Mysterious, unregistered security firm policing Montana town

[debbierlus]

http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/09/mysterious-unregistered-security-firm-policing-montana-town/

There are two stories on the link above - this is the second story scrolled halfway down the page. It is worth reading the whole thing. Apparently, this unknown private security company has been hired to fill the empty 27 million dollar jail. It is really frightening article.

The Two Rivers Detention Center was promoted as the largest economic development project in decades in the small town of Hardin when the jail was built two years ago. But it has been vacant ever since.

City officials have searched from Vermont to Alaska for inmate contracts to fill the jail, only to be turned down at every turn and see the bonds that financed its construction fall into default. They even floated the idea of housing prisoners from Guantanamo Bay at the jail.

So when Hardin officials announced this week that they had signed a deal with a California company to fill the empty jail, it was naturally a cause for celebration. Town officials talked about throwing a party to mark the occasion, their dreams of economic salvation a step closer to being realized.

But questions are emerging over the legitimacy of the company, American Police Force.

Government contract databases show no record of the company. Security industry representatives and federal officials said they had never heard of it. On its Web site, the company lists as its headquarters a building in Washington near the White House that holds "virtual offices." A spokeswoman for the building said American Police Force never completed its application to use the address.

And it's unclear where the company will get the inmates for the jail. Montana says it's not sending inmates to the jail, and neither are federal officials in the state.

An attorney for American Police Force, Maziar Mafi, describes the Santa Ana, Calif., company as a fledgling spin-off of a major security firm founded in 1984. But Mafi declined to name the parent firm or provide details on how the company will finance its jail operations.

"It will gradually be more clear as things go along," said Mafi, a personal injury and medical malpractice lawyer in Santa Ana who was only hired by American Police Force a month ago. "The nature of this entity is private security and for security purposes, as well as for the interest of their clientele, that's why they prefer not to be upfront."

On its elaborate Web site and in interviews with company representatives, American Police Force claims to sell assault rifles and other weapons in Afghanistan on behalf of the U.S. military while providing security, investigative work and other services to clients "in all 50 states and most countries."

The company also boasts to have "rapid response units awaiting our orders worldwide" and that it can field a battalion-sized team of special forces soldiers "within 72 hours."

Representatives of American Police Force said the company presently employs at least 16 and as many as 28 people in the United States and 1,600 contractors worldwide.

"APF plays a critical role in helping the U.S. government meet vital homeland security and national defense needs," the company says on its Web site. "Within the last 5 years the United States has been far and away our" number 1 client.

However, an Associated Press search of two comprehensive federal government contractor databases turned up no record of American Police Force.

Representatives of security trade groups said they had never heard of American Police Force, although they added secrecy was prevalent in the industry and it was possible the company had avoided the public limelight.

"They're really invisible," said Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel for the Professional Services Council. The group's members include major security contractors Triple Canopy, DynCorp and Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide.

"Even a single unclassified contract in the last couple of years should show up" in the federal database, Chvotkin added.

Spokesmen for the State Department and Defense Department said they could not immediately find any records of contracts with the company. The city has not released a copy of its agreement with American Police Force. But the deal as announced would be a sweet one for Hardin, a depressed rural town of 3,500 about 45 miles east of Billings.

The company is pledging to fill the 464-bed facility by early next year.

Hardin officials say the first payment on the contract is due Feb. 1 — regardless of whether any prisoners are in place. The city's economic development authority would get enough money to pay off the bondholders and receive $5 per prison a day.

American Police Force also is promising to invest $30 million in new projects for the city, including a military and law enforcement training center with a 250-bed dormitory and an expansion of the jail to 2,000 beds. The company says it will build a homeless shelter, offer free health care for city residents and even deliver meals to the needy.

Where the prisoners would come from is unclear. City officials said California was the most likely possibility, but a spokesman for that state's corrections system said there was no truth to the claim.

Federal prisoners also were mentioned by both American Police Force and the city. U.S. Marshal Dwight MacKay in Billings said he would have been notified if such a plan was pending.

"There's skepticism over whether this is a real thing," MacKay said.

Hardin officials said they were approached by American Police Force about six months ago, soon after the city made international news in its quest to become "America's Gitmo." American Police Force incorporated around the same time.

