Massachusetts

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Fri Jun 27, 2014, 05:36 AM Jun 2014

Mass. SWAT teams claim they’re private companies and don’t have to tell you anything

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/26/mass-swat-teams-claim-theyre-private-companies-and-dont-have-to-tell-you-anything/

Mass. SWAT teams claim they’re private companies and don’t have to tell you anything
By Travis Gettys
Thursday, June 26, 2014 14:56 EDT

After the ACLU sent open records requests as part of its investigative report on police militarization, SWAT teams in Massachusetts claimed they were exempt because they were private corporations.

Some SWAT teams in the state operate as law enforcement councils, or LECs, which are funded by several police departments and overseen by an executive board largely made up of local police chiefs.

Member police departments pay annual membership dues to the LECs, which share technology and oversee crime scene investigators or other specialists.

~snip~

“Let’s be clear,” wrote Radley Balko for The Washington Post. “These agencies oversee police activities. They employ cops who carry guns, wear badges, collect paychecks provided by taxpayers and have the power to detain, arrest, injure, and kill. They operate SWAT teams, which conduct raids on private residences. And yet they say that because they’ve incorporated, they’re immune to Massachusetts open records laws. The state’s residents aren’t permitted to know how often the SWAT teams are used, what they’re used for, what sort of training they get or who they’re primarily used against.”

26 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Mass. SWAT teams claim they’re private companies and don’t have to tell you anything (Original Post) unhappycamper Jun 2014 OP

Wtf? PuraVidaDreamin Jun 2014 #1

And what kind of activity might they not want to divulge...? FailureToCommunicate Jun 2014 #2

Cops in Mass are incredibly well behaved MannyGoldstein Jun 2014 #3

Not exactly the point. WinkyDink Jun 2014 #6

I was addressing the photos of awful things MannyGoldstein Jun 2014 #7

Cops may be,yes, but there are still many folks concerned with incidents like the Watertown FailureToCommunicate Jun 2014 #8

I lived about a mile from the Watertown incident when it happened MannyGoldstein Jun 2014 #9

Seems they've decided a change of priorities was in order. n/t cprise Jun 2014 #12

I'm not trying to say MA cops are bad, or as bad as SWAT teams nationwide, which this ACLU report FailureToCommunicate Jun 2014 #21

I agree that it's disturbing. MannyGoldstein Jun 2014 #22

only 7% of SWAT missions are actual SWAT missions, 62% are drug searches bananas Jun 2014 #23

Radley Balko mahatmakanejeeves Jun 2014 #4

So they are mercenaries no better than Blackwater..... blackspade Jun 2014 #5

hence the need handmade34 Jun 2014 #10

Fuck off and die from a baby throwing the grenade Ed Suspicious Jun 2014 #11

That could happen in Mass. if the "Georgia cop mentality" creeps in. nt valerief Jun 2014 #14

Speaking of Georgia cops 90-percent Jun 2014 #20

Basically, they just admitted that they're fascists MynameisBlarney Jun 2014 #13

If they are private companies, strip them of all their taxpayer funded benefits... Purrfessor Jun 2014 #15

Still unacceptable. I do not want the right to deprive me of my rights and take me under arrest Ed Suspicious Jun 2014 #19

shit. it's one thing to pull this with the tourism council mopinko Jun 2014 #16

So then they shouldn't be allowed to arrest anyone.. truebrit71 Jun 2014 #17

tag leftyohiolib Jun 2014 #18

So ... tax-payer-funded armies against US? FiveGoodMen Jun 2014 #24

Kick! (nt) NYC_SKP Jul 2014 #25

I bet they'll want to be public when the liability lawsuits roll in! Pholus Jul 2014 #26

PuraVidaDreamin

(4,227 posts)

1. Wtf?

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 06:07 AM

Jun 2014

And we the citizens are not privy to this, had no say in it? Phone calls today.

FailureToCommunicate

(14,333 posts)

2. And what kind of activity might they not want to divulge...?

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 06:40 AM

Jun 2014

MannyGoldstein

(34,589 posts)

3. Cops in Mass are incredibly well behaved

Reply to FailureToCommunicate (Reply #2)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 06:56 AM

Jun 2014

For example, we have the lowest rate of pot busts in the country, by far, because cops have a policy of ignoring pot laws - they don't want to mess up people's lives over something that stupid. Boston was the only Occupy that ended with a negotiated settlement instead of Occupiers being carted off. And so forth.

I suspect that this "we don't have to answer your stinkin' questions" thing will get cleared up shortly.

WinkyDink

(51,311 posts)

6. Not exactly the point.

Reply to MannyGoldstein (Reply #3)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 07:14 AM

Jun 2014

MannyGoldstein

(34,589 posts)

7. I was addressing the photos of awful things

Reply to WinkyDink (Reply #6)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 07:18 AM

Jun 2014

That are very, very unlikely to happen in Massachusetts, and I also,addressed the issue (i.e, this refusal will likely get turned around quickly.

