Our Force at the Front Door

In the United States, more than 750 armed and unarmed officers ensure that the State Department’s many buildings remain secure. The officers, managed by Inter-Con Security, Inc., in coordination with Diplomatic Security’s Uniformed Protective Branch, staff posts at 26 buildings in the Washington, DC, area and at 16 facilities elsewhere in the United States. They screen visitors and packages, patrol the facilities, monitor security systems, operationally oversee the Department’s bomb-sniffing dog operations, and frequently provide security support to international visitors and to the Secretary of State when he travels.

The uniformed officers often are the first on the scene in an emergency situation in a State Department building. They take control of the situation and, when necessary, render first aid or call for appropriate law enforcement assistance.

The hub of communications and operations for all Uniformed Protective Branch security operations is the Security Control Center, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Through the center, officers can dispatch guards to emergency situations and monitor security systems for all domestic State Department buildings. The security systems can detect intrusions, control access to facilities, and more.

Throughout the country, the uniformed officers secure many high profile buildings, including the Department of State’s headquarters building, the Blair House, the Secretary of State’s residence, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. The officers provide security at all domestic passport offices.

The Uniformed Protective Branch is part of Diplomatic Security’s Domestic Operations Directorate.