Albert Peterson, the city's school superintendent and vice president of the authority that built the jail, said the city was "guaranteed" the contract would be upheld.


..............................More at link....http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/09/mysterious-unregistered-security-firm-policing-montana-town/

[Poll_Blind]

1. Astounding. n/t

PB

[FiveGoodMen]

11. I'll say!

Has anyone there even asked if this is legal?

[phantom power]

2. No private organization has any goddamned business putting anybody in jail.

[debbierlus]

7. It is frightening. And, it is what happens in a corporate fascist state...

It is solely about making money. People are not human beings. They are pawns in a game to increase the wealth for those who control the board. And, if the powers that be can do that by incarcerating poor people through a failed war on drugs, privatize the public school system to the detriment of the education of our children, allow the health 'care' industry to run the American health care system like some sick Mafia enterprise, they will.


It is sick. It is wrong. And, it has to stop.

[debbierlus]

10. This is very disturbing.

This country is in a very dangerous place.

[phantom power]

13. Yet another story that makes me ask "where is the investigative reporting?"

The sort of thing that would have been a career-ending scandal 30 years ago. Now it's becoming business as usual.

:shrug:

[debbierlus]

14. They are still covering the former governor of Alaska

[placton]

30. and Roman Polanski

[subcomhd]

52. who?

[Time for change]

60. Are they hired to put people in jail, or to fill the jail with transfers from other jails?

That's not clear to me.

[TroubleMan]

63. Wish I could recommend just a post.

You couldn't be more right.

[EVDebs]

67. Are they into money-laundering ? How do they balance their books ?

If it's one of these new CIA spinoff companies they'll have to kill us all before they could tell us...national security, of course.

[Autumn]

3. Interesting, maybe Gitmo America

:wtf: They have to put them someplace.:shrug:

[debbierlus]

8. Actually, if they used it to close Gitmo and transfer inmates onto American soil

where they could be ethically detained, tried, or released..it wouldn't be such a bad idea. I am all for closing Gitmo.

Trying to fill it by hiring a bunch of mercenary thugs, that is unconstitutional and disgusting.

[formercia]

4. Headquartered in Nigeria.

Want to help me transfer some Gold?

[Robb]

9. Yup.

Seems likely a scam. A good one, for sure.

[redqueen]

17. Same thing I thought.

American Police Force also is promising to invest $30 million in new projects for the city, including a military and law enforcement training center with a 250-bed dormitory and an expansion of the jail to 2,000 beds. The company says it will build a homeless shelter, offer free health care for city residents and even deliver meals to the needy.

Really?

[AntiFascist]

61. The irrational fear of bringing Al Qaeda detainees to the homeland...

because they might become a threat...watch this fear become a reality under the supervision of shady security firms.

[Junkdrawer]

5. Very odd indeed...K&R

[Subdivisions]

6. Discussed here also:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6655491

[Echo In Light]

12. Creepy. Thanks for the heads-up

[unpossibles]

15. the Libertarian Dream. nt

[TwilightGardener]

16. Still trying to figure out how and why they built a massive jail, if they

didn't have a solid plan for it. These townfolk clearly are dumb as a box of hammers.

[Historic NY]

18. links to site are working its creepy..........

http://www.americanpolicegroup.com/american_private_police_force.html

[Echo In Light]

20. The "Mission Statement;"

OUR MISSION: Maintaining our well deserved professional reputation as a results oriented full service private investigative agency(?) by way of commitment, diligence, unique resources, creativity, and tenacity on behalf of our clients.

[MadMaddie]

79. Wow

I had a professor in college who called writing like that "Snowballing"! A whole bunch of words put together but without meaning.

[wildbilln864]

55. I get a 503 error, service temp. unavailable.

:shrug:

[EVDebs]

68. What is this...a crotch shot of some guy in a ninja outfit loaded for bear ?

Not really very 'professional' or reassuring for that matter. And the model should take the socks out of his package !

[BREMPRO]

83. the photo's of the black clothed and masked(!) soldiers with high powered sidearms

and helicopters is even more creepy and frightening. These guys are going to investigate your cheating spouse? WTF. I don't want APF (ie Blackwater) anywhere near American soil. Congress has the power to investigate and disband their corporate charter and should do so for murdering innocent civilians and defrauding the taxpayers.

