USSS Professionals In Action

| August 12, 2024

Secret Service Apologizes to Massachusetts Salon Owner for Breaking into Shop to Use Bathroom

Olivia Rondeau
U.S. Secret Service agents taped over a security camera and broke into a Massachusetts salon in order to use the restroom ahead of a recent Kamala Harris fundraiser, the business’s owner has complained.

Alicia Powers, owner of Four One Three Salon in Pittsfield, told Business Insider that she closed her business for the day on July 27 at the request of the Secret Service due to it being behind the Colonial Theatre, the venue where Harris was speaking.

She said that agents had already been to her salon earlier that week to survey the area for security purposes, but did not expect them to return after she had already locked up the building.

“They had a bunch of people in and out of here doing a couple of bomb sweeps again — totally understand what they have to do, due to the nature of the situation,” Powers told the outlet. “And at that point, my team felt like it was a little bit chaotic, and we just made the decision to close for Saturday.”

Security camera footage shared by Powers shows the moment a Secret Service agent approached the salon’s door with a roll of tape and climbed on a chair to cover the lens:

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A second video captured by another camera inside the shop shows multiple emergency medical and law enforcement personnel entering the salon, with one even appearing to take something small off of Powers’ desk.

Over the course of nearly two hours, multiple people were seen coming in without authorization from the business’s owner. The salon’s security alarm can be heard going off for the entire time in the background of the footage.

Powers said that the door appeared to have been picked when she returned to find the salon unlocked and tape still covering her camera.

Breitbart
Agent Snuffy here studiously taped the security camera and neglected the Ring doorbell installed on just about every freakin’ house in the country. That’s some mighty fine Secret Servicin’ right there.

There is a storied past with the President’s Pretorian Guard. These dudes know how to party!

2017- An off-duty agent assigned to Vice President Mike Pence’s detail was suspended amid accusations of meeting a prostitute at a Maryland hotel.
2015- Secret Service officer Lee Robert Moore was fired after Delaware State Police arrested him in a child predator sting.
2014- Three Secret Service agents were sent back to the US after a night of drinking in Amsterdam.
2012- Nine agents left or lost their jobs as the result of a prostitution scandal in Colombia.

Rot starts at the head of the fish.

Category: Dick Stepping, Government Incompetence, The Stupid is Strong

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QMC

Problem is that they think the DEI push is another answer to some of these problems of the past, but instead of providing a solution, it just creates a whole new string of headaches.

I never knew so many Mellissa McCarty lookalikes worked in the USSS until very recently.

tom reynolds

The agent who taped the camera should be fired immediately,her supervisor should be fired too. To break into a locked business is a crime. To tape over a camera is retarded unless you know you are wrong,then it is criminal. Incompetence at every level. No wonder they let somebody try to murder President Trump.

5JC

Forced entry is a crime, but nothing was broken. Massachusetts code requires the intent to commit a felony within for a burglary charge.

What did happen was a massive violation of her civil rights. Law Enforcement officers entered the premises without a warrant or permission and there doesn’t appear to be any exigent circumstances. Determining damages is a little tougher as nothing was taken except some toilet paper. However they were negligent in leaving the premises unlocked when they left.

Could have been worse. They might have broke in to have some time with a hooker. I guess she was busy on stage.

SFC D

Picking a lock is forced entry.

SFC D

Yup. And illegal if it ain’t your door.

5JC

No.

26Limabeans

Cordless drill with a carbide bit is faster.

5JC

Picking a lock isn’t illegal in practically every state. Go read your legal code and get back with me. If it were illegal a locksmith would not be allowed to do it.

Green Thumb

Unwarranted entry without knowledge (or a warrant) is illegal.

5JC

In general yes, which is why I pointed that out as a civil rights violation. It’s not knowledge though, it is consent that is the issue. However this is rarely codified. When it is ruled unlawful in court normally whatever the police found is deemed inadmissible.

Since they were not searching for evidence of a crime and as I noted earlier they were no exigent circumstances the entry in of itself might get a pass in civil court, too tough to say but I would send it up. Not sure what the cure is here.

No matter how you slice or dice it, the behavior was awful, highly unprofessional and those involved should be punished.

