Monday, December 31, 2018

Probably because "We can't be one of the cool agencies if we don't

 have a SWAT team!"
...But another question raised by the GAO analysis is not answered. Some of those agencies, such as ICE, FBI, US Marshal Service, Secret Service, etc. need to be well armed on the roles of protecting the public. Other agencies such as the IRS and the NIH seem to be over-weaponized, a frightening concept for a government that is supposed to serve the people, not vice versa.
...
The NIH is National Institutes of Health, that one makes you wonder if they’ve gone from healing and health to something else. And the inventory information of the NIH was deemed too sensitive to include in a chart (see page 34). Think about that for a moment…Too Sensitive? Does the NIH have covert operations? Do they stop the spread of the flu with a gun? “Stop sneezing, or we’ll blow your brains out?” Give me a break.

And don't forget the friggin' Dept. of Education using armed agents to kick in doors and such.  At the wrong address.  Because 'investigation'. 


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

NIH will need those guns when they succeed in importing the Ebola virus.

Old 1811 said...

I read this article, and it makes some false assumptions, especially regarding the IRS.
IRS CID (Criminal Investigation Division) was organized in the 20s.
It has about 2000 gun-carrying Special Agents, who are trained at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia alongside ICE, U.S. Marshals, and the other 80-some agencies that train there. So they're reasonably proficient with firearms.
Why do they need them? Well, IRS agents generally make cases on organized crime figures, starting with Frank Nitti and continuing to the present day. They investigate, indict, and arrest some dangerous people.
I've read from time to time that most Feds should just be unarmed investigators who leave arresting people to the Marshals. In fact, this used to be the case. Most Federal agencies, including the FBI, started out as unarmed investigative agencies. But here's the rub: Criminals don't want to get caught, and the unarmed investigators found themselves kidnapped, killed, and intimidated by the subjects of their investigations. So most investigative agencies began arming their agents for their own protection. That's where we are today.
And no, I was never an IRS agent. But I have worked with them.

Firehand said...

Some agencies, I can see some personnel needing them; most of the others? No.

Anonymous said...

Department of Education sharpshooters? OK - I'll buy that. Send them to various schools to defend the students. Especially those in Broward County. Seems to be a need for them there.

Anonymous said...

the IRS does not allow field employees to carry weapons, unless they are classified as Special Agents, these employees are in the Criminal Investigation Division and TEGTA (internal affairs, Revenue Agents, Tax Auditors and Revenue Officers are not even allowed pepper spray for personal defense. I spent 25+ years as a Revenue Agent and never felt the need for a personal carry weapon,