Feds Announce Takeover of Police in 6 Cities

Was unable to find anything about this using the search on ATS.

Conservative Tribune Article

The Department of Justice has announced 6 U.S. cities it plans to use as pilot sites for the " National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice", with a $4.7 million pricetag.

The six cities are Ft. Worth, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Stockton, Birmingham and Gary, Indiana. Attorney General Eric Holder described the initiative as a partnership between federal officials and criminal justice experts providing training, policy and research to address distrust between citizens and law enforcement.

Distrust between citizens and law enforcement, eh? How could that be? Aren't they there to protect and serve?

Maybe that $4.7 million should have been spent on an initiative to combat police brutality and use of unnecessary force, since that seems to be a larger issue than the citizens' mistrust. How about rebuilding that trust and creating a safer place for both the people and those that are there to police. Nvm.. this IS their plan for rebuilding trust. But I'm no expert negotiator so I'll leave this to the professionals on Capitol Hill.

Roper feels Birmingham needs help from the federal government to gain trust from its citizens, “Although we’ve worked extremely hard building bridges in our communities we saw this initiative as an opportunity to strengthen relationships, increase public cooperation, and improve the perception of police legitimacy across our city.” “We truly recognize that the Birmingham Police Department cannot be successful without community support and community trust. This three year project will allow us to serve as a national police model and increase our capacity to serve our citizens,” said Roper.

(A.C. Roper is the Birmingham Police Chief)

After everything that went on at Ferguson this really isn't too surprising to me. But it is yet another reach by the Federal Government to take control and have their people with boots on the ground making decisions.

Here is the source article: AL.com, it seems a little less biased.

The other pilot cities are: Ft. Worth, Gary, Indiana, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Stockton. The initiative comes after several high profile fatal police-involved shootings.

"We are truly honored that DOJ would select Birmingham as one of six national pilot sites,'' said Birmingham police Chief A.C. Roper. "The mayor and I actually started discussing this initiative several months ago and knew there would be over 100 cities vying for the limited opportunities."

"We're all aware of the modern day issues and national discussion on policing in America. Although we've worked extremely hard building bridges in our communities we saw this initiative as an opportunity to strengthen relationships, increase public cooperation, and improve the perception of police legitimacy across our city,'' Roper said. "We truly recognize that the Birmingham Police Department cannot be successful without community support and community trust. This three year project will allow us to serve as a national police model and increase our capacity to serve our citizens."

Sounds like the city volunteered to be in the program and that they welcome the opportunity to increase public trust.

I guess it sounds alright to me, I'm willing to wait and see how this works out before calling it a takeover by Feds.

"needs help from the federal government to gain trust from its citizens"

Now that's funny.

Jude11

It's starting.

This is the beginning of a large scale Federal operation.

How much military equipment do those cities have?

What is he talking about here?
"We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded."

Obama civilian national security force

This is one of the most chilling statements that I've heard come from an American leader in my life time. If this man thinks we need to create some kind of national police force as big, powerful and well-funded as our combined U.S. military forces, isn't this rather a big deal?

"Civilian National Security Force" or Police state?

Join the Obama Civilian national security force

a reply to: jude11

I chuckled as well. We are seeing an ever-increasing expansion of the Federal Gov., even with more scandals and corruption being brought to peoples' attention.

Government: Do as we say, not as we do

Officials are never held accountable, and if one goes down it's because someone (or multiple people) higher up had too much to lose; so often what comes out is just the tip of the iceberg.


People: *cricket noises (nobody cares, the corruption continues, the militarization of police continues, etc. etc.)

This is outlandish!

If this comes to pass it is the first steps to creating a military state. This is the same tactics Hitler used, but only under a different name.

a reply to: FamCore

Seems like this is less about the militarization of police and more about combating the very mistrust and police brutality you reference in your OP.

You want less police brutality, this seems likes a good start. A grassroots style campaign of joint cooperation between the fed and local police aimed at regaining lost trust.

What would you have preferred, if I may ask?

a reply to: ScientificRailgun

I think the Federal Government shouldn't be involved.

I think it comes down to the local communities and State Government (those with State gov. will have a better idea of the demographics in their state, the issues they face, etc.)

It seems to me that the Federal Gov likes to get involved in anything and everything just to have eyes on things and collect their fees when they can justify it. I'm not an expert on politics or civil unrest so I don't have a grand solution, but I don't think the Fed Gov has what it takes to make a significant improvement with these issues. Look at their track record. It's the teapot calling the kettle black - the Fed should figure out all of its issues and problems before putting its sticky fingers into local government/policing.

