Charleston Leader

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito has addressed a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Acting United States Secret Service (USSS) Director Ronald L. Rowe, Jr., raising concerns about communication breakdowns detailed in a bipartisan interim report by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC).

The report highlights significant communication failures among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including the USSS. These failures allegedly contributed to a near-assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.

Senator Capito emphasized the critical nature of these issues in her letter: “The Interim Joint Report released by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations detailed multiple shortfalls in the way that the United States Secret Service (USSS) communicated amongst themselves, as well as their communications with state and local law enforcement charged with securing the perimeter.”

Capito's letter further elaborates on recommendations from the report for DHS and USSS to enhance communication interoperability among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The goal is to ensure that all parties involved can communicate effectively during large-scale joint security operations.

She urged USSS to evaluate and implement shared interoperable communications platforms utilizing mesh network technologies. Such technologies have been used by other agencies to improve situational awareness through tools like precise position location information and text communications.

Capito concluded her letter by stressing the urgency of adopting these technologies ahead of upcoming national security events: “With many critical national security events scheduled to be held in the coming weeks and months, it is imperative that USSS quickly identify and adopt technology to close all gaps in communications between state, local, and other federal law enforcement agencies.”

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