Last edited 1 month ago by 5JC
SFC D

Seriously? Come pick my lock, see what happens. It’s breaking and entering in AZ, criminal trespass, and will get you extremely dead. A locksmith would be acting illegally if they didn’t have permission from the property owner. One of many services I offer is the drilling and cutting of US government safes and certain locks. A couple of our guys are trained in lock picking and are very adept, and extremely legally restricted.

Green Thumb

Word.

5JC

There you go again. This is incorrect. Arizona Code 13-1506, that you did not read, requires the “intent to commit a theft or felony within” for breaking and entering a building to be a crime.

Criminal Trespass 13-1502, requires being told to leave by the property owner or a law enforcement officer.

Again this is markedly consistent in most states

When I was police, every time the conversation would start with someone hollering; “I know the law!” And end with “uh, I didn’t know that”.

Last edited 1 month ago by 5JC
SFC D

And you would be picking someone else’s lock for what reason? Curiosity? Practice? So if I get caught picking someone’s front door lock, all I have to do is say “I had no intent of stealing, burglarizing, or littering” and I walk?

26Limabeans

Probably limp.

KoB

My house…my rules…and my house starts where the filed plat shows the “iron pin placed” icony thingy. Feral hawgs gotta eat…same as buzzards and worms.

Eggs

I would have to resort to “The Chewbacca Defense” in that situation. It makes no sense why I would pick someone else’s lock.

5JC

Probably true for you.

5JC

Yeah, pretty much. If you didn’t steal anything or commit a felony than it isn’t a burglary. State laws do vary a bit here. Say if you are entering to commit a misdemeanor assault in Texas that is also a burglary. Proving intent during a burglary is normally pretty easy because people take things or commit some other crime inside. So if you are standing there with your neighbor’s TV in your hands that would probably be intent.

Of course that would be a bad idea because some people would likely shoot you if you even if you weren’t committing a felony just like you said you would do. It is very rare for the courts to prosecute a homicide of an expected stranger in a person’s dwelling but it does very rarely happen. Either way you would be dead so this is a less than optimal outcome.

If they didn’t shoot you and then asked you to leave that would be criminal Trespass. If you refused to leave that is where things get more dicey.

Most states allow you to use reasonable force to remove a trespasser. But it is much better to call the police generally. You can then have the person barred from your property so that they can never return. If they return then they will be committing trespassing as soon as they set foot on your property. This is why Walmart often bars people who shoplift. They then use their facial recognition software and cameras to locate people who are barred.

Your state may have some other laws that would be in play that I am unaware of, but not burglary.

5JC

To use the bathroom, duh.

timactual

“If it were illegal a locksmith would not be allowed to do it.”

That is just silly.

5JC

Why is it silly? Sure, they could maybe write an exception into the law if there were such a law but there isn’t any such law.

26Limabeans

“they were negligent in leaving the premises unlocked when they left”

Probably didn’t leave a tip either.

Grunt

I’m not too familiar with MA laws.

But, in the spirit of “nobody is above the law”, it would fair game to apply the enhancements generally applied to the lowly serfs when they run afoul of the law.

Possession of firearms in the commission of a crime, sounds like a felony to me.

Conspiracy. Organized criminal activity. You get the idea.

I’m sure there’s a school zone enhancement that may be applicable here also.

5JC

With the law it isn’t about “an idea” it is about what is written and approved in the code and backed with legal precedent.

timactual

“Section 120. Whoever, without right enters or remains in or upon the dwelling house, buildings, boats or improved or enclosed land, wharf, or pier of another, or enters or remains in a school bus, as defined in section 1 of chapter 90, after having been forbidden so to do by the person who has lawful control of said premises, whether directly or by notice posted thereon,…a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days or both…”
Massachusetts General laws, Part IV.

Any sane court will interpret a locked door as notice.

“Such a person [the owner] may also bar entry
by securing the premises with secure fences or walls and with
locked gates or doors, and this is considered to be “directly”
forbidding entry to the premises.”
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/08/vh/8220-trespass.pdf

5JC

That would work I suppose. However it isn’t even a Class C Misdemeanor, certainly not burglary.

