Why is the FBI dressing in a militaristic manner?

[true_notes]

Preperation for a police state, perhaps?

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[Minnesota Libra]

1. Where was the picture taken and ..............

.....what was going on that made this picture possible? Knowing that might make an educated guess a whole lot easier.

[Kingshakabobo]

6. That's from the Miami terra plot story.........

I forget which comedian pointed out the silliness of police/fbi wearing camouflage and green fatigues in the city. Why not have pictures of car-grills, mailboxes and lampposts etc. printed on their little outfits?

[Minnesota Libra]

9. In that case I'd say they should be wearing urban camoflauge.......

.....to be less visible to the "bad guys". The forest camouflage, or whatever that is, is almost laughable in an urban setting. :eyes:

[bklyncowgirl]

11. This sartorial discussion brings me to my favorite FBI story

I was working in a library in an urban area. It was my first day on the job. As the head librarian was showing me, two big white guys in black suits stride through the door and make a beeline for an unmarked door in the back of the building. Everybody in the library looks up from what they're doing and watches.

I'm from Brooklyn, and I can tell you that my fuzzdetector is going off like crazy. I look at the head librarian who shrugs. "I was going to tell you this but I didn't want to scare you. The FBI is using our basement to tap phones in the area. They just started today."

I knew that this was a big Italian neighborhood and that many people who were, shall we say, "involved", lived in the area--you never used the "M" word in that community. I began to wonder whether I'd made a really big mistake in taking this job.

A few minutes later the building custodian comes over. "Sal from the pork store wanted to know why the FBI's in the library. I just played dumb."

I asked my boss. "Does the FBI know that everyone in the neighborhood knows they're in our basement."

"No" she said "and I wouldn't want to be the one to tell them."

They found out a few days later when someone called in a bomb threat. As we stood on the corner, three black limosines drove slowly around the block three times.

A few days later someone amended our parking lot sign from "Parking for Library Staff Only" to "Parking for library staff and FBI only"

They finally got the message.

[monarch]

12. Great story! n/t

[Minnesota Libra]

16. That is a story that is so strange it could only be our wonderful.........

.....government at work. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[bklyncowgirl]

23. Yeah, they sort of stood out--just a bit. It gets even wierder.

Apparently the night before they delivered the wiretapping equipment in a black van with all these clean cut white guys carrying in electronic equipment. The guy next door saw it all and of course he was quick to pass it on to the higher ups in his--er--organization. Apparently they didn't know that the guy whose house overlooked the parking lot was, as they used to say in the neighborhood--involved.

The FBI never talked to us. One day they just went away leaving their equipment in place. A couple of months later a pair of undercover cops from the DAs office showed up to fire up the listening machines. They were a 30 something woman and a scruffy looking hispanic guy. Since they fit right in no one ever gave them a second look--nice people too.

Their efforts led to a major bust in which several high ranking organized crime figures were convicted on drug running charges.

[Vidar]

17. Dress them as the "homeless". Then they can arrest each

other as terrorists.

[Heidi]

2. Could be either of two reasons:

1. To make us feel "safer," or
2. To make us feel more afraid.

I'm bettin' on Reason 2.

[Alamom]

3. Miami Domestic Terror Plot (maybe) ?

Looks like one I saw along with that story........might explain dropping the suits and putting on something a little "more" appropriate. :*







edit: spelling

[Scurrilous]

4. The FBI loves to dress up and play with guns...

...as much as any law enforcement organization.

Love the sunglasses. And the kneepads.

[onenote]

5. would you prefer them dressed like this?

[wakeme2008]

7. It could be worse,,, picture him and his tommy in a dresssss

:rofl:

[Clark2008]

8. The FBI has always had tactical gear

Yes - they mostly dress in suits, but when they're actually doing the grunt of police work, rather than interviewing people, shuffling paperwork or testifying in court, they do have tactical gear. Or haven't you noticed that regular police gear of this manner started resembling more military gear over the past 10 years?

There is a reason, of course. There are more high-powered weaponry in the hands of some crazy-ass citizens out there. They have to wear more protection (from themselves and others).

[unhappycamper]

10. They want to dress like their heros:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

13. Please yesterday at my sister's HS graduation, the cops had bulletproof

vests on. Um...this is a HS graduation, in a town where the biggest activity for the cops tends to be busting some kids smoking pot by the river or hanging out at the coffee shop conveniently located next to the police station.

WHAT THE HELL DO THEY NEED THE VESTS FOR????

[davepc]

21. In many departments they're a MANDATORY part of the uniform.

Due to their weigh, bulk, and the way they keep in body heat some officers would chose not to wear their vests on duty, so to counteract that departments began making them mandatory part of the uniform. In some cases that means fines or letters of reprimand for not following department procedure if they're not worn.

[BlackVelvet04]

14. Man.....

are they badass looking or what?

They dress like that because it fulfills their macho fantasies.

[izzie]

15. It seems all police are getting like this. What city has a tank?

I read some place some big city bought a tank for it SWAT team. You have to laugh in a funny way. My daughter said if you do not have a rocket launcher under your coat now your just not manly. Guess life has become to dull, so this is all fun.

[datasuspect]

18. militarization of police

reactionaries like to play dress up.

[dogday]

19. Get use to seeing this....................... nt

[davepc]

20. They HRT

The FBI has its own SWAT unit, called the Hostage Rescue Team, but their duties include all tactical anti-terrorist response in the US, not just hostage rescue. They're highly trained dudes, who cross train with the Army and Navy.

Since by law (posse comitatus) the US cant send in SEALs or Delta force to do high risk "takedowns" they send in the HRT.

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/isd/cirg/tact.htm

But I guess if you wanna just think of them as over macho guys playing dress up, go ahead.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Cool fashion statement for "real men".

Guns, armor, boots, tells the world how 'tuf they are.