Secret Service Uniformed Division

Stored: Secret Service Uniformed Division

Secret Service Uniformed Division
Type:	Federal Law Enforcement Agency
Parent organization:	Secret Service
Top organization:	Department of Homeland Security
Employees:	1300
Executive:	Chief, Uniformed Division
Budget:
Address:	950 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20223
Website:	https://www.secretservice.gov/protection/uniformed-division
Creation Legislation:	Public Law 91-217 (1970, as Executive Protective Service)
Wikipedia:	Secret Service Uniformed Division

Secret Service Uniformed Division

This map created from a Cargo query (Purge)

Mission
To protect facilities and venues secured for U.S. Secret Service protectees, ensuring the safety of the White House Complex, Vice President’s residence, foreign diplomatic missions, and other key locations through a commitment to honor, integrity, and excellence.

Services
Physical Security; Protective Operations; Emergency Response; Specialized Tactical Support

Regulations
Title 18 U.S.C. § 3056A

United States Secret Service Uniformed Division (USSS UD) is the federal police force within the U.S. Secret Service, tasked with securing the White House Complex, the Vice President’s residence at the Naval Observatory, foreign diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C., and other designated sites, employing approximately 1,300 officers to support the agency’s protective mission.

Official Site

Mission

The Uniformed Division’s mission is to provide physical security for Secret Service protectees and their venues, safeguarding critical locations like the White House, foreign embassies, and the Treasury Department building. It ensures operational continuity through patrols, emergency response, and specialized units, adapting to evolving threats while maintaining professionalism and public safety across the nation’s capital and beyond.

Parent organization

The USSS UD operates under the United States Secret Service, within the Department of Homeland Security since 2003, having transitioned from the Department of the Treasury, aligning its protective duties with broader homeland security objectives.

Legislation

The UD traces its origins to the White House Police, established in 1922 by President Harding, and was integrated into the Secret Service in 1930. It was renamed the Executive Protective Service under Public Law 91-217 (June 30, 1970), expanding to foreign missions, and officially became the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division in 1977 via statutory updates.

Partners

Metropolitan Police Department of D.C. for local coordination
Federal agencies (e.g., FBI, DHS) for joint security operations
Foreign diplomatic missions for protective collaboration

Number of employees

The UD employs approximately 1,300 officers as of 2025, per Secret Service estimates, stationed across its protective branches, with staffing levels adjusted to meet operational demands.

Organization structure

The UD is organized into four operational branches under Secret Service leadership:

Leader

The Uniformed Division is led by the Chief, currently Alfonso M. Dyson as of 2025, reporting to the Director of the Secret Service.

Divisions

The branches include:

White House Branch for presidential complex security.
Foreign Missions Branch for embassy protection in D.C.
Naval Observatory Branch for Vice President’s residence.
Special Operations Branch for tactical units (e.g., Counter Sniper, ERT).

List of programs

Counter Sniper Team (est. 1971)
Emergency Response Team (ERT, est. 1985)
Hazardous Agent Mitigation Medical Emergency Response (HAMMER, est. 2004)
Canine Units (explosive detection)

Last total enacted budget

The UD’s specific budget is not publicly isolated; it’s funded within the Secret Service’s FY 2024 budget of $3 billion, supporting personnel, training, and equipment like new cruiser fleets introduced in 2025.

Staff

The UD’s 1,300 officers are trained at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and the James J. Rowley Training Center, equipped with standard firearms (e.g., Glock 19) and specialized weapons (e.g., FN P90, .300 Winchester Magnum rifles), with technicians in units like ERT and K9 receiving advanced tactical training.

Funding

Since its integration in 1930, the UD has been funded through Secret Service appropriations, with FY 2024’s $3 billion budget under DHS supporting its protective operations, supplemented by recruitment incentives (e.g., $50,000 bonuses in 2025).

Services provided

The UD secures the White House, Vice President’s residence, and over 150 foreign missions in D.C., conducts vehicle and pedestrian screening, provides tactical response via ERT and snipers, and supports presidential travel with magnetometer and canine units, averaging thousands of protective actions annually.

Regulations overseen

The UD operates under Title 18 U.S.C. § 3056A, which outlines its protective duties and arrest powers, akin to those of the D.C. Metropolitan Police, but does not create regulations itself.

Headquarters address

950 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20223

History

Founded as the White House Police on September 14, 1922, by President Harding, it merged with the Secret Service in 1930. Renamed the Executive Protective Service in 1970 (Public Law 91-217) to include foreign missions, it adopted its current name in 1977. Key milestones include the first female officer, Phyllis Shantz (1970), and specialized units like the Counter Sniper Team (1971) and HAMMER (2004), with a 100-year celebration in 2022.

External links

References