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Feds Ramp up Purchase of Riot Gear in Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic

Loaded on June 15, 2020 by Douglas Ankney published in Criminal Legal News July, 2020, page 49
Filed under: COVID-19, Laser Weapons. Location: United States of America.

by Douglas Ankney

In preparation for what may aptly be described as “Mad Max Meets COVID-19,” the federal government has submitted “expedited purchase orders” for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, riot gloves, and other protective equipment for the federal police assigned to guard Veterans Affairs (“VA”) facilities.

According to a May 17, 2020, report from theintercept.com, the special purchases were “in response to Covid-19 outbreak.”

The VA police officers were not armed until 2011 — when the Pentagon began providing military equipment to police forces around the country.

Since then, those officers have “acquired millions of dollars’ worth of body armor, chemical agents, night vision equipment, and other weapons and tactical gear,” according to a 2019 report from The Intercept.

The VA, which manages nearly 1,500 health-care facilities around the U.S., has also extended special contracts for coronavirus-related security services. More than $1.6 million in contracts has been awarded to Redcon Solutions Group (a private security company founded by Iraq War veterans) to provide guards for “Covid-19 screening security guard services.” Similar contracts have been awarded to other private security firms to guard VA facilities in San Francisco, Des Moines, Fayetteville, and elsewhere.

Additionally, the $2.2 trillion CARES Act stimulus package that was passed in March 2020 included $850 million for the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program. These funds are used by local governments to pay for police overtime and medical personal protective equipment, unmanned aerial aircraft, security cameras, command center software, video analytics systems, training, and supplies for detention centers.

Ironically, during this same period of time, the U.S. has experienced a historic drop in violent crime. Apparently, the Feds believe this is the proverbial calm before the storm. 

 

Source: theintercept.com

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  1. A Nation on the Brink, by Christopher Zoukis
  2. Office of Homeland Security Circumventing Warrant Requirement by Buying Cellphone Location Data from Marketing Firm, by Anthony Accurso
  3. From the Editor, by Richard Resch
  4. Using Location Surveillance to Fight COVID-19 May Chill Free Speech and Association, by David Reutter
  5. This Is Not a Revolution. It’s a Blueprint for Locking Down the Nation, by John W. Whitehead
  6. Fourth Circuit Expands Savings Clause of § 2255(e) to Include Later Retroactivity of New Rule, by Dale Chappell
  7. Seventh Circuit: Defendant’s Statement Given to Pretrial Services Can’t Be Admitted to Impeach Witness at Trial, by Douglas Ankney
  8. California Court of Appeal Explains Procedural Requirements for Vacating Felony-Murder Conviction Via Section 1170.95 Petition, by Douglas Ankney
  9. Police Violence Detrimental to Public Health, by Douglas Ankney
  10. Congressmen File Amicus Brief Stressing Congressional Intent That First Step Act’s New Drug Laws Apply at Resentencing, by Dale Chappell
  11. Indiana Supreme Court: Removal of Police’s GPS Tracker on Suspect’s Vehicle Not Probable Cause of Theft, Suppression of Evidence, by Anthony Accurso
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  13. 5-Year Study Shows Police Stop Black Drivers Less Often at Night When ‘Veil of Darkness’ Obscures Race, by Douglas Ankney
  14. Declassified Court Ruling Details FBI Abuses of Mass Surveillance Data, by Anthony Accurso
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  16. Marijuana Possession in Virginia Remains Illegal But Is Decriminalized, by Douglas Ankney
  17. Eleventh Circuit Holds Hobbs Act Robbery Doesn’t Trigger Career Offender Enhancement, by Dale Chappell
  18. COVID-19 Creates Opportunity for Big Brother in the Sky, by Michael Fortino, Ph.D
  19. Biden Accuser Accused of Inflating Credentials to Qualify as Expert Witness, Calling Convictions into Question, by Derek Gilna
  20. Perjurous New York City Cop Sentenced to a Single Day in Jail, by Edward Lyon
  21. Nebraska Supreme Court: Multiple Theft Charges for Stealing Items Belonging to Several People at Same Time and Place Violates Double Jeopardy, by Dale Chappell
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  26. Iowa Supreme Court Orders Dismissal of Charges that State Brought in Breach of Plea Agreement, by Douglas Ankney
  27. Justice Office Awards $145 Million in Forensic Science Grants, by Anthony Accurso
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  29. California Federal Court Rejects Plea Agreement’s Waiver of Compassionate Release Provision, by David Reutter
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  31. COVID-19 Causing Some Pretrial Detainees to Spend More Time in Jail, by Douglas Ankney
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