FailureToCommunicate

(14,333 posts)

8. Cops may be,yes, but there are still many folks concerned with incidents like the Watertown

Reply to MannyGoldstein (Reply #3)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 07:28 AM

Jun 2014

house to house searches, and SWAT drug raids...

Here is the ACLU report:

https://www.aclu.org/war-comes-home-excessive-militarization-american-policing

MannyGoldstein

(34,589 posts)

9. I lived about a mile from the Watertown incident when it happened

Reply to FailureToCommunicate (Reply #8)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 07:40 AM

Jun 2014

I've not heard anything but praise from the locals. As scary as they looked, the cops were relaxed and polite (except when they got the guy).

i'm glad that the ACLU is doing what it's doing, and hope they get the records they want. I just feel bad when Mass cops get lumped in with the bad cops of that abound these days.

cprise

(8,445 posts)

12. Seems they've decided a change of priorities was in order. n/t

Reply to MannyGoldstein (Reply #9)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:12 AM

Jun 2014

FailureToCommunicate

(14,333 posts)

21. I'm not trying to say MA cops are bad, or as bad as SWAT teams nationwide, which this ACLU report

Reply to MannyGoldstein (Reply #9)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 01:20 PM

Jun 2014

looks into. It is disturbing, however nice(er) they may seem, that SWAT teams in MA refused to answer the ACLU for the reasons they stated.

You are correct to say that MA police units received praise for their handling of most of the manhunt. However, not everyone would say the police or especially SWAT teams were particularly "relaxed" or especially "polite" (That is my brother's apartment building in the picture above)

It was an extaordinary event requiring a big amount of cooperation by the otherwise quiet neighborhoods they searched. We're all glad it turned out pretty well...

MannyGoldstein

(34,589 posts)

22. I agree that it's disturbing.

Reply to FailureToCommunicate (Reply #21)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 01:22 PM

Jun 2014

I'm sure it'll get rectified promptly. Stupid stuff doesn't stay stupid for long here, in all but a few cases.

Is your brother's building in the top or bottom photo? We used to live in Newton Corner on the brighton line, by Oak Square. We moved last summer across town to West Newton/Newtonville.

bananas

(27,509 posts)

23. only 7% of SWAT missions are actual SWAT missions, 62% are drug searches

Reply to MannyGoldstein (Reply #3)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 05:12 PM

Jun 2014

Last paragraphs in the OP:

“NEMLEC can’t have it both ways,” said ACLU attorney Jessie Rossman. “Either it is a public entity subject to public records laws, or what it is doing is illegal.”

The ACLU survey found that only 7 percent of SWAT missions involved incidents they were originally designed to handle – such as hostage situations or shootings – while 62 percent of their mission involved drug searches.

mahatmakanejeeves

(61,138 posts)

4. Radley Balko

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 07:05 AM

Jun 2014

I know that name.

Darryl Howard and the rampaging prosecutor: Durham learns little from Duke lacrosse debacle

blackspade

(10,056 posts)

5. So they are mercenaries no better than Blackwater.....

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 07:10 AM

Jun 2014

And just as 'legitimate?'

Sorry, they can't have it both ways.

handmade34

(22,928 posts)

10. hence the need

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:07 AM

Jun 2014

for less privatization, not more...

Ed Suspicious

(8,879 posts)

11. Fuck off and die from a baby throwing the grenade

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:08 AM

Jun 2014

back at you.

valerief

(53,235 posts)

14. That could happen in Mass. if the "Georgia cop mentality" creeps in. nt

Reply to Ed Suspicious (Reply #11)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:21 AM

Jun 2014

90-percent

(6,904 posts)

20. Speaking of Georgia cops

Reply to valerief (Reply #14)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 09:52 AM

Jun 2014

I visited my sister there recently in the Atlanta region. I was told about a girl in her office that got pulled over for a D.U.I. and blew 0.0 on the breathalyser. ZERO-POINT-ZERO

She was prosecuted for D.U.I. anyway, and it ended up costing her about $10,000 to go to Court and clear it up.

Nice justice yawl got down there in Georgia.

-90% Jimmy

MynameisBlarney

(2,979 posts)

13. Basically, they just admitted that they're fascists

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:19 AM

Jun 2014

This shit is getting out of hand, fast.

Purrfessor

(1,190 posts)

15. If they are private companies, strip them of all their taxpayer funded benefits...

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:27 AM

Jun 2014

including their health insurance and pensions.

Ed Suspicious

(8,879 posts)

19. Still unacceptable. I do not want the right to deprive me of my rights and take me under arrest

Reply to Purrfessor (Reply #15)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 09:21 AM

Jun 2014

to be in the hands of a private, ill-regulated private entity; a tiny tyranny. No way no how.

mopinko

(71,869 posts)

16. shit. it's one thing to pull this with the tourism council

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Fri Jun 27, 2014, 08:34 AM

Jun 2014

and another with a swat team. rahm is in hot water for turning tourism over to a non-profit that just got a ruling from the ag that it doesnt have to show it's records.
but this here.....