Anonymous Coward User ID: 59492707 United States 06/27/2014 08:05 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | OUTRAGE!:Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations by LieparDestin 125 Comments Seeking information regarding the militarization of local police forces the ACLU sent open record requests to SWAT teams across Massachusetts. They had an interesting reason to refuse the request: 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 More from Radley Balko at the Washington Post: 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. [ link to www.dailykos.com] |
Anonymous Coward (OP) User ID: 59492707 United States 06/27/2014 08:14 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: OUTRAGE!:Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations 10 minutes and still no Pin.
Need I say more about this place? |
Chrewman
User ID: 54914554 United States 06/27/2014 08:25 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: OUTRAGE!:Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations
Three hours of info that should be taught in HS.
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Arete11
User ID: 8545334 United States 06/27/2014 09:39 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: OUTRAGE!:Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations Let me get this right, private companies are hired by our government to SWAT America, but these companies aren't directly accountable to the tax paying citizens??? Last Edited by Arete11 on 06/27/2014 09:41 PMUntroubled, Scornful, Outrageous-That is how Wisdom wants us to be! White Genocide: 1900AD @ 35% - Today less than 8% of the earth's population Sophia's Correction |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 37329036 United States 06/27/2014 09:50 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: OUTRAGE!:Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations stop taking my money if your not a public agency! |
Chrewman
User ID: 54914554 United States 06/28/2014 03:14 PM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: OUTRAGE!:Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations Let me get this right, private companies are hired by our government to SWAT America, but these companies aren't directly accountable to the tax paying citizens??? Quoting: Arete11 No. Government is a private corporation, and tax exempt. An example is city police department which has swat team. The city is a private corporation. The police department within the city may also be a different private corporation. It may not be, but it could be. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 51741562 United States 07/26/2014 07:01 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: OUTRAGE!:Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations
Ok, wouldn't being a private corp. open them up to civil lawsuits etc. If they falsely accuse you of a crime it should be easy to file a defamation lawsuit shouldn't it? Wouldn't it make sense that since they're a private corp. they should be turned in to IRS for tax evasion? If they're a private corp. wouldn't they have to abide by the laws just as other corps. are? Hmmm...... Maybe we should start looking at this claim as a new way to play their game? |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 31704932 United States 07/26/2014 07:11 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Re: OUTRAGE!:Mass. SWAT Teams Deny Records Request Claiming They Are Private Corporations Hmmm. sooo I could form my own swat teams if I had the money? |