Joseph J. Funk
Joe J. Funk, President of US Safety & Security, LLC is responsible overseeing all daily operations including all domestic investigations, physical security and executive protection.
Mr. Funk is a twenty-one year veteran of the United States Secret Service, completing his career as the Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the Washington DC Field Office. Mr. Funk’s career with the U. S. Secret Service was equally divided between criminal investigations and executive protection.
During his career Mr. Funk spent over eight years assigned to the protection details of Presidents George H. Bush and William J. Clinton. He was assigned to the protection of numerous foreign Heads of State including, Pope John Paul II, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Great Britain. Mr. Funk spent three & half years assigned to the elite Secret Service Counter Assault Team attaining the rank of Team Leader. He has extensive experience and knowledge in providing executive protection and conducting complex security assessments and surveys. Mr. Funk has received extensive training and experience in counter terrorism tactics. Among his accomplishments was the security director for the 50th N.A.T.O. Conference and two Presidential Inaugurations. His latest clients include Senator Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney.
Mr. Funk also gained valuable experience, training and knowledge in conducting complex multi-jurisdictional criminal investigations. At the time of his retirement Mr. Funk was the supervisor for the Washington Field Office Metro Area Fraud Task Force. This unit specialized in investigating the most complex and intricate criminal cases in the greater Washington DC area. For his efforts Mr. Funk has received numerous awards from the U.S. Secret Service, local financial institutions, the U.S. Attorneys office’s in Maryland, Washington and Virginia as well as numerous civic organizations.
Upon his retirement from the Secret Service Mr. Funk joined the General Accounting Office in March 2004. He was a Senior Special Agent assigned to the Office of Special Investigations. His investigations were conducted primarily for the Select Committee for Homeland Security and the Select Committee for Intelligence.
Mr. Funk began his law enforcement career as a County Detective with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, in Paterson NJ. He was assigned to the Narcotics/Organized Crime Unit. His work focused primarily on organized crime figures, narcotic traffickers, violent crimes, homicides and insurance fraud.
Mr. Funk has authored numerous papers for the U.S. Secret Service on the topics of criminal investigations and security procedures. Mr. Funk was responsible for developing new security policies and procedures for the Washington Field Office in the wake of 9/11. He has been featured on many local television stations instructing the public on protecting themselves from financial fraud. He has also testified before Congressional committee on Homeland security matters.
Mr. Funk holds a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from the William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ. He has also done postgraduate Master’s level work in the area of Urban Planning at William Paterson University and has successful completed the Johns Hopkins School of Upper Management Program.
Mr. Funk possesses a Top Secret security clearance.
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Joseph J. Funk
President
U.S. Safety & Security Joseph J. Funk, President
David C. Bresett, Director Intelligence Services
Daniel Hoban, Director Technical Security Division
Joseph M. Stehr, Director Investigations
Donald J. Glasser, Director – Protective Operations
Mr. Funk President & COO of US Safety & Security has over 30 years of experience in law enforcement, physical security and executive protection.
Mr. Funk is a twenty-one veteran of the United States Secret Service, completing his career as the Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the Washington DC Field Office. During his career Mr. Funk was assigned to the protection details of former Presidents George H. Bush and William J. Clinton. He was also assigned to the protection of numerous foreign Heads of State including, Pope John Paul II, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Interim President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel and Prime Minister Tony Blair. Joe was assigned to the elite Secret Service Counter Assault Team for 3 ½ years rising to the rank of Team Leader. He has extensive experience and knowledge in providing executive protection and conducting complex security assessments and surveys. Mr. Funk has received extensive training and experience in counter terrorism tactics. Recently Mr. Funk was the security director for Presidential Candidates Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney.
Upon retirement from the U.S. Secret Service he was a Senior Special Agent assigned to the Office of Special Investigations (GAO). His investigations were conducted for the Select Committee for Homeland Security and the Select Committee for Intelligence.
