T_Rich, you are right about that. Clinton came here (Southern NZ) a couple of years ago to play golf following the APEC summit in Auckland.
He was to be here two nights; the Secret Service were in residence a full four months beforehand. They booked out several hotels for the duration, checked out the populace, scoured the hills and countryside, flew around in un-numbered black helicopters (like there was someone who didn't know who they were), drove around in really cool chunky big left-hand-drive vehicles, acted tough for the press and had three or four unmarked Gulfstreams parked at Queenstown Airport.
Clinton came (!), he saw, he played golf, and he didn't get shot. So that bit worked, anyway; whether it was entirely necessary is another matter.
Christ alone knows how much the whole exercise cost the US taxpayer.