Under the gun for security lapses, the Secret Service is hiring, big time. Over the next five years, the agency will add 700 officers to the uniformed division and 400 agents. At 17 percent, it is the largest increase in more than 10 years, as the agency tries to repair its reputation following numerous highly visible scandals.
After moving from the Treasury Department to the Department of Homeland Security, the agency’s annual funding fell from its previous pace, and hiring slowed. The 2016 budget, with a 16 percent increase — the largest since joining Homeland Security — appears to be a response to the notoriety.
According to a statement by Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary, “This hiring campaign is the result of attrition, anticipated growth and in response to recommendations set forth by the Protective Mission Panel in December 2014,” which occurred after a man entered the White House after jumping a fence.
