Federal Staffing and Management Have Real Consequences

I realize most of you who read this don't need that headline. But in the wake of the reporting by the Boston Globe and Talking Points Memo's reports this morning on the state of the Secret Service, I think it's worth a reminder that federal staffing and federal agencies' mandates aren't just a matter of obscure policy implementation--people's lives are at stake. Most people forget that the Secret Service, originally part of the Treasury, is a financial crimes investigative unit, in addition to the security force for top government officials. The report obtained by the Boston Globe suggests that perhaps it's time to reevaluate that role--and get the agency the basic resources to do its job, which it currently lacks:

The report, which was provided to the Globe, said such a review should look at how money and staff are allocated, and whether some of the agency's functions and workers should be transferred to the Treasury Department.

"This is a discussion going on not only in some quarters in Congress, but inside the Secret Service. Should there be a re-look at the mission?'' said a government official, who like others was not authorized to speak publicly about security matters or reveal details about the number or nature of the threats.

Already, there are signs of strain on the agency, officials said. Budget documents submitted to Congress this year said the agency lacks the necessary technology to keep up with threats.

"The network and mainframe system used today struggles to support basic operations,'' the agency said, requesting an additional $33 million over last year for computers and other information technology.

TPM points out that Secret Service staffing is up 5.3 percent over the past two years, while the number of threats they have to investigate is up 400 percent. It's a real shame that statistics like this, or a dire lack of basic resources, only get highlighted when something sensational, like an increase in threats, happens. The president's life--and the qualities of federal financial crimes investigations--are never more or less important, day-to-day. The Secret Service should always have the resources to do all of its jobs.