A worrying trend in law enforcement?

Courtesy of a link at Irons In The Fire, I was led to an article by James Wesley Rawles on Survival blog. Here's an excerpt.

During the past several years, I have witnessed a dramatic shift in the focus of law enforcement training. Law enforcement courses have moved away from a local community focus to a federally dominated model of complete social control. Most training I have attended over the past two years have been sponsored by Department of Homeland Security (DHS), namely the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

No matter what topic the training session concerns, every DHS sponsored course I have attended over the past few years never fails to branch off into warnings about potential domestic terrorists in the community. While this may sound like a valid officer and community safety issue, you may be disturbed to learn how our Federal government describes a typical domestic terrorist.

These federal trainers describe the dangers of "extremists" and "militia groups" roaming the community and hiding in plain sight, ready to attack. Officers are instructed how to recognize these domestic terrorists by their behavior, views and common characteristics. State data bases are kept to track suspected domestic terrorists and officers are instructed on reporting procedures to state and federal agencies. The state I work in, like many others, have what is known as a "fusion center" that compiles a watch list of suspicious people.

So how does a person qualify as a potential domestic terrorist? Based on the training I have attended, here are characteristics that qualify:

• Expressions of libertarian philosophies (statements, bumper stickers)
• Second Amendment-oriented views (NRA or gun club membership, holding a CCW permit)
• Survivalist literature (fictional books such as "Patriots" and "One Second After" are mentioned by name)
• Self-sufficiency (stockpiling food, ammo, hand tools, medical supplies)
• Fear of economic collapse (buying gold and barter items)
• Religious views concerning the book of Revelation (apocalypse, anti-Christ)
• Expressed fears of Big Brother or big government
• Homeschooling
• Declarations of Constitutional rights and civil liberties
• Belief in a New World Order conspiracy
  

A recent training session I attended encouraged law enforcement agencies to work with business owners to alert police when customers appear to be stockpiling items. An example was given that a federal agent was monitoring customers at a well known hunting and fishing retail outlet and noting who was purchasing certain items. This is something to remember the next time you purchase a case of ammo at one of these popular outdoor sports retail stores.

Methods of developing evidence of terrorist activity from virtually any search have also been discussed. Various common materials which may be associated with homemade explosives are listed, such as lengths of pipe, gunpowder, matches, flammable liquids and fireworks. Officers are told when these items are found, they can be listed as "bomb making materials". The training even goes so far as to instruct officers that the items are cleverly disguised as legitimate, such as gasoline stored near a lawn mower, pipes stored in a shop building or gunpowder stored with reloading materials.

There's more at the link. Disturbing reading, but important, and recommended.

What worries me is that I've seen precisely the same signs that Mr. Rawles reports. There really does seem to be a growing emphasis in many (but not yet all) law enforcement circles that it's "them versus us", that any and every sign of individuality, independence and self-reliance on the part of private citizens is to be regarded as suspicious, and that those who object to such suspicions should be "put in their place". One very recent incident, the ATF's "Project Gunrunner", appears to be rampant with these attitudes, particularly on the part of senior ATF and Department of Justice executives. (I've written about this before, and you'll find a very good - albeit lengthy - summary of the scandal here.) I also noted this sort of official suspicion of those who could look after themselves during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I wrote about it at the time.

I think this is symptomatic of what some have called the "managerial state" - a group of bureaucrats, technocrats and officials who remain in their administrative and executive positions irrespective of who forms the government at any time. They work to perpetuate their authority and influence, and don't really care about the orders of elected politicians. They're not answerable to voters, as are politicians, and they don't want to be answerable. They'll do their best to ignore, obfuscate and block any inquiry into their activities (as we're seeing now from the ATF in connection with Operation Gunrunner). They'll also try to indoctrinate their subordinates into "going with the flow" of directives from on high.

How about it, readers? Have any of you seen any evidence of such attitudes? If so, please let us know in Comments. It might be worth following up on this issue.

Peter