The United States Secret Service was established in 1865 and is one of the most elite law enforcement agencies in the world. Its agents have top-secret clearance and have been thoroughly vetted and trained to perform their jobs.
Although the Secret Service is frequently thought of as the protective agency for the President, his family, and prominent candidates and political figures, special agents with the Secret Service also protect the country in other ways. The original mandate of the Secret Service was to investigate counterfeiting, but its agents also investigate an array of computer and financial crimes.
In 2001, federal legislation mandated the Secret Service to create the Electronic Crimes Task Force as part of the Patriot Act. In addition, the agency has been mandated to provide forensic and technical assistance to cases that involve missing and exploited children.
Becoming a Secret Service Agent in Vermont
Residents of Vermont who seek to become a Secret Service agent must meet a number of requirements. Basic requirements include the following:
- Being a US citizen
- Being at least 21 years old
- Being younger than 37 (Veterans may be exempt from this rule.)
- Possessing a valid driver’s license
- Having good eyesight:
- At least 20/60 uncorrected
- 20/20 corrected
Applicants can qualify at two different levels: either the G-7 or the G-9 level. To qualify at the G-7 level, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
- Have attended graduate school for at least a year
- Have a bachelor’s degree with evidence of superior academic achievement as shown by one of the following:
- Have one of the following GPAs for the final two years or the full term:
- 3.0 for all courses
- 3.5 for courses in the major
- Have a rank in the upper third of the graduating class
- Be a member of a national honor society
- Have one of the following GPAs for the final two years or the full term:
- Possess at least a year of specialized experience relating to future work
- Having conducted surveillance and undercover operations
- Having carried out investigations
- Having organized evidence to present to the prosecution
- Having apprehended or arrested people
Qualifications to be considered at the G-9 level include one of the following:
- Have a graduate, LL.B., or J.D. degree
- Possess at least a year of specialized experience relating to future work:
- Having carried out limited investigations of law violations
- Having conducted surveillance and undercover operations, seizures, and/or raids
- Having organized evidence to present to the prosecution
- Having performed the following with suspects:
- Apprehending
- Arresting
- Interviewing
- Interrogating
Applicants who meet these requirements must then pass the following steps:
- Physical fitness evaluation
- Treasury Enforcement Agent examination and a test for writing reports
- Series of interviews
- Background check for top secret clearance
Recruits are rigorously trained at law enforcement academies. These include passing both of the following courses:
- Federal Law Enforcement Training Center:
- 10 week Basic Criminal Investigator Training program in Georgia
- James J. Rowley Training Center:
- 17 week Special Agent Basic Training program outside of DC
Special agents are required to maintain firearms proficiency throughout their careers.
Important Secret Service Activities in Vermont
One of the Field Offices of the Secret Service is located in Burlington. Special agents in this office provide protection to dignitaries that visit Vermont and assist with financial investigations that take place in the state.
A previous Director of the Secret Service presented the Director’s Award of Valor to a retired special agent in Norwich. He was honored for having saved the life of George Wallace during a 1972 assassination attempt.