Serving our country is an honor many valorous men and women have chosen to do. Joseph Canney is from Bergen County, New Jersey, and has served America by being a Secret Service agent.
The Secret Service’s main focuses are on the protection for the President and his or her immediate family, the Vice President along with his/her immediate family, former Presidents and their spouses for ten years out of office, visiting heads of foreign states or governments and their spouses traveling with them, major presidential and vice presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election, other individuals as designated per Executive Order of the President, and National Special Security Events.
Canney’s duty was to protect the integrity of the nation’s financial systems. On a daily basis, he would normally go to the New York City field office and conduct federal investigations for financial crimes against the U.S. Treasury or protect various individuals. His work usually ranged from all five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and Rockland counties.
The best part of his job, Canney recalls, was how his work “had no two days that were alike.” It was always new and exciting instead of having to sit behind a desk.
“Ensuring criminals do not attack the value and use of U.S. currency or financial systems,” Canney says, “is of significant value to the world’s economy.”
Some of the investigations Canney ran included the counterfeiting of the U.S. and foreign obligations and securities, financial institution fraud, access device fraud, computer crimes, fraudulent government and commercial securities, fictitious financial instruments, telecommunications fraud, false identification, and identity theft.
To train for his position, he had to take several training courses, which varied from education on physical tactics to Criminal Law material. “Book and street” smarts were crucial as well as “dedication and endurance.”
His training, like every other agent, was continuous throughout his career. Besides having to be physically fit, and have great eyesight (20/60 correctable to 20/20), agents must also be highly adaptable in “situations in which all the facts are not available or where people may not always be forthcoming with the truth.” The most valuable and needed quality of an agent is “trustworthiness.”
In his career, he assisted seven Presidents, worked for Pope John Paul II twice, heads of state from Israel, Ireland, Great Britain (got to meet Prince Charles), Canada, Germany, South Africa, Russia, and much more! His job allowed him to travel to amazing places both nationally and internationally.
He was been able to travel to amazing places both in the US and abroad for about two hundred days in each year.
“While interacting with the public, each day is different. When conducting interviews with people (good and bad) no two responses are the same. When traveling from city to city with the President, no two events are alike. Additionally, we have always been able to meet and work with many great people.”
