Protecting Presidential Candidates ...United States Secret Service
By Jim Robinson

Protecting Presidential Candidates - United States Secret Service

The Secret Service Protects:

1. The President, the Vice President, (or other individuals next in order of succession to the Office of the President), the President-elect and Vice President-elect;
2. the immediate families of the above individuals;
3. Former Presidents, their spouses for their lifetimes, except when the spouse re-marries. In 1997, Congressional legislation became effective limiting Secret Service protection to former Presidents for a period of not more than 10 years from the date the former President leaves office.
4. Children of former presidents until age 16.
5. visiting heads of foreign states or governments and their spouses traveling with them, other distinguished foreign visitors to the United States, and official representatives of the United States performing special missions abroad.
6. Major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general Presidential election.

National Threat Assessment Center
The Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) was created to provide leadership and guidance to the emerging field of threat assessment. Specifically, NTAC will offer timely, realistic, useful, and effective advice to law enforcement and other professionals and organizations with responsibilities to investigate and/or prevent targeted violence.

Building on a recent operational study of U.S. assassins, attackers, and near-lethal approachers of public officials, NTAC will develop and provide threat assessment training and conduct operational research relevant to public official, workplace, stalking/domestic, and school-based violence. In addition, NTAC will offer its assistance to organizations interested in developing threat assessment programs.