Federal Police Force to Aid GOP Gathering

By DESMOND BUTLER, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - In a secure corridor of a government building, officers of a little-known federal police force sit among blinking routers and servers, manipulating and monitoring cameras across the city.

They are officers of the Federal Protective Service, which secures more than 9,500 federal buildings nationwide and will play a key role in safeguarding New York and its federal buildings during the Republican National Convention.

During an Associated Press reporter's visit this week to its New York control room on the condition that the location not be disclosed, images from cameras flashed across about a dozen flat-panel televisions. The cameras were trained on key security sites in and around the city's federal buildings, capturing video of cars entering parking garages, visitors and employees coming in and out of entrances and pedestrian traffic around building plazas.


More . . .



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040813/ap_on_el_pr/gop_convention_security&cid=694&ncid=2043

At work.

can you say gestapo?

They are federal empolyees charged with guarding and monitoring federal buildings. Federal buildings are indeed a prime target for terrorism, regardless of what politics are.

I want the NYPD doing police work, not defending federal buildings. The feds screw NYC out of so much money, I for one am thankful that they are paying the tab with respect to their properties within this city.

Theres alot going on one might equate with fascism. Calling these guys gestapo is not only over the top but a little ridiculous upon examination.

How many Federal buildings are close to where the GOP convention will be held, and why are they providing 200 officers trained in crowd control.

The convention is being held at Madison Square Garden, can anyone find out exactly how many federal buildings are nearby.


I can understand the officers being deployed near federal buildings, but why do I have this funny feeling that these crowd control "experts" will be deployed right at the Garden?

these are the guys who run the metal detectors in the lobby. Who (as stated in the article) watch cc cameras for suspicious activity.

Published lists of federal buildings are hard to find...(especially now that even running a search for one might set CARNIVORE and the DoJ on your ass!)...and beyond the Large Post Office directly across the street, I cannot immediately bring to mind any buildings in the immediate vicinity of MSG which are exclusively Federal.

But in this City it is not at all uncommon for federal agencies to share real estate (as they did in WTC7, fer instance) with other businesses. Particularly those that might wish to avoid publishing a physical address. In my office building in midtown, there are several federal agencies who maintain offices here. There's no sign in the lobby to that effect, obviously.

As to their being deployed near the Garden, of that I have little doubt. Their website includes amongst their many other responsibilities: "Providing protection during demonstrations, protests and acts of civil unrest".

This is an all hands on deck event in NYC. Especially since the NYPD and FDNY labor unions are grumbling. However, this is normal, and to be expected. These are not secret police or gestapo.

There are lots of agencies from which serious black ops can spring. I just doubt highly this is one of them. We have enough on our plate without ducking at shadows too.

But providing protection during demonstrations and such, would be limited to federal property, wouldn't it?

From what I understand, unless there is a formal request from local authorities, federal officers are limited to the protection of federal property only, unless martial law has been declared. Then you would have the military involved as well.

As for them not being secret police or gestapo, the German police forces didn't start out being secret police or gestapo either. But the situation and the government created the secret police and gestapo from the regular police forces of the different regions in Germany. Goering had control of them first, and then Himmler brought them under the SS umbrella. So it can happen, we just hope it doesn't.

It's always better to prepare for the worst, that way you're not shocked if it happens. And if it doesn't happen, then there is hope.

Remember the Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared".

to protect THEM, not us.
Just ask Mr. Goss.
BHN