http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/policestate/ en-us Sat, 2 Jan 2010 18:07:26 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2419588/posts The Obama executive order granting INTERPOL--the International Police Organization--immunity from U.S. law is a story that won't go away. At first only a tiny group of astute bloggers sounded the alarm about the issue. But now not only has the story gone viral but the state-run media (SRM) has picked up on it. Although he has been unable to get any answers due to White House stonewalling, ABC News' Jake Tapper has written about the order even though, unfortunately, he seems to think the biggest story coming out of it is conservative ire. The New York Times took a similar... Columbia Conservative Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2419588/posts#comment Sat, 2 Jan 2010 18:07:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2415446/posts In the dead of night on December 17, 2009, President Barack Hussein Obama placed the United States of America under the authority of the international police organization known as INTERPOL, granting the organization full immunity to operate within the United States. According to Threatswatch: Last Thursday, December 17, 2009, The White House released an Executive Order "Amending Executive Order 12425." It grants INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization) a new level of full diplomatic immunity afforded to foreign embassies and select other "International Organizations" as set forth in the United States International Organizations Immunities Act of 1945. By removing language from... Columbia Conservative Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2415446/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:01:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411631/posts Michael Drebeen, a deputy solicitor general in the Obama administration, had a rough morning last Tuesday. He argued two Supreme Court cases back to back, defending a notoriously vague federal criminal statute -- and the justices worked him over vigorously. The 1988 law at issue aims at public corruption and corporate misconduct, but sweeps far too broadly, criminalizing schemes to "deprive another of the intangible right of honest services." If that language seems a little, well, intangible to you, you're not alone. Hurling hypotheticals, the justices strained to find a limiting principle that could prevent the law from covering an... The Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411631/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:00:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410784/posts LONDON, England - Former President Ronald Reagan said the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' Yet the size of America's government is exploding and if you want to see where big government will lead the U.S., take a look at Britain. ..... Police State Britain today is almost a police state. The British people are under more government surveillance than the Chinese. There are cameras everywhere. Dr. Eamonn Butler, Director of the Adam Smith Institute in London and author of The Rotten State of Britain, said, "in the... CBN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2410784/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:06:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408542/posts Israel Border Police officers shot at an American student's laptop as she entered Israel via Taba, Egypt, two weeks ago. Lily Sussman, 21, wrote on her blog that border police subjected her to two hours of questioning and searches prior to shooting her Apple Macbook three times. "They had pressed every sock and scarf with a security device, ripped open soap and had me strip extra layers. They asked me tons of questions? where are you going?" Sussman wrote, describing the experience. Haaretz http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408542/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:07:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408098/posts Ohio justices: Cell phone searches require warrant COLUMBUS, Ohio — Police officers must obtain a search warrant before searching the contents of a suspect’s cell phone unless their safety is in danger, a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled Tuesday on an issue that appears never to have reached another state high court or the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled 5-4 in favor of Antwaun Smith, who was arrested on drug charges after he answered a cell phone call from a crack cocaine user acting as a police informant. Officers took Smith’s cell phone when he was arrested and, acting... Gaea Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408098/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:54:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406155/posts WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new Internal Revenue Service unit set up to catch rich tax cheats hiding their wealth in complex business entities is rapidly taking shape with the hiring of hundreds of employees..... President Barack Obama has proposed tightening tax rules for U.S. multinationals, including one in which companies delay paying taxes on income earned offshore, a legal practice known as deferral that officials say is abused.... "With any new thing, you never want to be the guinea pig," Mary Lou Fahey, general counsel for the Tax Executive Institute, comprised of business executives, said. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406155/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:50:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404386/posts Motorists who receive minor parking or traffic tickets in Indianapolis, Indiana are being threatened with fines of up to $2500 if they attempt to take the ticket to court. A local attorney with the firm Roberts and Bishop was so outraged by what he saw in Marion County traffic court that he filed a class action suit yesterday seeking to have the practice banned as unconstitutional. "The deck is stacked against the motorist," lawyer Paul K. Ogden wrote. "To penalize that person for seeking justice seems wrong. I know it is done for the purpose of discouraging baseless challenges to... Newspaper.