.Patriot Act Renewal Includes Creation of a Federal Police Force

Section 605 of the House version of the Patriot Act renewal legislation. It calls for the creation of a Federal Police Force. Your imperial presidency at work.

"A permanent police force, to be known as the 'United States Secret Service Uniformed Division,'" empowered to "make arrests without warrant for any offense against the United States committed in their presence" ... "or for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such felony."

Here is the text to Sec. 605, Creation of the Uniformed Division, United States Secret Service.

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/013796.html


http://talkleft.com/new_archives/013796.html

Sounds like a domestic army to me.

say no.

This is seriously fucked up.

Another Federal Police Force.

Like, the FBI

the Secret Service

the Treasury Department

and the Border Patrol

Dear Lord help us!

DEA & ATF

uniformed division I hope we are not that stupid. The SS uniformed division can't wait to see their uniforms.

House, embassies, etc., and is pretty much limited to Washington DC or when the president travels.

WITHOUT A WARRANT! Talk about fast track to the PA being declared unconstitutional and the total disbanding of the Secret Service.

Also:
Does this include the president? I mean, after all, we have reasonable grounds to believe HE has committed a felony (illegal wire taps). Should they not then arrest him?

...Bush's personal army to surround the White House after he's impeached, convicted and refuses to leave?
...this CANNOT be permitted.

“Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”

Do they get around this by making their own police force and no using military troops?

They protect the White House and various other places.
http://www.secretservice.gov/ud.shtml

(I first learned about this from the mystery novels about Eleanor Roosevelt, I believe.)

I really hope this is some stupid joke, because if it isn't...... we are in some deep you know what

Isn't that a happy coincidence in terms.

Scary and unbelievable. I certainly hope the media will report on this - this is ridiculous.

I know some of you will respond that the corporate media would never, but this is something that NO American - liberal, conservative or anywhere in-between - should be comfortable with.

That's all...just OMFG

push just prior to Christmas vacation?

Update: Received from a knowledgeable reader:

For those us that practice criminal law in DC we are well aware of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service. This Division has been around for quite a while. It used to be known as the Executive Protection Service, protecting embassies and the like. The Uniformed Division still protects embassies, but they do have general police powers here in DC. I guess the amendment intends to make the Uniformed Division national in scope. The cops that make up the Uniformed Division are the ones that didnt make the cut to be a regular Secret Service agent. Many go the Uniformed route to get their foot in the door. At least here they can effect traffic stops, make warrantless arrests for any crime occuring within eyeshot. They often handle the credit card frauds and the like. So its not a novel idea, just an expansion of a force already in place.

(d) Conforming Amendments to Laws Affecting District of Columbia- (1) Section 1537(d) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--

(A) by striking `and the Executive Protective Service' and inserting `and the Secret Service Uniformed Division'; and

(B) by striking `their protective duties' and all that follows and inserting `their protective duties under sections 3056 and 3056A of title 18.'

whatever he wants. Despite having language removed which COULD conceivably given him the power to perform warrantless wiretaps he did it anyway. This is only one step removed from the same sort of logic he is trying to push forward right now.

protection unit and give them uniforms. From the act, they perform the same duties they do now.

the law that states that martial law is illegal? This sounds like a loop hole against that law (I can't remember the name of it now). It's all about the wording but it's the same thing.

Or any offense against Bush?

Are we running out of time here, or what?

and more loudly rejecting the use of words like Fascism and Totalitarianism..

check it out
http://www.antiwar.com/roberts/?articleid=8434