s culture. The Secret Service’s efforts to address the attrition by rehiring recently retired agents backfired as many took early retirement to receive both a pension and a salary without having to serve in the field where they were most needed.
As the US Secret Service continues to grapple with its workforce challenges, it is crucial for policymakers to address these issues to ensure that the agency can effectively fulfill its critical mission of protecting the nation’s highest officials.