11/01 So apparently the "Federal Protective Service" is tasked with
guarding federal buildings and as such a legitimate police force,
according to a cop I talked to last night. I still found it a bit
odd to see cars with an ominously undescriptive security force name
and a federal government (DHS) logo on the side pulling over and
questioning/fining people on Market St. last night. -John
\_ They can kill on sight at a hint of gay marraige or flag burning.
I certainly feel safer.
\_ so that was what those shootings in the Castro district were abt
\_ These guys are a bunch of assholes who ignore the law and
harass anyone they can. I work at a federal lab where there is
no classified research and where we are hundreds of miles from
anything that could realistically be considered a target, and
these guys all think they're the thin blubbery line between us
and the TERRORISTS. Presumably if people only come to a rolling
stop at stop signs in the parking lot or walk their dogs on the
property after dark, the terrorists have won. One of our federal
police pulled a gun on a visiting scientist right after 911.
They also used to like to come into the labs late at night when there
were two white guys and an asian guy working together and demand
to see the asian guy's ID but not the white guys. The asian guy
in question was born in the US and has been a federal employee
here for 10 years. A good rule of thumb is that if you think
these guys are ignoring the law and being neandrathal cowboys,
you're probably right. They recently arrested someone here for
refusing to give them their SSN, after they'd already shown their
drivers license and federal employee ID, and then had to let them
go when the local police basically told them to fuck off (because
they called the local PD to ask them to take the guy to jail.)
\_ Just curious, which lab do you work at? -jrleek
\_ NIST, Boulder, which is part of the Dept. of Commerce
\_ You went to Cal. Are you aware the UCPD has jurisdiction anywhere
within (IIRC) 5 miles of *any* UC Regent property? That's not just
Berkeley. *Any* Regent property which is most of the populated
areas of the state.
\_ So UCPD can make arrests anywhere in Downtown Oakland because
there is a UC building is in Chinatown?
\_ Yes. Exactly.
\_ Of course, same with BART police, no? I just found it odd to
see a police force that wasn't either local or state take an
active role. The SFPD cops I asked about it seemed a bit put
off by them. -John
\_ Yes, I believe the same with BART police but BART isn't
state wide. :-)
\_ I was told today that BART cops actually have statewide
jurisdiction, due to some sort of administrative
impossibility limiting it to just the BA. No clue if it's
true or not. -John
\_ Welcome to the New World Order. I can see you have been out of
the country for a while. If you think it is bad here, spend
some time in DC. -ausman |
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