Shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Secret Service, the agency responsible for the President’s security detail, among other things, went through a complete overhaul.
As you’ll see in today’s Kennedys and King blog, prohibiting open-top limos was only the beginning of the changes we’ll see in the years following the assassination and the ensuing investigation.
More Agents and a Higher Budget
As indicated in a Washington Post article, the Secret Service only had 300 agents and a $5 million budget at the time of the assassination. Their duties were mostly relegated to criminal investigations; the protective missions were added later and were not as clearly defined.
In any case, the Secret Service inducted a slew of agents after the assassination. Today, more than 3,000 agents are working for the organization, primarily protecting the President and other entities in the Senate and House of Representatives, under a minimum budget of $30 billion.
Creation of a Security Network
After the assassination, the Secret Service came under fire for its poor communication skills. The Warren Commission, a deeply flawed albeit partially credible investigation into the assassination, found that the agency hardly collaborated with local law enforcement, not seeing fit to disseminate intelligence before an event.
Today, you’ll see these secret agents not only set up layers of security through electronic and physical barricades but also partner with local law enforcement to remain attuned to any security threats in the area.
The Powers Granted by the Congress
After President McKinley was assassinated in 1901, Congress assigned presidential security to the Secret Service. After President Kennedy was assassinated in late 1963, they were the ones that enacted a slew of statutes, the first of which was granting security to the deceased President’s wife and children.
As of the ’90s, Congress was still enacting new statutes, bringing the total to 23, all granting more power to the Secret Service and helping them counter newer threats of the digital age.
The Counter Sniper Team
In 1971, the Special Operations Division introduced the Counter Sniper Team, which included precision sharpshooters specializing in identifying and neutralizing long-range threats, the sort that killed President Kennedy.
Before this, the unit only had the Counter Assault Team, which dealt with physical attacks in the vicinity. They weren’t trained or knew to scan windows and other nearby structures for potential suspects.
Revisit the JFK Assassination at Kennedys and King
Now that you know about the changes the Secret Service underwent after the JFK assassination visit our archives to know the gravity of the event that sparked such an upheaval. Explore the four major facts behind political murders in sixtees on our platform, including John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X.
Let us know if you have something to contribute regarding the facts behind political murders in sixtees.
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