Bubblehead Ray

You’re ignoring the fact that these are Law Enforcement Officers and, thus held to a higher standard. Tack on abuse of office, commission of a crime while armed, and violation of the owners Civil Rights by violating the 3rd,4th and 5th Amendments.

timactual

It is, however, still a crime.

Green Thumb

I hope one of them left a double decker.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

An upper decker for sure.
Im not sure even I could pull off a double

President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

Makes one want to set up a second hidden tier of security cameras, because………

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

USMC Steve

That is nothing but breaking and entering. No non felonious reason for covering that camera lens.

5JC

I’ve given that some thought. In some states it is illegal to tamper with a security system, even a private one, even temporarily. Illinois has a pretty strong law in the book about it. It also requires intent to commit a related crime as an element of the crime so that would not apply here.

I couldn’t find anything in Massachusetts code about that but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

timactual

Chapter 266;
“Section 127. Whoever destroys or injures the personal property, dwelling house or building of another in any manner or by any means not particularly described or mentioned in this chapter shall, if such destruction or injury is willful and malicious, be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 10 years or by a fine of $3,000 or 3 times the value of the damage caused…..The words ”personal property”, as used in this section, shall also include electronically processed or stored data, either tangible or intangible, and data while in transit.”

ExRM

Quartering soldiers takes on a whole new meaning…

Odie

Thank you. Much funnier if you can just see/read the meme.

KoB

And the hits keep coming. I know the meme is supposed to be a joke, but honestly, Barney and Gomer could do a better job. Saddest part too, in addition to SO many violations of this citizens rights, is when/if she sues them, the fine will be paid by the taxpayer.

Pinkerton…weeps.

AW1 Rod

Incompetent, inconsiderate fucking DEI losers! Batting 1.000, boys and girls! Keep up the good work!

Green Thumb

These clowns have nothing on Turd Bolling at his losers at Ambassador Worldwide Protection Agency.

Green Thumb

I saw that.

USAFRetired

From the article.

Knapp enlisted in the Army in 2000 and has deployed to Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and Romania, according to her official biography, which has been taken down from the JTF-NCR/USAMDW website.

Her military awards include two Legions of Merit, nine Army Good Conduct Medals, seven National Defense Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, five Army Achievement Medals, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO-ISAF Medal, and Meritorious Unit Commendation.

How do you get 9 Army GCMs in 24 years?

Claw

The question you really need to ask is how did she get seven NDSM’s? /s/

SFC D

The brotherhood (and sisterhood) is curious…

26Limabeans

The pursed lips are telling.

David

Updated, 7GCM

Green Thumb

3×7=21.

Or it used to be.

You got a cookie every three years.

USAFRetired

Thanks David that makes sense. Now about the 7 NDSM since 2000?

5JC

I didn’t know Guantanamo Bay was a deployment. I must have been living wrong.

Trent

I did a tour as a company commander at Camp Delta there 2004 to 2005. Why wouldn’t it be a deployment?

Green Thumb

And no combat.

Green Thumb

A lot of you dudes are older than me. You sucked it up way before me. Big shoes to fill, for sure.

And I am getting old.

How long has the war (my war) been over? Iraq – what 13-14 years? The A-Gan – since the Biden fiasco – 2021 – give or take a few months?

Some continuous ops going on, for sure. But no combat salad on the CSM.

Ain’t taking a side or picking a fight, but, damn.

Thoughts?

JustALurkinAround

You REALLY have to shit if you’ll break into a place to use the bathroom.

A Proud Infidel®™

This is only what they have BEEN CAUGHT doing, I wonder how much worse it really is?

5JC

They could have been snorting Coke in the bathroom and needed some privacy. They never did catch who ever bag of Coke that was at the White House.

Fyrfighter

Sure they did, they just covered it up..

Hack Stone

This some Ambassador Worldwide Protection Agency shit, Thomas Turd Bolling would be proud.

Green Thumb

See above.

Green Thumb

I am sure Turd Bolling (the fat sack of shit patrolling) is gobbling up some Wendy burgers and jacking his ass with a night stick as he waits on Christy to pick his fat ass up after his nap.