Privatized police force taking over town? - Politics and Economics

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10-01-2009 , 03:14 AM

Concerto

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4,564

Privatized police force taking over town?
Hired security guards descend upon city in phony patrol cars

By Drew Zahn
WorldNetDaily
September 29, 2009

Recent stories of a private security force descending upon a Montana town in black Mercedes SUVs with police department insignias emblazoned on the side have caused an Internet uproar.

The reason? Hardin, Mont., where the American Police Force entered driving the phony patrol cars, doesn't have a police department.

News stories of the strange actions by the private security firm launched an Internet buzz, with many readers emailing WND, asking if there was a connection between Hardin, where city officials once sought Guantanamo Bay prisoners to be housed in a local jail, the APF and President Obama's once-promised "civilian national security force."

"Hardin is the 'test town' for President Obama's new law to privatize the police force of local communities," decried one widely circulated blog post.

Other tales of private cops "taking over the city," patrolling the streets and erecting city gates to keep people in have also been splashed all over the Internet.

[...]

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=111442

10-01-2009 , 04:00 AM

Not_In_My_Name

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Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 23,099

My prediction -

1. This goes horribly wrong

2. Everyone blames "free market"

10-01-2009 , 07:56 AM

AKSpartan

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Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 9,931

We're about to find out whether or not ACism can work.

10-01-2009 , 08:06 AM

RollinHand

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Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 9,382

Haha yeah sure.
I bet we would have the same laws and prohibitions in ac land.

10-01-2009 , 09:27 AM

Nielsio

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Quote:

The backdrop of the story is the Two Rivers Detention Center, a $27 million jail hailed two years ago as the largest economic development project in decades in the small town of Hardin, population 3,500.

But with the city unable to secure any prisoners to house in the jail, the detention center has remained vacant ever since, and the bonds that financed its construction have fallen into default.

Earlier this month, the city's economic development branch, the Two Rivers Authority, announced a pending contract with APF to fill and manage the 464-bed, 114,000-square-foot jail.

Further, Becky Shay, the APF's new public relations director, announced last week that after the jail is filled, the company plans to build a 30,000-square-foot military-style training facility and a 75,000-square-foot dormitory for the trainees adjacent to the detention center.

[x] Payed for by taxes
[x] Reckless spending
[x] Corporatist
[ ] Private

10-01-2009 , 09:41 AM

RollinHand

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They should hire this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_BpyLd11ss

10-01-2009 , 09:48 AM

The 13th 4postle

banned

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 11,244

Mysterious Private Security Firm Gets Control Of Empty Jail In Small Montana Town

Quote:

TPMMuckraker

A shadowy private security company that has no known clients but claims to have helped foreign governments combat terrorism and will protect anything from cruise ships to Pakistani convoys has taken over a jail in a small Montana town, with plans to build a law enforcement training facility on the property.

The state legislature is looking into the matter and residents of Hardin, MT, were alarmed last week when executives from the firm, American Police Force, showed up in the town, which does not have its own police department, with Mercedes SUVs bearing "City Of Hardin Police Department" decals.

And the town has had to tamp down reports on conspiracy Web sites that APF plans to impose experimental H1N1 vaccines on residents under threat of quarantine in the jail.

Under a lease signed with Hardin, APF, based in Santa Ana, California, and incorporated just six months ago, is now in control of a 400-bed detention facility the town built a few years ago but never used, a town official confirmed to TPMmuckraker today. The town reportedly stands to make over $2 million per year.

10-01-2009 , 10:27 AM

DCJ311

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 4,625

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nielsio

[x] Payed for by taxes
[x] Reckless spending
[x] Corporatist
[ ] Private

All of this, I think the total cost was estimated at around $27 million. And pretty sure one of their head guys said in an interview that they weren't really interested in 'policing', but instead some type of 'training'. It was all very weird. Also odd was that he gave out his first but not his last name and had some kind of accent, and that these guys apparently used a 'virtual' address. I might be talking out of my *** here but this is a very bothersome story.

Also, are these guys subject to the same laws/regulations as the 'normal' police force? Worth knowing imo, since a lot of the Blackwater/mercs definitely aren't.

10-01-2009 , 10:34 AM

Ineedaride2

Politics Court Jester

Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 25,080

The sounds exactly like the beginning of a Steven Seagal movie.