SO if they can't fill the jail with prisoners from other states like CA, Where exactly are they going to get the prisoners to fill this facility? It was likely built to get contracts from other states to solve prison overcrowding. Now that CA is releasing prisoners (40,000) because of their budget crisis- that plan goes down the tubes. When we have cities and states investing in prisons as ways to make addition revenue from other states prisoners, we've crossed the line into insanity. We have 5% of the worlds population and 25% of it's prisoners. Think about that...1 out of every 4 persons incarcerated in the WORLD, including china, the middle east, burma, etc... is American. Roughly 1 out of every 30 American males is in prison. The prison industrial complex and the failed drug war need to be revisited.

[BREMPRO]

85. " efficient at meeting our objectives" in other words:collateral damage of civilians..

using indiscriminate deadly force and poor judgment is tolerated to meet our security objective efficiently.

[Echo In Light]

19. Granted I haven't researched this, but is this possibly one of Halliburton's infamous new DCers?

As in the Detention Centers they received contracts to build some yrs back? It all seems below the radar.

[kid a]

21. if you read any comments on local news boards, it's Obama's Nazi army taking over its first town

But its just an incorporated militia...the RWs wet dream.

[TwilightGardener]

24. Wouldn't most of the town, including its leaders, be...Republicans?

I lived in western SD, that region is pure GOPersville.

[kid a]

26. Hardin is about 40% Native American - Big Horn County is 60% Native American

This is the small town just a few miles from the Little Big Horn battlefield.

[TwilightGardener]

27. OK, but the folks who built the jail and are making the deals--

are they Native American (I'm guessing Lakota?)? Are they Repubs? Democrats? edit to add: demographics count here, because I'm wondering if this isn't AFP taking advantage of a desperately poor Indian population.

[kid a]

28. Its the AFP (or whoever!!)taking advantage of a HUGE MONEY PIT that has gotten a few business people

into deep financial trouble

[winyanstaz]

47. Who ever it is, it is not Native Americans doing this.

[winyanstaz]

46. And just so you know..it is NOT native americans that run the city.

The last time natives tried to stand up and have a say in how their communities were run...we had wounded knee. (yes I know, not the same place)..still...most natives keep a low profile in order to survive.

[Historic NY]

22. first employee hired........

http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/62755172.html?video=YHI&t=a

[kid a]

23. i know her well (i live in Billings) she did it for the money...GOOD money

[debbierlus]

50. Disgusting way to earn a living

[BREMPRO]

84. she has no idea what she's gotten herself into as PR for APF

that $60,000 and a company car is going to look pretty paultry when she has the national media, congress, and every liberal activist group in her face asking her about blackwater. From looking at the interview, she's way out of her league. "i feel pretty good about myself"! OMG, just wait a few months and you are going to feel overwhelmed by the onslaught of criticism representing and defending the devil!

I give her 8 weeks before she resigns from the pressure.

[BREMPRO]

87. 0mg- the station yanked the link! it also had a link to a video that reported the CEO was a crook

that he has over a million dollars in judgments against him for fraud, prison time etc.

"According to the Associated Press, court documents show that Hilton (APF CEO) has $1.1 million dollars worth of outstanding judgments against him. Records indicate Hilton has multiple aliases, and has twice declared bankruptcy.

Fraud cases include luring investors into a fake real estate development project, convincing a couple to give him a silver statue worth $100,000 dollars, and pocketing construction funds.

Hilton landed a six year prison term in 1993 for a dozen counts of grand theft among other charges.

A California doctor who said he was conned by Hilton said he was stunned to learn Hilton was planning a major venture in Montana.

"I didn't even sleep last night because of the memories that it conjured up, he's the reason I had to go bankrupt. I lost my practice, I had some mental issues because of this. He was using up other people's money, mainly mine, and other people, like a Ponzi scheme."

Calls to new APF Spokewoman Becky Shay, Two Rivers Authority Vice President Al Peterson, and Hardin Mayor Ron Adams were not returned"


http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/63026202.html

Blackwater is a christo-fascist organization that is run by criminals and needs to be defunded. Forget Acorn- defund these dangerous criminals.

