U.S. Cities Increasing Use of Armed Mercenaries to Replace Police

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http://www.alternet.org/story/138180/u.s._cities_increasing_use_of_armed_mercenaries_to_replace_police?page=entire


Some estimate that private security inside the US actually outnumber police 5-to-1.


The United States is in the midst of the most radical privatization agenda in its history. We see this in schools, health care, prisons, and certainly with the US military/national security/intelligence apparatus.

There are almost 200,000 "private contractors" in Iraq (more than U.S. soldiers) and President Barack Obama is continuing to use mercenaries there and in Afghanistan and Israel/Palestine. At present, 70 percent of the U.S. intelligence budget is going to private companies.

This privatization trend is hardly new, but it is accelerating. While events such as the Nisour Square massacre committed in September 2007 by Blackwater operatives in Baghdad show the lethal danger of unleashing mercenary forces on foreign soil, one area with the potential for extreme abuses resulting from this privatization is in domestic law enforcement in the U.S.

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"The more than 1 million contract security officers, and an equal number of guards estimated to work directly for U.S. corporations, dwarf the nearly 700,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the United States," according to the Washington Post. Some estimate that private security operate inside the U.S. at a 5-to-1 ratio with police.

In New Orleans, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of the city, private security poured in. Armed operatives from companies like Blackwater, Wackenhut, Intercon and DynCorp spread out in the city. Within two weeks of the hurricane, the number of private security companies registered in Louisiana jumped from 185 to 235.

In New Orleans at the time, I interviewed Israeli commandos from a company called Instinctive Shooting International as they operated an armed checkpoint on Charles Street after having been hired by a wealthy businessman. I also interviewed private guards who bragged of shooting "black gangbangers."

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The Wall Street Journal this week reported, "Facing pressure to crack down on crime amid a record budget deficit, Oakland is joining other U.S. cities that are turning over more law-enforcement duties to private armed guards. The City Council recently voted to hire International Services Inc., a private security agency, to patrol crime-plagued districts. While a few Oakland retail districts previously have pooled cash to pay for unarmed security services, using public funds to pay for private armed guards would mark a first for the city."

In a stunning development revealed late Wednesday night, Oakland dropped its plan to hire International Services Inc. after the firm's founder and two other executives were arrested on charges of defrauding the state of California out of more than $9 million in workers compensation.

Although this particular company may be going down in flames, that doesn't seem to deter Oakland's advocates for using private forces. According to the WSJ:

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It is also becoming a major issue on the U.S.-Mexico border, as mercenary companies offer privatized border agents to the U.S. government.

If the public isn't vigilant, this will metastasize rapidly.
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scary

all those GUNS

women need to control the bullets. (not a joke)

[jody]

1. Neither Armed Mercenaries nor Police have a pre-existing right to keep and bear arms. That

is a privilege granted by government.

Moreover government is not obligated to protect an individual and some anti-gun groups want citizens who use firearms for self-defense to be subject to civil suits from the criminal or criminal's heirs.

I expect government will however, pass laws that shield Armed Mercenaries from civil suits from criminals just as for Police.

[HillbillyBob]

4. Most folks want arms control to keep the guns out of the criminal

hands.
But that is correct the US Constitution disallows private or personal armies.
Why do you and yours keep calling folks that are asking for sane control laws like checking for criminal or mental illness records anti gun?
There are some that are completely anti gun granted, but its not as large a number and nor are they a threat to you owning a gun.
Quit listening to the NRA, they are just using scare tactics.
There are rabid anti and pro on both sides, no matter what either side says there are pros and cons.
I have never heard that anyone wants to give the criminals family the right to sue if they are shot dead..
I know it would not fly here in NC, I have lived in several states that would not fly either.
A booby trap is a different thing, I recall and incident in Miami where a shop owner went to jail after wiring up his store gate with a high voltage shocker.
BTW I am a gun owner too. We have hunting rifles and shotguns as well as personal protection handguns. I feel a bit better knowing that those who have concealed carry like we do have been to safety classes and know the laws, and are not as likely to just get pissed up or pissed off and go nuts and shoot up a bunch of folks at random.
As to the criminal Blackwater mercs and others, our constitution does not allow personal or private armies. In order to take that to court though you have to prove harm, which the way blackwater operates you or I would not be around to complain.
They are based entirely too close to where I live for comfort, especially since they were flying over here in formations of several light and heavy armed choppers prior to President Obamas Inauguration.

[jody]

2. System error, dupe removed.

[HillbillyBob]

3. We need to stand up to this before we find them on our

personal door steps.
I have relatives that left NOLA never to return, after mysterious death of my uncle after the hurricane.
My aunt has gone into hiding and won't talk to anyone after they had a run in with Blackwater, we don't know where she is and she and I were close in age she was more like my older sister. Other relatives have heard from her once or twice and sisters say she is not talking or telling what happened and seems very afraid.