Mr. Funk began his law enforcement career as a County Detective with the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, in Paterson NJ. He was assigned to the Narcotics/Organized Crime Unit. His work focused primarily on organized crime figures, narcotic traffickers, violent crimes, homicides and insurance fraud.
Mr. Funk has authored numerous papers and appeared numerous times on local and national television speaking on topics ranging from of criminal investigations to national security and enhancing corporate and personal security procedures. He is a frequent lecturer on Workplace Violence.
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Paterson native Joe Funk keeps overzealous golf fans at bay as head of LPGA security
Published: Saturday, May 16, 2009, 9:30 PM Updated: Saturday, May 16, 2009, 10:18 PM
See that guy?"
Joe Funk rolls a cigar between his lips and takes a puff after posing the question. He exhales, leans back in the driver's seat of his golf cart and points the cigar in the direction of a youngish man walking away from the driving range with a sour look on his face. Funk draws and exhales again.
The man in the striped shirt with the plastic bags full of unsigned items is at the more harmless end of the spectrum: A pushy fan that was ruining the experience for everyone else. But a fan who nevertheless crossed the line between spectator and aggressor.
Joe Funk is that line.
"He's an eBay guy," the Paterson-born Funk says frankly. "We see them every week, bringing bag-fuls of stuff to get autographed and then put up on eBay the minute they get home. This guy? He got pushy with Lorena (Ochoa) and she doesn't deal with the eBay guys. So he was asked to leave. As you can see, he's not too happy."
Even though the LPGA has gained in popularity in recent years, it is still struggling to find its foothold in the sporting universe. Which is why at times like this, when the tour makes a stop at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, it's imperative the players go out of their way to interact with fans. But some fans take it too far.
Like the stalkers who wait in hotel parking lots.
Like the fans who want to get a little too close.
As the LPGA's head of security, Funk admits that these instances are few and far between, but they are out there. And in case these events do occur, at more than a dozen LPGA events worldwide, you'll see his imposing frame trailing behind some of the game's best players -- to keep them from ever having to encounter those distractions.
"We're always trying to let the fans enjoy the players and for the players to interact with the fans, especially in these tough times," Funk said. "But this is an office for the players. If someone came into an office and started harassing or stalking a person, you wouldn't tolerate it. Neither do we."
A former member of the Secret Service for 21 years, Funk and his company -- U.S. Safety & Security, based out of his new hometown of Severna Park, Md. -- are in charge of providing security to the LPGA and its players. Right now, Funk's primary detail is providing security to the world's No. 1 female golfer, Lorena Ochoa.
With the charm and outgoing personality to match her spectacular game, Ochoa is mobbed by fans at every tour stop. Funk gives her the free rein to dictate if and how long she wants to sign autographs and stop for pictures. But he knows, once her or her caddie, David Brooker give the high-sign, it's time to step in.
"Joe does an excellent job with allowing me to be with the fans, but also keep me safe," Ochoa said. "He really knows what he's doing and that helps me worry about other things."
But it's not just with Ochoa. Funk keeps the lines of communication open with most of the tour, so that if a player has a problem from a rowdy fan behind the ropes -- or a more serious problem -- they can come to him.
"I definitely think it's imperative," said Christina Kim, 25, a two-time tour winner. "There are some players that have ridiculous crowds out there and it can't be contained all the time."
MAKING THINGS WORRY-FREE
Kim and Ochoa are just two of a number of players who say Funk's presence around the tour means they don't have to worry about what goes on outside the ropes. After protecting Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as President Obama during his campaign, Funk says that his new job is a little less stressful.
Not that you'll ever find him kicking back and taking it easy.
"There are a lot of slow, boring days out here," he said with his trademark Jersey laugh. "But in some ways, that means that we're doing our jobs. If we were always running around tackling crazed fans to the ground, it meant that we failed in putting together a plan to keep the players and the other spectators safe."