10-01-2009 , 11:07 AM

#10

AlbertoKnox

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3,676

I see no reason to expect problems if it is private. They won't get funding unless they provide a service that people want.

10-01-2009 , 01:33 PM

#11

tubasteve

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Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 14,283

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertoKnox

I see no reason to expect problems if it is private. They won't get funding unless they provide a service that people want.

you realize that people in the town had no clue what was going on? doesn't sound like they signed up for the private police force voluntarily.

10-01-2009 , 01:40 PM

#12

Nielsio

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tubasteve

you realize that people in the town had no clue what was going on? doesn't sound like they signed up for the private police force voluntarily.

Sarcasm imo.

10-01-2009 , 01:41 PM

#13

tubasteve

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 14,283

fair enough but it doesn't seem that way, looks like he just didnt read the article

10-01-2009 , 01:42 PM

#14

TomVeil

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Ineedaride2

The sounds exactly like the beginning of a Steven Seagal movie.

Do we need to form an elite Politard group to swoop in and save the day? Nielsio has the power of ****!

Last edited by TomVeil; 10-01-2009 at 01:42 PM. Reason: Shuttlecock. From badminton you pervs.

10-01-2009 , 03:55 PM

#15

Mempho

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Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,296

CBS News and USA Today are now covering this. It is apparent that they were riding around in vehicles with "Hardin Police Department" emblems on the sides.

However, the APF spokeswoman said that they were just showing off what their police cars could look like and that they had a "Not for Official Use" sticker on the back.

The whole thing seems bizarre.

10-01-2009 , 03:57 PM

#16

FlyWf

It's the other way

Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 58,090

scame, imo
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmem...rd.php?ref=fpb

Seriously this dude is conning this town out of their jail budget.

Quote:

A Lexis search conducted by Prison Legal News turned up the following aliases used by Hilton: Miodrag Dokovich, Miodrag Djokich, Miodrag Djokovich, Michael Hamilton, Anthony M. Hilton, Michael A. Hilton, Michael Milton and Hristian Djokich, plus related variants.

Plus related variants?

10-01-2009 , 04:04 PM

#17

Mempho

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,296

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyWf

scame, imo
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmem...rd.php?ref=fpb

Seriously this dude is conning this town out of their jail budget.

Plus related variants?

Billings Gazette article on this guy is the lead on their website right now:

http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/5867...corder=regular

10-01-2009 , 04:06 PM

#18

Mempho

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,296

Also, it is widely-rumored that this is a Blackwater front (although Blackwater has been renamed) but all of the proof of this either never existed or has been deleted.

10-01-2009 , 07:01 PM

#19

DCJ311

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 4,625

Apparently the 'Michael Hilton' guy (not his real name allegedly) has a pretty decent racket sheet. Also, there are allegedly European soldiers inside this compound, but I can neither confirm nor deny this. Everything is very secretive, so my conspiracy spidey sense is definitely tingling.

10-01-2009 , 07:53 PM

#20

Low Key

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Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 33,327

Quote:

Originally Posted by Concerto

"Hardin is the 'test town' for President Obama's new law to privatize the police force of local communities," decried one widely circulated blog post.

I assume this means every liberal everywhere is fine with this story, even though they were not fine with Blackwater, because Obama's name is possibly attached to it.

Last edited by Low Key; 10-01-2009 at 07:53 PM. Reason: more sarcasm itt

10-01-2009 , 08:50 PM

#21

DblBarrelJ

2+2 Resident Enforcer

Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 13,857

I'm confused by all the complaints. I thought you AC types wanted this....

10-01-2009 , 09:12 PM

#22

TomVeil

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Except the part where nobody hired them?

10-01-2009 , 10:21 PM

#23

DCJ311

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 4,625

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomVeil

Except the part where nobody hired them?

And the part where the front guy is an ex-con, the operation is very secret, some of the soldiers appear to be European, etc.

10-01-2009 , 10:35 PM

#24

Ineedaride2

Politics Court Jester

Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 25,080

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomVeil

Except the part where nobody hired them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCJ311

And the part where the front guy is an ex-con, the operation is very secret, some of the soldiers appear to be European, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ineedaride2

The sounds exactly like the beginning of a Steven Seagal movie.

10-01-2009 , 11:35 PM

#25

rjoefish

Got Out the Vote

Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 31,086

Steven Seagal LARP?

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