At least Michael Jackson sings well.

KOAJaps on October 16, 2006 at 5:58 pm

No, Ms. Schlussel; I’ll tell you the REAL reason why DHS (and the FBI, by the by) is now deciding to “play nice” with the locals (I know this because I did a tour on a JTTF in a major city).
Local police, especially the major urban (e.g. New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago) and major regional (e.g. Broward Sheriff’s Office) departments (by the way, these are the jurisdictions in areas facing the greatest terror risk), have found they don’t NEED the FBI or DHS to gather the intel they need to protect their neck of the woods, which is all they really care about, anyway. So, quietly, but with great focus, they are establishing their OWN relationships with FOREIGN police, exchanging intel and ideas from a LOCAL/REGIONAL perspective (rather than a FEDERAL one), and even going so far as to establish local intel and counterterrorism bureaus in those areas TO THE EXCLUSION OF THE FBI AND DHS.
Think about it: If I was Ray Kelly in New York or John Timoney in Miami, why would I give a rat’s ass about what might happen in Chigaco. Los Angeles or Seattle? My salary is being paid by the people of those cities, and they are going to hold me accountable for what happens in THEIR backyard, not a city 1000, 2000 or 3000 miles away. Furthermore, by focusing on, let’s say New York alone, I, as Ray Kelly, would be facing head-on probably the single greatest risk of a terror attack in the U.S., anyway. Why would I want a bumbling, fumbling entity like the FBI or DHS to provide my intel and counterterror response, when they’re worried about the ENTIRE country? SCREW THAT !!!
Furthermore, so disenchanted are local municipalities with DHS (in the aftermath of their response to Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma) that they are establishing their own “mini-FEMAs” as not to rely on DHS to bail them out after a major disaster. I recently stumbled across a web page for the City of Pembroke Pines, Florida, where Mayor Frank Ortis recently announced the establishment of a hurricane preparedness plan that effectively tells DHS: “SCREW YOU !!! WE’LL TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH” (See http://www.ppines.com/weather/preparedness.html for a full description of the plan). It’s absolutely brillant, and effectively renders DHS irrelevant in the area of disaster response. And, given their response to the last round of huuricanes in the U.S., irrelevant is exactly where they should be relegated to.
Think about it, America: This is what it has become. Do you feel safe with DHS (and the FBI) at the helm? If not, what are YOU doing to take care of YOU and YOURS when (not if) the next terror attack comes knocking on America’s doorstep.
REGARDING THE LOCAL POLICE DEPTS’ RELATIONSHIPS WITH FOREIGN GOVTS AND DOING THEIR OWN COUNTERTERRORISM WORK, I WROTE ABOUT THAT HERE:
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2006/05/muslim_nyc_subw.html
MOST PDS DON’T HAVE THE $$$ AND PERSONNEL TO DO IT LIKE THE NYPD, THOUGH. I DO AGREE WITH YOU THAT MOST LOCAL PDS ARE DOING A MUCH BETTER JOB ON THEIR OWN. THE BRAVE SHERIFFS OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, OHIO, WHO ARRESTED THE TRACFONISTAN SUSPECTS WERE A LOT MORE ON THE BALL THAN THE FEDS, AND DIDN’T HAVE THE DESK JOCKEY BUREAUCRACY TO CONTEND WITH (WHICH DHS HAS IN SPADES).
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL

4EVERCUSTOMS on October 16, 2006 at 7:16 pm

Another great story Debbie, but where do we go with this info? This should be sent by certified receipt to all 535 of our U S hilltoppers–they are charged with investigating such things. Not that I expect that they will do what this info calls for, but after the next 911 incident all the phony pleading. “we didn’t know.. it was IMPOSSIBLE to foresee, etc,” ad nauseum will not fly.
You lost me 4evercustoms–why would we not want to have legitimate local PD’s to have info about terror suppor activity in their OWN city/area?
Debbie, You are releasing this info–is it being publicized and/or addressed anywhwere?

BB on October 17, 2006 at 9:32 am

Hi, BB:
Maybe you’re misinterpreting my comments …
I never stated in my post that I was opposed to state/regional/local LE entities creating their own counter/anti – terrorism intel branches.
What I am trying to say is that this could either be a good thing or a bad thing; allow me to explain. By leveling the playing field, these developments might compel the Feds to the table in a CO-EQUAL PARTNERSHIP that permits for the UNFETTERED exchange of critical information based on MUTUAL TRUST AND RESPECT between the Federal government and the state/regional/local entities.
However, the opposite might happen, where the Feds and state/regional/local entities decide that they have NO trust between themselves and NO need to share information between themselves, and everyone takes their toys from the sandbox and goes home like spoiled children (which is the game that many Federal agencies (but perhaps most by the FBI) played over the years). If this latter situation develops, you are going to end up with a situation where multiple entities might be holding the same information and fail to share it, thus either leading to inaction, or the Feds and state/regional/local entities might end up tripping over each other in a critical incident (I can see the FBI/NY SWAT team and NYPD ESU trying to reconcile differences while a major terrorim incident is unfolding in NYC, G-d forbid (Ha-Ha-Ha !!!).
All I’m saying is that the FBI and DHS have bungled their relationship over the years with state/regional/local LE departments, which has led to a lot of animosity and resentment by those smaller entities. Now, I’m afraid that the rebound by these entities and local pride and ego associated with it might create an absolute mess related to intel gathering, sharing, dissemination and, most of all, planning and coordinating a course of action.

4EVERCUSTOMS on October 17, 2006 at 5:01 pm

Back to you–4Evercustoms–
It seems like simply doing what our own princess, Miss Debbie does here in exposing the bad guys cannot but force local law enforcement folks to be more accountable.
And if I ran a legitimate local PD, why wouldn’t I automatically forward any evidence of terrorists’ activities to the Feds -letting them know–“we have notified you–don’t say we didn’t tell you?”
I simply agree with what I think Debbie is showing us here–somebody needs to be held accountable.
The fact that the bureaucracies have a hard time talking EXCUSES no one–so I don’t accept your premise. Put them on notice and hold them to account.

BB on October 17, 2006 at 8:28 pm

Hi, again, BB:
I don’t think we disagree here. Again, all I am saying is that I have an idea of what the mentality is – right, wrong or indifferent – because I’ve heard it first hand from both sides duting my tenure on JTTF.
Unfortunately, I’ll be the first to admit that the Feds (especially the Feebs) are the first ones to pay “lip service” to the mantra of “interagency cooperation”; then, they go out and play amongst themselves while even other Federal entities on JTTF (such as ICE) are left to clean up the scraps after the Bureau is done doing whatever they feel is important, but without consulting anyone else.
I think we are all frustrated here, and I sure do hope that I am wrong in my assessment of what a model of future Federal-Local LE cooperation could look like.
However, if history is any guide, I have my doubts, and, certainly, my concerns.
Stay well, friend.

4EVERCUSTOMS on October 17, 2006 at 9:29 pm

norvasc 5mg manufactured in china ,

generic name for effexor xr on May 2, 2011 at 8:43 pm