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404386/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:54:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403943/posts Mark Tijssen, a major in the Canadian military, stands in front of a meat smoker containing the remains of a pig that could cost him thousands of dollars in fines. Tijssen's family home was raided by members of the Intelligence and Investigations Section of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ottawa Police last month while he was preparing a pizza dinner for children on a Friday night. Mark Tijssen's family has been slaughtering their own animals and handing that skill from father to son for at least three generations. But changes to Ontario's Food Safety Act has landed him and... The Ottawa Citizen http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403943/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 20:00:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403744/posts Police serving order shot at, ATF says LINDA SATTER ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE A Pulaski County man fired several shots Tuesday at officers who attempted to serve a federal warrant at his mobile home at 3106 W. Justice Road in northern Pulaski County, a federal agent said. No one was injured, and the resident, Johnny Davis, surrendered at about 2:30 p.m., roughly four hours after his standoff with officers began, said Joe Riehl, special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Riehl said ATF agents obtained a warrant charging Davis with... Arkansas Democrat Gazette (subscription may be needed) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403744/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 16:01:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2396414/posts Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Tiger Woods has canceled yet another meeting with the Florida Highway Patrol. We're told Tiger's lawyer canceled the meeting the FHP had wanted for 3:00 PM ET today. The lawyer gave no reason for the cancellation TMZ.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2396414/posts#comment Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:30:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391459/posts ...the [NY police] department was accepting proposals from companies that would link acoustic sensors to cameras that swivel toward spots where shots are fired, ideally capturing the culprit’s image. Such a system was recently deployed in Mount Vernon, in Westchester County; its police department bought audio sensors from ShotSpotter and swiveling cameras from another vendor. NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391459/posts#comment Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:15:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390809/posts by JASON WHITELY / WFAA-TV Posted on November 20, 2009 at 12:56 AM WYLIE - A canister of pepper spray is now at the center of a Wylie dispute after a North Texas man found out what most people don't know, anyone who carries it can face a felony. Jason Simpkins admitted he looked suspicious when a Wylie officer stopped him while he was driving his truck with a jet ski inside his lawn mowing trailer. It happened early on the morning of August 22. "I didn't have a problem with it at first," Simpkins said. "I gave him my... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2390809/posts#comment Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:44:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387580/posts PORTSMOUTH — A Kensington man was found guilty of criminal threatening for holding an open pocket knife at his side while asking two people who were walking behind him at midnight, "Why are you following me?" The pair walking behind Dustin Almon, 28, of 27 Wild Rose Lane, were state Liquor Enforcement cops, both in plain clothes without any indicators that they were members of law enforcement, according to testimony during a Thursday Portsmouth District Court trial. Both were also carrying concealed handguns and Tasers, they testified. One of them, Officer Anthony Cattabriga, said he was walking behind Almon on... Seacoast Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387580/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:22:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2376754/posts HOLLY HILL -- The yard sale at 722 Center Ave. has been canceled. That much is clear. The rest of the story, including allegations that police threatened to arrest the 80-year-old homeowner because she didn't have a permit? Not so much. The facts are these: After 60 years in Holly Hill, Pauline Liles is moving to Tennessee to live with her daughter's family. Her husband, Jack, is already there, having suffered a stroke that has immobilized him. Pauline, an old hand at yard sales, was hoping to sell most of their stuff before joining him next week. She advertised the... News-JournalOnline http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2376754/posts#comment Mon, 2 Nov 2009 19:26:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2376229/posts Not long ago, Americans feared and ridiculed the police states cursing too many parts of the world. We worried that they might one day conquer us despite their poverty and general misery even as we mocked their totalitarian tactics — especially their “Papers, please” mentality.  Indeed, being forced to prove one’s identity to a bureaucrat on demand, having to carry and produce documents with personal information for his approval — or condemnation — seemed especially horrifying. One of our classic films, Casablanca, revolved around the deadly hassles of obtaining or forging such papers under the Nazis; episodes of Mission Impossible... tna http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2376229/posts#comment Mon, 2 Nov 2009 02:47:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373875/posts <p>A New Jersey appeals court has concluded that Americans have no Second Amendment right to buy a handgun.</p> <p>In a case decided last week, the superior court upheld a state law saying that nobody may possess "any handgun" without obtaining law enforcement approval and permission in advance.