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Skidmore

(37,364 posts) Thu Jun 26, 2014, 03:23 PM Jun 2014

Raw Story: Mass. SWAT teams claim they’re private companies and don’t have to tell you anything

We are really in some murky waters now.

Article content:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/26/mass-swat-teams-claim-theyre-private-companies-and-dont-have-to-tell-you-anything/

snip

Some SWAT teams in the state operate as law enforcement councils, or LECs, which are funded by several police departments and overseen by an executive board largely made up of local police chiefs.

Member police departments pay annual membership dues to the LECs, which share technology and oversee crime scene investigators or other specialists.

Some of these LECs have also incorporated 501(c)(3) organizations, which they say exempts them from open records requests.

Snip

The ACLU reported earlier this week that about 240 of the 351 police departments in Massachusetts belong to an LEC, which are set up as corporations but are funded by local and federal taxpayer funds.

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12 replies

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Highlight:

Raw Story: Mass. SWAT teams claim they’re private companies and don’t have to tell you anything (Original Post) Skidmore Jun 2014 OP

Kinda like the GMO corporations that claim they don't have tell you what they've done to your food Crowquette Jun 2014 #1

So... All of the privileges of being part of the government, but none of the responsibilities? ck4829 Jun 2014 #2

This may backfire on them. ManiacJoe Jun 2014 #12

End the war on drugs, now. CrispyQ Jun 2014 #3

Only $50 in meth but they take your house worth 200K. It's a good Fascist business model. TeamPooka Jun 2014 #9

Time to end the drug war and defund swat teams. Dawson Leery Jun 2014 #4

Taxpayer money funds all, their argument is moot. Ikonoklast Jun 2014 #5

Whoever thought of this scheme needs to be banned from government .... Scuba Jun 2014 #6

K & R !!! WillyT Jun 2014 #7

Prohibition is a failed public policy. nt TeamPooka Jun 2014 #8

Kudos to the ACLU. And also to the activists in Sonoma and Napa County Calif. truedelphi Jun 2014 #10

can we call it facism yet? please??? frylock Jun 2014 #11

Crowquette

(88 posts)

1. Kinda like the GMO corporations that claim they don't have tell you what they've done to your food

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 03:25 PM

Jun 2014

...or the "scientists" who claim they don't have to tell you who they are or how they reached their "findings."

It stinks. Totally.

ck4829

(35,039 posts)

2. So... All of the privileges of being part of the government, but none of the responsibilities?

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 03:26 PM

Jun 2014

Boy, that doesn't seem corrupt... at all.

ManiacJoe

(10,136 posts)

12. This may backfire on them.

Reply to ck4829 (Reply #2)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 08:24 PM

Jun 2014

If they are not part of the government, then they could easily lose their "limited immunity" and their privileges for using non-civilian weapons.

CrispyQ

(36,424 posts)

3. End the war on drugs, now.

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 03:27 PM

Jun 2014

The ACLU survey found that only 7 percent of SWAT missions involved incidents they were originally designed to handle – such as hostage situations or shootings – while 62 percent of their mission involved drug searches.

Drug searches where they throw explosive devices into the playpens of babies so they can catch someone selling $50 worth of meth. It's out of control & law enforcement is not your friend.

TeamPooka

(24,209 posts)

9. Only $50 in meth but they take your house worth 200K. It's a good Fascist business model.

Reply to CrispyQ (Reply #3)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 05:17 PM

Jun 2014

Dawson Leery

(19,348 posts)

4. Time to end the drug war and defund swat teams.

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 03:36 PM

Jun 2014

Ikonoklast

(23,973 posts)

5. Taxpayer money funds all, their argument is moot.

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 03:45 PM

Jun 2014

Attorneys get wealthy from litigating against LEO who create laws on the spot.

Scuba

(53,475 posts)

6. Whoever thought of this scheme needs to be banned from government ....

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 04:54 PM

Jun 2014

... as does anyone who approved it, or approves of it.

WillyT

(72,631 posts)

7. K & R !!!

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 05:00 PM

Jun 2014

TeamPooka

(24,209 posts)

8. Prohibition is a failed public policy. nt

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 05:16 PM

Jun 2014

truedelphi

(32,324 posts)

10. Kudos to the ACLU. And also to the activists in Sonoma and Napa County Calif.

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 05:50 PM

Jun 2014

Who are demanding changes in the ways that police now operate.

Citizens across the USA are tired of their neighbors and family members being blown away by trigger finger itchy police.

frylock

(34,825 posts)

11. can we call it facism yet? please???

Reply to Skidmore (Original post)

Thu Jun 26, 2014, 07:27 PM

Jun 2014

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