US Secret Service takes to Twitter

The US Secret Service, renowned for the sharp suited agents protecting the US president, made its debut on Twitter on Monday, saying the micro-blogging site could help recruiting.

The agency, which also has a uniformed branch and protects the grounds of the White House, has a second mission of preventing currency and bond fraud, and became the latest of a long list of US government agencies to join Twitter.

"The Internet is a valuable resource for people all over the world," said Secret Service Assistant Director Mickey Nelson.

"By using social media sites, we hope to supplement our recruitment efforts, while providing an informative, helpful tool to businesses and individuals who are interested in information from our agency."

Nelson said the @SecretService account would highlight the service's investigative mission and hand out information to local communities about security on presidential visits and other high-profile events.

(c) 2011 AFP