This is later with Lee Matthews the Lee Matthews Podcast more What You Hear Week They Have to Do is on the Drive.
Anthony Kanngalossi is a former member of the Special Agent of the Secret Service, currently a lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and he's joining us to talk about the many times he probably heard the words gun in his ear piece. Michael, I'm sorry, Anthony Caanngalossi.
Welcome, Good morning, Lee.
Is that a fair statement you heard your share of gun in your earpiece?
Well, actually, that's a great question. No, I never did, and that's a great thing. The reason why it's a great thing is because the primary objective of any protective detail, any security plan is to deter would be assassins or people that are trying to hurt the protectee. So the objective is the storic security plan is so tight that this doesn't happen. Okay, other agents, I've heard that, right, but I never did in my four years.
You did serve four years two thousand and two to two thousand and four. At that point, had the Secret Service been shifted from the Department of Treasury to the Homeland Security Department.
That's correct. I believe that's the transition from not mistaken happened in two thousand and three.
Okay, okay, So did you notice any big difference in operations day to day when that did happen.
No, there was no change. We just continued to operate as we always did. No changes as a result of moving from Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security.
Anthony Kanglossi is with us. He's a former member of the Secret Service, a special agent as well, like sure now John J. Criminal the College of Criminal Justice. The reason I ask that is is that I've been watching all the pontificating that's been going on since the first assassination failure, attempt and failure, and one of the one of the things posed was that with Secret Services suffering financially and manpower wise since the move from Treasury, well, I.
Can't speak exactly to what the numbers are. I mean, that is a long term issue in terms of the Secret Service budget expanding so they can hire more agents and have the assets in place that they need to do their job. But we need to distinguish between that and their immediate need to have these details supplemented by
other federal law enforcement agencies. By that they would they would supplement their their details with these other agents from these other agencies to assist in the protective details that are going on.
In your tenure, was their cooperation when you were in the field, as it were saying at the Olympics, did you get a lot of cooperation with local officials.
Well, it's not only the locals, it's also the other federal law enforcement agency. So yeah, any type of security footprint usually required that. So back in two thousand and two during the Olympics, I was a ship leader on a site where all my agents that participated in secure in that site were from the Border Patrol. Right. So this has been an ongoing plan for decades, long before
they even transitioned from Treasury to homeland security investigations. I think right now the need is to have more numbers, more supplemental health from these other agencies.
Anthony kangli oh See is with us. He is a lecturer from the John Jay Criminal College of Criminal Justice, but he also did a tenure as of a special agent in the Secret Service. Let's talk about the most recent assassination attempt and the way it went down. I'm looking at the photographs now of the two so called knapsacks that evidently contained some of the body armors, ceramic and even the god pro that's kind of jammed into
the chain link fence. I'm wondering if that is what initially caught the agent's eye rather and then the barrel of the gun poking in between those two rather than the barrel of the gun itself. When you're when you're out there in the field, can can something like that set you off?
Sure you're looking for anomalies. I don't know how familiar he was with the fans line prior to setting out that day, but if he saw some kind of anomaly and maybe focused even further, you know the storyline right now, they saw the barrel of the gun. Yeah, before he keep he encountered the threat and was able to, you know, stop this particular threat on that given.
Day when seeing the threat, was the protocol to immediately call in reinforcement or were you encouraged to immediately engage?
You know, that's a judgment, Paul, right. I know, if I see a barrel of gunpointing in my direction, it be I'd probably do the same thing that Well, I don't know what that agent did I mean, you know, they followed fired a few shots. I think that would be my reaction as well, because hey, there's a gunpointing direction, you know. So I don't like to speculate as to what that agent did or did not do.
And as far as the service weapons that they are carrying, is there one standard or does everyone sort of The ones that I see the most seem to be the glock nineteens. But does everyone allowed to carry what they're comfortable with?
I do not know what the current policy is. I do believe back twenty years ago and I was with them, we had a standard issue firearm. But it's been twenty years, so my memory maybe may not be doing a service.
And that said, you can tell I'm an enthusiast. Do you still get to the range even though you're not a special agent anymore you are at the John J. College of Criminal Justice.
Yes, I still do get to the range. It's the requirement that I must meet, and I do do.
Anthony king Leosi, now a lecturer John J. College of Criminal Justice, former Secret Service Special Agent, thank you for your perspective today.
You have a great day.
Take can Thanks for listening to Later with Lee Matthews, The Lee Matthews Podcast, and remember to listen to The Drive Live weekday afternoons from five to seven and Iheartsmedia Presentation