Kathleen Keating

National Police Force Not Far Off-01/26/2001

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Even the police agree that the long arm of the law has gotten a little too long. The Fraternal Order of Police announced today that they had filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Washington, DC. They are challenging the US Department of Justice's policy of using consent decrees to take over local police departments.

The president of the FOP, Gilbert G. Gallegos had a few choice words.

"We do not believe that the Department of Justice has the power to take control of state and local departments when there is no allegation that the department itself has actively engaged in civil rights abuses," Gallegos said.

Janet Reno, Former Attorney General and the United States were named as defendants in the suit. According to records, the DOJ has already filed suit in Pittsburgh, Steubenville Ohio and Columbus Ohio in an effort to take over those police departments.

Currently, the DOJ is considering lawsuits against Buffalo, New York; Charleston, West Virginia; Eastpointe, Michigan; Los Angeles, California; New Orleans, Louisiana; New York, New York; Orange County, Florida, Prince George County, Maryland; Riverside, California and Washington, DC.

"This so-called 'enforcement strategy' at the Department of Justice is unconstitutional, plain and simple," said Gallegos. "It strips the local department of the ability to set rules regarding police training, policy and discipline."

Apparently, the suit also challenges the exclusion of local law enforcement officers from any debates over reform of existing laws and regulations. There are many instances where this is in direct violation of collective bargaining agreement.

"Most police officers in these departments are not accused of misconduct because no such misconduct was committed -- but all officers are wrongfully tarred by the Justice Department's allegations of system-wide problems," said Gallegos. "The fact is, the charges of misconduct are more accurately applied to only a few individuals who probably should never have been hired by management in the first place.

"Local officers who have not engaged in any wrongdoing should have a voice in the formulation of new policies and procedures that affect their jobs and careers," Gallegos said. "Federal takeover of local law enforcement is an extreme measure that should only be undertaken when the local government itself has committed wrongdoing. Local problems are better solved by local solutions."

This smacks of a Federal policy to put a national police force in place, bypassing state and local jurisdictions. If the suit is unsuccessful, the face of law enforcement in the United States could change dramatically.

© 2001 Strategic Jungle Syndicate

Kathleen Keating is an international best-selling author. She has been the host on several radio programs and has been published extensively for her investigative reports. She is currently working on the follow-up to her smash-hit book, The Final Warning.