[drm604]

25. I did some research on this and posted about it in another thread.

See my posts starting at #87 here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6655491#6661575

[Gman2]

48. Another observation. That two guys with guns posing, is from Counterstrike

The online terrorist game. It would be fitting, if the town stayed hush, to create buzz, for the upcoming movie. Better than GI Joe. Otherwise, I am moving on that corp. soon.

[drm604]

49. I suspected that it was some kind of movie marketing campaign

but it appears that these people have been involved with defense contracting since at least 2003, and probably earlier. They have at least several of what are apparently shell defense companies. Read my posts in that thread. The whole thing is weird.

One of their companies is Defense Consulting Group, INC. and they posted a message looking for cargo loaders for the C-130 back in 2003 here: http://worldaerodata.com/mb/msg/802.html

The use of the graphic from Counterstrike may simply be a case of two companies using the same stock photo.

I won't totally 100% rule out the movie marketing angle but, if that's what it is, then they've gone way above and beyond what was needed. I think maybe someone is scamming someone (possibly the DOD) with multiple shell defense contractors.

[debbierlus]

57. Interesting theory. Much more digging needs to be done.

[PSzymeczek]

62. Any Federal contract

they may have was not awarded according to the Federal Acquisition Regulations. The company is not listed in the Central Contractor Registration; any company doing work for the Federal government is required to be registered at that site.

[drm604]

73. Do you have a link to that Central Contractor Registration? n/t

[bananas]

51. Wonder if it's a copyright violation?

They put "Hardin Police Dept" on their SUV's without authorization.
If they're going to illegally impersonate police, they wouldn't sneeze at lifting some copyrighted images.

[bananas]

81. It's not from Counterstrike - it's from "The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons" by Jack Lewis

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0896894983


edit to add: photo of two guys with guns posing on the APF website:

[benEzra]

88. That's probably a purchased stock photo then, not their own employees? (n/t)

[intheflow]

29. K&R for one of the more important stories today. n/t

[seafan]

31. Montana jail deal raises questions: Shadowy company to bring in inmates

LINK


We need to find out what this is about, and quickly.

[debbierlus]

34. According to the story, no one knows WHERE these inmates will come from...

THAT is frightening.

[JHB]

32. And why is "American Police Force"'s most prominent symbol the Serbian coat of arms?

See their website:
http://www.americanpolicegroup.com/
(especially the slideshow up top)

and compare:


http://flagspot.net/flags/rs.html#coa

The design of the lesser coat of arms
Article 12.
The lesser coat of arms a red shield in which is, placed, between two golden fleurs-de-lis in its base, set a two-headed silver eagle, armed golden and with the tongue and legs of the same, with a red shield on its chests in which is a silver cross between four firesteels of the same with their bases turned towards the vertical beam of the cross. The shield is crowned with a golden crown.

The heraldic description of the lesser coat of arms of Serbia is:
"Gules, two fleurs-de-lis or below a double-headed eagle argent, beaked, membered and langued or, bearing an escutcheon: gules, a cross argent between four firesteels or addorsed. Crowned with a royal crown proper".

[debbierlus]

33. There website is like a video game with the drums and the pathetic 'patriotic' music

Who the hell are these people?

And, what authority do they have to perform any of their 'services'?

[formercia]

39. From the same people that brought you Sebrenica

The freepers think UN troops are bad. And we think Blackwater is bad.......

[KG]

35. shows how far this country has fallen when a jail is promoted as a 'economic development project'

[Echo In Light]

42. WATCH OUT POT SMOKERS!!!

[evenso]

36. Contact the American Police Force Group at....

http://www.americanpolicegroup.com/contact_american_police_force.html

and ask them why their logo resembles the Serbian coat of arms...

[JHB]

37. Not "resembles" ... it **IS** the Serbian coat of arms.

"lesser" version, to be specific.

[evenso]

38. nice quote!

[formercia]

40. When Blackwater just isn't mean enough.

Hire a bunch of Serbian Paramilitaries to crack skulls.


"We kill just for the fun of it"

[veganlush]

41. They'll even spy on your cheatin' spouse according to their website

...under their list of services "check your mate"

[Echo In Light]

43. Their 'Mission' statement:

OUR MISSION: Maintaining our well deserved professional reputation as a results oriented full service private investigative agency(?) by way of commitment, diligence, unique resources, creativity, and tenacity on behalf of our clients.