</p> CBSNews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373875/posts#comment Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:43:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373883/posts Parents have been banned from supervising their children in public playgrounds, because they have not undergone criminal record checks. Only council-vetted "play rangers" are now allowed to monitor youngsters in two adventure areas in Watford while parents must watch from outside a perimeter fence. The Watford Borough Council policy has been attacked as insulting and a disgrace by furious relatives who say they are being labelled as potential paedophiles. Telegraph UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2373883/posts#comment Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:53:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372340/posts Armed officers in full battle gear will be scattered throughout the Bay Area this weekend, rescuing hostages, fighting bank robbers and quelling terrorism at the Oakland Airport, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, the NASA Ames Research Center and 22 other high profile sites. There will be the sound of gunfire and blasts - all part of Urban Shield, one of the biggest domestic terrorism drills in the country. The $1 million, two-day event begins Saturday and will test the training of 27 crack teams from throughout the state, elsewhere in the country and the world. sott http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2372340/posts#comment Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:55:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371553/posts BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Even his best friend betrayed him. Stelian Tanase found out when he asked to see the thick file that Romania's communist-era secret police had kept on him. The revelation nearly knocked the wind out of him: His closest pal was an informer who regularly told agents what Tanase was up to. "In a way, I haven't even recovered today," said Tanase, a novelist who was placed under surveillance and had his home bugged during the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's regime. "He was the one person on Earth I had the most faith in," he said. "And... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371553/posts#comment Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:19:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370045/posts Bryce Williams wasn't expecting to walk through a metal detector or have his bags screened for explosives at the Greyhound bus terminal near downtown Orlando. But Williams and 689 other passengers went through tougher-than-normal security procedures Thursday as part of a random check coordinated by the U.S. The idea is to keep off guard terrorists and others who mean harm, thereby improving safety for passengers and workers. There was no specific threat to the bus station on John Young Parkway south of Colonial Drive. Although the TSA is best known for its agents at airports, the agency's Visible Intermodal Prevention... ORLANDO SENTINEL http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2370045/posts#comment Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:33:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2365002/posts On September 10th of this year the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) posted a press release informing the world that “from October 19-25, more than 60 network TV shows [will] spotlight the power and personal benefits of service,” and that this “unprecedented block of TV programming is the first wave of a multi-year ‘I Participate’ campaign.” On its face this all sounds rather benign in that silly, liberal do-gooder kind of way. The networks have launched these kinds of campaigns before and other than some clunky exposition awkwardly inserted into your favorite show to meet the mandate — no harm, no... Breitbart http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2365002/posts#comment Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:49:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362441/posts Former police association contractor charged with snooping on 'Joe the Plumber' Wednesday, October 14, 2009 11:42 AM By Randy Ludlow The Columbus Dispatch A former contractor for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police has been charged with rummaging through state computers to retrieve confidential information about "Joe the Plumber." Brett A. Gerke, 52, of 2329 Woodcreek Place on the Far North Side, is charged with attempted unauthorized use of property. Gerke entered a diversion program on Oct. 2, which typically results in the dismissal of a criminal charge. He has not entered a plea. The charge is a first-degree... The Columbus Dispatch http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2362441/posts#comment Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:42:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2360772/posts Sacramento, CA – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law legislation that will help law enforcement officials track down and apprehend armed criminals and other prohibited persons. AB 962 by Assembly Member Kevin DeLeon (D-Los Angeles) had the support of law enforcement officials from across the state and was modeled after successful city ordinances, including the cities of Sacramento and Los Angeles. AB 962 was the Brady Campaign´s top priority bill in this year´s legislature. The law requires maintenance of purchaser records by handgun ammunition vendors. Local law enforcement can use these records to find illegal guns. "The purchase records will... California Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2360772/posts#comment Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:27:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358401/posts New York - On the heels of breaking up an alleged bomb terror plot, New York is planning to place high-tech security cameras, license plate readers, and "weapons sensors" in midtown Manhattan. Office workers and tourists – and possible terrorists – will have cameras watching their every move as they visit Macy's, shop for diamonds at Tiffany & Co., or gawk in Times Square. The apparatus, paid for by some $24 million in Department of Homeland Security funding, will expand a similar effort already underway in lower Manhattan where cameras focus on the Federal Reserve, the New York Stock Exchange,... The Christian Science Monitor http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2358401/posts#comment Fri, 9 Oct 2009 15:24:06 GMT