Most often, if there's an incident at an LPGA event, other spectators don't even know it has occurred. That's because Funk and the wide network of contracted security personnel he uses snuff out problems before it can even escalate.
Part of the reason the LPGA's status in sports has risen is because of the presence of its young stars like Natalie Gulbis, Morgan Pressel, Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome. Their youth -- and attractiveness -- have opened doors for categories of fans that may not have even been interested in women's golf. But it's also increased the number of communications from individuals who take it too far.
"About two years ago, one of the young players on tour had an encounter with a gentleman in a parking lot of a hotel," Funk said. "He told her he enjoyed watching her play and she thanked him. But in his mind, that was a romantic link that they now had shared. And this guy then ends up stalking her for nearly a year.
"It then began to affect her play, because the man would come to events and brush alongside of her and try and touch her gently. When she would bend down to read a putt, he would get on the other side of the green and bend to be eye-to-eye with her. That's the kind of attention that isn't welcome."
There has only been a smattering of incidents like that throughout Funk's tenure with the tour. Just this week, there was a lookout posted about a possible stalker for Michelle Wie on Monday, and on Tuesday Gulbis' caddie, Greg Sheridan, warned Funk about two men that have harassed her here the last two years.
Generally, though, his weeks consist of giving warnings to fans that might have had one too many drinks and become unruly. Then there are the times when a player pulls him aside and says, "I want them out."
"When that happens, there is no gray area," he said. "If a player wants them gone, they're gone. We'll refund their money, tell them that they are not wanted here and if they show up again, they will be arrested."
Most weeks, there is none of that. Just Funk following Ochoa (or another high-profile player) around for 72 holes, with his earpiece humming with reports from around the course. On those days, being the line -- as Funk admits that he is -- is an easy job, because the players and spectators coexist peacefully.
"A good week for me?" Funk wondered aloud as he leaned forward in the golf cart, the light reflecting off of his sunglasses. "It's when on Sunday evening someone will say, 'Oh, Joe was here? I didn't even notice.'"
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Limosine One
I don't know if presidential limo is called Limo One, but it seems logical. However, the new one seems to look like something from the Road Warrior. According to one source, "the limo can withstand a 'direct hit from an asteroid.' " More or less.
One really interesting part of the piece is an quote from "Joe Funk, a retired Secret Service agent who was President Bill Clinton's driver during part of his career."
"I think he will be surprised about how when he's in the limo, it's a cocoon," Funk said. "The everyday noises will be gone, and he will be totally isolated in this protective envelope."
"At the same time, I think he will be surprised at the communication capabilities, how the phones, the satellites, the Internet -- everything is at his fingertips," he said. "So at one end, you are totally removed from society. The other side of the coin is that he can have any communications worldwide at a moment's touch."
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http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/283429-6
Secret Service and the PresidencyJan 17, 2009C-SPAN | Washington Journal
Joseph Funk talked about the role of the U.S. Secret Service, and he responded to telephone calls and electronic mail. Mr. Funk spent twenty-one years with the U.S. Secret Service and was part of President Obama's protection detail during the primary.
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Joseph J. Funk is a 21 year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service and the former Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office. During his career, Mr. Funk spent over eight years assigned to the protection details of President George H. Bush, President William J. Clinton and numerous foreign heads of states. Mr. Funk has received extensive training and experience in counter terrorism tactics and suppression. Currently, Mr. Funk is the President and CEO of U.S. Safety & Security, LLC, a company in the forefront of providing corporate security, executive protection, security surveys and vulnerability assessments. Mr. Funk holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the William Paterson University, Wayne, N.J. He has also done postgraduate level work in the area of Urban Planning at William Paterson University and the Johns Hopkins School of Upper Management Program. For his efforts, Mr. Funk has received numerous awards from the U.S. Secret Service, local financial institutions, the U.S. Attorneys office’s in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia, as well as numerous civic organizations. Mr. Funk is a frequent contributor to Fox News, CNN and CSPAN.
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