[DireStrike]

44. Heard the name, but not the details.

Surreal shit.

[winyanstaz]

45. This is simply outrageous if not Treason...

And any city that wants be the "the new American Gitmo" deserves to go bankrupt...to hell with them.
Have they no decency?

[McCamy Taylor]

53. They will fill it with immigrants who are model prisoners and have no rights.

[debbierlus]

56. Quite possibly. It is really disturbing that the town's people are 'split'

...because they need something for economic stimulus to their local economy, so some are okay with it.

This county is quickly falling into third world status.

[Historic NY]

78. so they put all their money into a prison? Strange the Supt. of Schools is cheering it..

on too.

[SoCalDem]

54. Isn't privatization of public funds miraculous?

Jails/prisons need to be LOCALLY "owned-operated", and used for their OWN criminals. By keeping it all in-community, it makes it all real. Prisoners with local roots, can maintain some contact with families & friends, making it easier for them to re-integrate when they are released. Locals who work there have connections to the community and to the prisoners.

Privatizing it and shipping in out-of-area "stock" makes it so much easier to "sanitize' the whole thing, and for the community to detach from their own crime problems. Makes it all like a feedlot..full of cattle shipped in from all over..

Crime as a commodity is not something we should aspire to..

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

58. ahem...cough...

http://www.americanpolicegroup.com/special.html

Our extensive tactical firearms training facility, the U.S. Training Center is capable of providing a wide range of instruction and training for all types of law enforcement organizations. From basic firearms training to complex SWAT tactics our corps of instructors can meet all your training requirements.

http://www.ustraining.com/new/index.asp

http://www.ustraining.com/new/Moyock/index.asp

The Google - US Training Center

[debbierlus]

64. Jesus Christ - IT IS BLACKWATER - WTF?

Thanks SO MUCH...

I went to yahoo & typed in US Training Center & Blackwater & this was the result -

Contact page for Blackwater.
US Training Center. PO Box 1029. Moyock, NC 27958. Xe Services, LLC. Moyock, NC ... US Training Center North. PO Box 33. Mount Carroll, IL 61053. E-Mail Directory ...
www.blackwaterusa.com/contact_us.html - Cached

Go to the link:

http://www.blackwaterusa.com/contact_us.html and you will go directly to the US Training Center site that you provided in your post(with no mention of Blackwater on the actual contact page)

Wow.

So, Blackwater has been hired to fill the prison. Hmmmm. I think I will write Rachel Maddow.

THANKS!

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

71. I know!

Those FUCKS!

[Truth2Tell]

77. Exactly. Very nice catch!

This should be a new thread.

[valerief]

59. Sen. Baucus' behavior is criminal. He can be inmate 1. nt

[BrainGlutton]

65. The most disturbing part of this story is its beginning . . .

. . . the government of an economically depressed town counting on incarceration as a growth industy. Is this what America has come to?!

[MadMaddie]

80. Just as the medical industry is a sizable portion of the American

economy. Something is terribly wrong in our country.

[EVDebs]

66. Quasi-public enterprises, who don't show their books ? WhiskyTangoFoxtrot !

A private company, hired to do a public service, but who won't show their books/records is just an end-run form of fascism IMHO. Nice technicalities but no one in their right minds would go for this lack of accountability or oversight.

[Butch350]

69. SPECULATION PLEASE!

[debbierlus]

70. It IS Blackwater - here are the connected dots!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6667901

[notadmblnd]

72. UPDATE :The 'Mysterious' Firm Policing Montana & hired to fill its empty jail is BLACKWATER

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6667901

[Historic NY]

74. no wonder the loonies talk about a private army its Blackwater....

[notadmblnd]

76. It would be nice to find out who is responsible for setting up this operation

and when the contracts were signed. I'll bet it's something the bush admin slid in before the clock ran out. The Feds need to check this out before something awful happens up there.

[Poll_Blind]

75. Holy shit! (seriously, WTF?!!) n/t

PB

[TexasObserver]

82. If you build it (incarceration centers), they will come (prisoners).

First they build them, then they fill them.

[Historic NY]

86. I think thats the problem they didn't build it right according to code.

[TommyPaine]

89. Use it exclusively as a detention center for Bush administration criminals

Though even with 2,000 beds it probably couldn't hold all of them.