What in the world is going on?
The recent incident involving the U.S. Secret Service at a Massachusetts salon has sparked significant controversy and criticism. Last week, Alicia Powers, the owner of the salon, publicly criticized the Secret Service after agents used her facility’s bathroom without obtaining proper authorization. This occurred in advance of a fundraiser for Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to Powers, Secret Service agents acted without consent by covering her security cameras with duct tape and forcibly entering her building by picking the lock. Over a two-hour period, multiple individuals used the salon’s restroom. Powers was informed of the need to close her business but was left in the dark about the agents’ plans to use her facility for their purposes.
Powers shared with Business Insider that while she understood the necessity of certain security measures, the manner in which the Secret Service conducted themselves was problematic. She described the situation as chaotic, with her team feeling overwhelmed, leading them to decide on an early closure for the day.
Security camera footage from her salon shows an agent taping over the camera while standing on a chair, and Powers reported that her bathroom was used extensively by individuals associated with the security detail. The agent’s actions left her property unsecured, with the tape remaining on the camera after they left.
In response to the incident, the Secret Service has reached out to Powers. A representative from the Boston field office offered an apology, acknowledging that their actions were inappropriate. According to Melissa McKenzie, a spokeswoman for the Secret Service, they maintain strong relationships with local businesses and typically would not enter a property without permission. McKenzie assured that the agency values these relationships and strives to respect property owners’ rights.
Powers mentioned that an EMS worker informed her that the Secret Service agent in charge had directed others to use the restroom. The Secret Service has admitted that the agent involved did tape over the camera but denied that they would have used the facility without permission.
Landlord Brian Smith confirmed that neither he nor his father, who co-owns the building, granted permission for the Secret Service to use the property. Smith criticized the Secret Service’s actions, emphasizing that no authorization was given for such use.
Powers expressed that while she would have been amenable to accommodating the Secret Service under normal circumstances, the lack of respect for her property and the absence of permission was deeply troubling.
WATCH:
The U.S. Secret Service is apologizing to a Massachusetts salon owner after an agent covered her security camera with duct tape and broke into her salon by picking the lock so that its bathroom could be used by various people for a two-hour period.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 11, 2024
After the two-hour period,… pic.twitter.com/s4qSFtebn0