Diversity is at the forefront of the agenda for the U.S. Secret Service, says Jessie L. Lane, diversity program manager. Heightened awareness - including awareness of a variety of cultures - is key to strengthening the agency's dual missions of protecting the president and visiting foreign dignitaries, and investigating crimes against U.S. currency, including counterfeiting, fraud and identity theft, she notes.
Internal support for diversity has broadened steadily over the years. In 1987 the agency established conferences on employee issues. Diversity training was mandated for all employees in 1994.
Training, says Lane, provides "an opportunity for people to deal with sensitive issues in order to integrate the workforce even more. It removes barriers and enables better communication.
"We've been concentrating on making sure we not only recruit people from diverse backgrounds but also maintain an atmosphere of inclusiveness within the agency," Lane notes. "We are fortunate that our leaders feel so strongly about diversity. Our employees realize that they really care."
The agency is expanding its employee networks and creating focus groups. "Diversity is an all-encompassing topic," Lane reflects. "We're continuing to promote an inclusive culture that falls in line with the president's management agenda and our human capital strategic plan."
The Secret Service recruits for administrative, professional, technical, special agent and uniformed division police officer positions. "We're always looking to increase our pool in terms of diversity, making sure we have a wide range of applicants reflecting the diversity of our nation," says Lane.
It's best if new hires come in with some experience, but many new entrants start as participants in the agency's various student programs. The service also recruits at college campuses including historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions. Other recruits come from the military. "We contact people who are separating and looking for a challenging career," Lane explains.
The Secret Service uses e-recruiting websites and posts its openings on USAjobs.com and hotjobs.com. There's also a public service announcement on Telemundo to attract people from the Latino community, notes Lane.
The agency advertises and actively recruits for telecom specialists to provide secure communications and support for former presidents and foreign heads of state. It also looks for IT and telecom specialists to staff an information resources management division that includes both computer and telecom specialists. They "become the resident experts at field offices throughout the country," says Lane.
The agency also has a technical security division that maintains a secure environment for all Secret Service protectees at both permanent and temporary locations.
Cedric Sims, network branch chief of the agency's information resources management division, explains that the network branch is responsible for planning, operation and maintenance of the IT infrastructure for foreign and domestic datacom. This, he says, increasingly includes telecom.
"We're a full service shop as far as infrastructure is concerned. Our folks do everything. We have programming skills, engineering skills and technicians who can go in the field and pull cable and do installations.
"If you look across the specialist positions, you'll find a very diverse mix of women, minorities and various nationalities," he says.
In 2004 the Secret Service will establish a new work/life resources division. A special center will help with issues like career planning and retention, and offer support for childcare and eldercare. This, says Lane, is particularly important for employees who must travel extensively.
The Secret Service encourages its employees to participate in community outreach, Lane notes. Employees are involved with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, mentoring and tutoring programs, and computers for schools.
"Our special agents and uniformed division personnel maintain a speakers bureau to talk at schools," she discloses. "When uniformed division officers show up with a dog from the K-9 unit they really get the kids excited. We also talk about careers and about avoiding the drug scene. We definitely maintain a presence in the community."
D/C
The U.S. Secret Service
www.secretservice.gov
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Headquarters: |
Washington, DC |
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Employees: |
6,000 |
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Mission: |
To protect the president and
VP as well as visiting foreign
dignitaries and heads of state; to
provide security for national events;
to investigate counterfeiting and
financial crimes |
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