This is disconcerting

[mrsleeve]

SWAT teams are private 501C3's and not subject to Massachusetts open records laws. UMMMMMM yikes

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/06/26/massachusetts-swat-teams-claim-theyre-private-corporations-immune-from-open-records-laws/

Bold for extra creepy

By Radley Balko

As part of the American Civil Liberties Union’s recent report on police militarization, the Massachusetts chapter of the organization sent open records requests to SWAT teams across that state. It received an interesting response.

As it turns out, a number of SWAT teams in the Bay State are operated by what are called law enforcement councils, or LECs. These LECs are funded by several police agencies in a given geographic area and overseen by an executive board, which is usually made up of police chiefs from member police departments. In 2012, for example, the Tewksbury Police Department paid about $4,600 in annual membership dues to the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, or NEMLEC. (See page 36 of linked PDF.) That LEC has about 50 member agencies. In addition to operating a regional SWAT team, the LECs also facilitate technology and information sharing and oversee other specialized units, such as crime scene investigators and computer crime specialists.

Some of these LECs have also apparently incorporated as 501(c)(3) organizations. And it’s here that we run into problems. According to the ACLU, the LECs are claiming that the 501(c)(3) status means that they’re private corporations, not government agencies. And therefore, they say they’re immune from open records requests. Let’s be clear. 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.

[nando]

Wow

[Exodus_2pt0]

Scary.

[decay]

sleeve, are you getting why some of us have been railing against laws favoring corporations (citizens united, etc) for a few years now? it was inevitable that the framework we had a problem with would end up being used by the gov't.

the attitude that "the economy must be protected so corps must be allowed to do whatever they want in the name of profit" is what led to this.

corps made the loophole, all the gov't has to do to exploit it is privatize.

everyone decided they didn't give a shit what blackwater/XE did overseas; now they'll do it here.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Yeah, that's some gestapo shit right there.

[M-technik-3]

Good Ole Massatwoshits wanting to one up California.

What's next. Need to move back to NH but that is rapidly becoming Metro Boston.

[ST1G]

Scary.

Wow

[marshallnoise]

FOIA is a farce anyway. Half of most documents are redacted beyond comprehension.

[mrsleeve]

True. But that's not the point

[marshallnoise]

True. But that's not the point

Well it is the same point executed in a different manner.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[mrsleeve]

I suppose so but much less of an audacious fuck off we will do as we please, that way though

[marshallnoise]

I suppose so but much less of an audacious fuck off we will do as we please, that way though

True.

[ParsedOut]

I just like it when sleeve makes a post so I can admire the vulgar display of cleavage in his profile pic.

In related news, the gov't doesn't give a fuck about individual liberties. We appoint them to handle this messy stuff and represent us so the brain dead masses can focus on the newest iPhone release. It's just another step closer...

[cabriodster87]

Yeah, that's some gestapo shit right there.

Immediately the first thing i thought.

[nando]

this is just another result of our ridiculously costly drug war, in terms of lives, liberty, and money.