How about a program on ethics for Federal Government officials? (Fast and Furious scandal comes to mind, Benghazi, justifying drone strikes on American citizens abroad, etc.) That I would support. This, I don't.

a reply to: FamCore

I agree with you, but the state and local governments are many times complicit in the kind of corruption in the Police department, as we saw in the DOJ report on the Ferguson Police Department recently, even city officials were in on the corruption. Perhaps a state solution is the answer, but states have not been forthcoming on a solution the issue.

I think this may do the police some good. I will reserve my judgement and see just how far the fed puts their tentacles into the department.

a reply to: ScientificRailgun

Naw man its a scam to militarize the local police and to categorize them under the Federal Government for the future police state takeover.

So you want them to put more effort in to address brutality and use of force.

The National Initiative will highlight three areas that hold great promise for concrete, rapid progress. Racial reconciliation facilitates frank conversations between minority communities and law enforcement that allow them to address historic tensions, grievances, and misconceptions between them and reset relationships. Procedural justice focuses on how the characteristics of law enforcement interactions with the public shape the public’s views of the police, their willingness to obey the law, and actual crime rates. Implicit bias focuses on how largely unconscious psychological processes can shape authorities’ actions and lead to racially disparate outcomes even where actual racism is not present.

nnscommunities.org...

Sorta sounds like that's one of three main focus points to me. You do realize that this program is like...training and education for the departments, right? And not the fed handing everybody a DOJ windbreaker and giving them federal police powers?

a reply to: amfirst1

Wait wait. I thought we already live in a police state and the police are already militarized?

So which is it?

originally posted by: FamCore

Distrust between citizens and law enforcement, eh? How could that be? Aren't they there to protect and serve?

Not any more, in most cases the police dept's no longer have that logo on their vehicles to avoid any possible legal liabilities, it's a bit like washing your doorstep and someone falling on it, so you're liable, putting 'protect and serve' on a police vehicle could make the police liable if they fail to protect you. Some feckup of a Supreme court has ruled that the police have no obligation to protect you, and that you alone are responsible for protecting yourself... and yeah, I know, it's stupid.
Now, I'm off to that shop that sells tanks, and field artillery etc.

a reply to: Shamrock6

You're right, on paper that is what one of the main purposes of the program is.

But i doubt it will be executed in a way that produces those kind of results. Furthermore I question the actual motives of this initiative - are they to bring about change or are they to make the people think there is going to be change. I think it's the latter and that the gov. wants to start this initiative as a way of further expanding and being involved in other local police activities.

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: FamCore

Seems like this is less about the militarization of police and more about combating the very mistrust and police brutality you reference in your OP.

You want less police brutality, this seems likes a good start. A grassroots style campaign of joint cooperation between the fed and local police aimed at regaining lost trust.

What would you have preferred, if I may ask?

So the way to increase trust between the people and their law enforcement is by takeover from the Federal Government that has NEVER had lower approval ratings from its people?



I'm sorry, but I have to go find something to wipe that tea off my monitor now.

What's the rest of your standup routine? It has promise.

originally posted by: ScientificRailgun
a reply to: FamCore

Seems like this is less about the militarization of police and more about combating the very mistrust and police brutality you reference in your OP.

You want less police brutality, this seems likes a good start. A grassroots style campaign of joint cooperation between the fed and local police aimed at regaining lost trust.

What would you have preferred, if I may ask?

What I would have preferred is for them to follow the Constitution as it is written! It's just your type of naive mindset that get's sold a bill of goods and then it's too late to go back.

The Founding Fathers understood that a central government without checks by state governments, would be dangerous and why they LIMITED the powers of the federal government. Our central government was supposed to be contained in the 100 square miles of real estate that was allocated for it. Little by little, the federal government has been encroaching on every area of our lives.

The Founding Fathers were smart people. The people in government since, have been anything but and are devious and corrupt by special interests and money. Those men who founded this nation and put themselves out there, are rolling over in their graves about now.

Attorney General Eric Holder described the initiative as a partnership between federal officials and criminal justice experts providing training, policy and research to address distrust between citizens and law enforcement.

If you like your insurance policy you can keep your insurance policy.

Who *Really* still trusts Eric Holder?

a reply to: FamCore

Breaking news: the fed is already nuts deep in local law enforcement. Have been for a long time.

Maybe we could wait for some results before screaming about how it's all a front for something else? Maybe we could say gee, maybe this will do some good before we start screaming about how it won't?

Still applies

a reply to: xuenchen

Ft worth has Wright AFB.Carswell afb,Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base All sevices.