T.S.A. Expands Duties Beyond Airport Security

Originally posted by Xcathdra

Originally posted by buddha
How do the real police feel about being Replaces't?
to protect and serve!
well they dont KILL as many as the police YET!

As a real police officer I can say im not being replaced. The TSA is not commissioned law enforcement and their vipr teams cannot enforce state law. They can inspect interstate commerce, which is to say they can only stop big rigs and nothing else.

The first time they do, and if im in the area, a TSA employee will be going to jail for impersonating a police officer to start.

When you take him in...

Please do a very complete search.

Also, can you make him ride all the way to jail with no shoes?

Also, take your sweet ass time about it too.

Thanks for your Service.

reply to post by Flint2011


Then apply the smiles so I don't misread your intent

As for taking this thread seriously or too seriously...

The topic is important to me and should be to everyone else. The Federal Government's overreach into state matters and peoples lives is excessive to the point of Constitutional violations. So yes, I guess I do take it seriously. I wish others would as well (not you since you actually do more than just complain)... As I stated complaining about it is fine, since it brings the issues to light.

Failure to do anything more though and we end up with exactly what we have now.

Maybe its a failing of mine... I think involvement in government and issues by the citizens is extremely vital.

reply to post by Xcathdra


I am right there with you. I am all for the subject matter. I obviously take issue with the UN/NATO and the majority of our House of Representatives but our Government structure and it's separation of powers and the powers available to us as citizens is something I hold dearly to my heart. I was making light of those who don't take it seriously so I guess it's understandable how that can be misunderstood. If I use smilies I would get lambasted at many forums and so over the years I just never used them. I have to tel myself to do so here all of the time.

Simply revert to my initial post in this thread for my sentiment.

Washington Times

An interesting piece from their community site that gives a little more information but not much.
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of useful info on these guys at all.

Oh and i found this on TSA's website.
TSA Administrator Statement to Senate

As of May 2011, 10 recommendations have been fully implemented and the implementation of the others is underway.
Collaboration with Federal, State, Local, Tribal, and Private Entities
Over the past several years, DHS has been working to establish a new architecture in order to better defend against these evolving terrorist threats. This new architecture includes an emphasis on collaboration across government as well as in concert with private industry and the American public.
In 2005, DHS and the Department of Transportation (DOT) signed the Public Transportation Security Annex to the DHS/DOT Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This agreement promotes security collaboration between federal, state, local, tribal, and private entities.

I take it that means they can stop you whenever, where ever and it is almost unrecognized by the general public.

reply to post by Thorneblood


In order to make an arrest in my state, a person has to be:

A - Commissioned law enforcement, either here or from another state that is performing a function of their job.
B - A Commissioned Federal Officer that has full arrest authority (FBI/Marshals/Secret Service/etc).

TSA has a few commissioned positions...

When a commissioned Law Enforcement officer from another state / federal government is taking lawful action and come into the states jurisdiction, they are automatically covered under state law to take action within my states borders (and vice versa to the surrounding states).

In principle, Municipal, County, State law enforcement is not empowered to enforce federal law, and Federal law enforcement is not empowered to enforce state / local law. A few exceptions exist (Task forces for counter terrorism, drugs, fugitive recovery etc).

Its one thing for the FBI to initiate a traffic stop and make an arrest, being they are fully credentialed and have powers of arrest. However, when they do this its based on Federal law violations and not local/state traffic laws. They are almost always needing to arrest the driver or passenger in the vehicle on a Federal warrant.

A traffic stop can fall into 1 of 3 categories -

* - Infraction
* - Misdemeanor
* - Felony

Motor vehicle laws that cover everything except for Big Rigs / Interstate commerce is restricted to state / local law enforcement. This is one of the reasons why people driving their Jeep Wranglers are not required to stop at weigh stations, let alone keep a driving/sleep log, cargo manifest, a Class A license (Commercial), Medical card issued by their respective county coroners etc etc etc.

All of those items are required for commercial interstate transport (Big Rigs).

It makes sense for the TSA to be at Airports, Trains and interstate commercial vehicles. In those areas you have a jurisdiction problem being they are crossing municipal boundaries, Township boundaries, county boundaries, state boundaries and possibly international boundaries.

It is not practical to allow local / state laws to be in effect as they vary so much from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

The way to resolve that is to essentially make those areas Federal, and again, it makes sense.

If an accident occurs between a Train and a motor vehicle, there is a specific manner in which they are investigated and charges laid. In my area all car verse train accidents are handled by the Highway Patrol (unless its a large city with their own trained officers). This occurs because the accident occurred at the state level (car) and at the federal level (train).

So long as the train and its staff are completely within federal law, its a state matter. If they are not, then you get the Feds involved for their side.

The TSA has a place for interstate commerce, and NOTHING more. DOT registered vehicles are regulated by federal law, not state. They also have less protections than a civilian does in their vehicle.

Law Enforcement, in general, does not have to have a reason to stop and inspect a Semi. This is how the TSA bypasses the "Law Enforcement" requirement. However, when it comes to private vehicles / crimes committed in their presence, they are restricted to local / state law. In my state a person who is not commissioned law enforcement cannot initiate a traffic stop.

If they stick to commerce, im ok with it. If they try and expand, I would not support it as, in my opinion, its an over reach of the federal government and a violation of state sovereignty.

reply to post by Thorneblood


TSA has been more then airport security for a really long time. Case and point TWIC card.