Editorial: U.S. Secret Service has no margin for error in protection

The U.S. Secret Service has a remarkable record when it comes to protection.

It was born in 1865 — not because of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln but because of wildfire counterfeiting in the wake of the Civil War. The Secret Service is a child of the Treasury Department, transferred in 2003 to the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

It wasn’t until 1901, after the death of a third president, William McKinley, that the Secret Service was given its most recognizable duty. It would be another five years before Congress decided to authorize the money to make providing presidential protection possible.

Theodore Roosevelt was the first to be protected. The initial detail was just two men.

It has been 123 years and 20 presidents since. Today, the Secret Service is a blend of about 3,600 agents and another 1,600 uniformed officers. The protection duties have been extended to presidents’ families, former presidents, vice presidents, candidates and visiting foreign leaders.

In all that time and with all that growth, the successes are extensive and silent. It is the incredibly rare failures that stand out. The assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. The close-up shooting of Ronald Reagan in 1981.

And, most recently, there was the sniper-style attack in Butler County. Former President and GOP nominee Donald Trump was injured. Buffalo Township volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed. The gunman, Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, also was killed.

If you look at the numbers, the agency is successful. If you look at the cost, this is one of those jobs where there is no margin for error.

At least five agents have been placed on modified duty following an investigation into the July 13 assassination attempt. One was from Trump’s protective detail. Others include the Pittsburgh field office special agent in charge and three additional agents from that office.

These are not the first Secret Service members to face repercussions. There have been multiple people brought to Capitol Hill for testimony. Kimberly Cheatle resigned as director less than two weeks after the incident. More congressional investigation will occur.

And local police have been vocal about the failures that allowed Crooks to hold the high ground on a nearby roof — and the comments came immediately after the shooting.

“I told them that (expletive) Tuesday,” Butler Township police Officer Drew Blasko said on body camera footage. “I told them to post (expletive) guys over here.”

The Secret Service has been an effective and impactful agency over its 100-plus years. It has kept so many people safe — regardless of party.

But one lesson of the Butler shooting is that sometimes a 99% success rate just isn’t good enough.