Report: Secret Service to hire more than 1,000 new agents

Deirdre Shesgreen | USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Marred by misconduct allegations and security failures, the U.S. Secret Service plans to hire 1,100 more officers and agents, according to Reuters.

The agency, charged with protecting the president and other top government officials, will add 700 uniformed division officers and 400 agents over five years, two unnamed law enforcement officials with direct knowledge of the plans told Reuters.

Nicole Mainor, a spokeswoman for the Secret Service, confirmed the agency has launched “an aggressive hiring campaign" but wouldn't give details on the specific numbers. She said it's part of a broader effort to improve agency operations.

The agency, which also investigates financial fraud such as counterfeiting, has been struggling to reboot after years of scandal and embarrassing incidents, including allegations in 2012 that agents hired prostitutes while on assignment in Colombia.

More recently, two senior agents crashed a government car into a security barricade at the White House complex in March, after they had reportedly been out drinking. And last September, a man jumped the White House fence and managed to make his way inside the executive mansion.

Lawmakers in Congress have been harshly critical of such lapses and pushed for a turnaround at the agency. It remains to be seen if hew hiring spree will be a move in that direction.

Contact Deirdre Shesgreen at dshesgreen@usatoday.com or follow me on Twitter @dshesgreen.