The Policing Power of the Federal Reserve

Flint's struggles with crime are well documented. In fact, according to F.B.I. statistics, it's the most dangerous city in America. Despite the dire statistics, Flint's police force continues to shrink as the city attempts to erase a budget deficit in an era of declining tax revenues and economic stagnation. Police headquarters isn't even open to the public on weekends.

If only Flint could borrow some protection from the 12 Federal Reserve Banks. Each one is a private corporation owned by commercial banks in its region. And yet, in 2001, the USA Patriot Act granted the private banks domestic policing powers.

Pam Martens of AlterNet reports: 

Section 364 of the Act, “Uniform Protection Authority for Federal Reserve,” reads: “Law enforcement officers designated or authorized by the Board or a reserve bank under paragraph (1) or (2) are authorized while on duty to carry firearms and make arrests without warrants for any offense against the United States committed in their presence…Such officers shall have access to law enforcement information that may be necessary for the protection of the property or personnel of the Board or a reserve bank.” 

The police officers are technically known as FRLEO, short for Federal Reserve Law Enforcement Officer. The system has its own police academies for training, their own patch and badges, uniforms, pistols, rifles, police cars and the power to arrest coast to coast without a warrant. They have ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and a recruitment ad campaign with the slogan: “It’s about respect and recognition from your peers. It’s you.”

Crime Tweets

This could be thoroughly depressing, but if you're into Twitter and tracking Flint crime, you're in luck. Check out the Flint Police Blotter.

How to Pay for More Cops?

A few days ago I asked a question in the comment section. How you fund Flint police at their current pay and benefits packages and balance the budget, without increasing the retirement pay out so a mayor down the line has to deal with the cost? More than 70 percent of the general fund is dedicated to public safety. Not sure how you put more cops on the street with their current pay and benefits, continue to do things like pick up the garbage and mow the grass, and balance the budget. Without raising taxes on an economically devastated city. (Please note that I'm not taking a stand on the current labor battle between the mayor and public safety unions; I'm looking for actual answers to solve this dilemma.)

I got a few responses. On the micro level, anonymous suggests:

Privatize garbage. City will become a stinking landfill, but you'll theoretically have a few more cops. Make police pay scale the highest possible pay scale. Noone in city hall makes more than a cop with the same years of service. including the mayor. you'll have a few more cops. Shutter/sell/dismantle atwood. sad but time. play ball games at northwestern n swa. maybe get a few more cops out of that, it might be deeded or something tho so maybe not. and outside of a select few (like a handful), pull up the signs from the city parks and end what minimal maintenance is done on them. nature parks now. squeeze a cop or two out of those savings. beg, plead and steal federal law enforcement assistance. still not enough? sorry, all i got.

JWilly offers up a big-picture solution:

Everyone knows the problem is driven by drug marketing. Everyone knows that Flint can't afford to manage ongoing petty crime, and has no constitutionally permissible tools to do anything about drug marketing. The suburbs prefer to keep their money and pretend the problem doesn't affect them. The state prefers to think of the problem as local and simply a matter of managerial and taxpayer choices. The feds by and large ignore the problem. Over the years the CIA and friends have even been involved in drug distribution in a number of ways, and the feds have used drug profits to extra-nationally fund various activities.

Nothing will be fixed until the feds make ending drug marketing a national goal, and formulate a practical plan that doesn't involve interdicting individual mules or processing labs or plants.

One way to do that would be to bioengineer hardy, persistent genetic-attack vectors for the plant precursors for cocaine and heroin, and broadcast them in cultivable areas.

Much of the world would be outraged at our transgressing various nations' sovereignty in the process, and hurting poor farm families. We'd have to be led by someone that was willing to say, "tough $%@&...deal with it."

I'd love to hear some more ideas.

Flint Crime: Is the City a Prisoner to Budget Shortfalls?

Would crime go down in Flint if the city could afford to keep its jail open?

Calls for National Guard to Help Flint

Vera Rison and Brenda Clack asked for help from the National Guard to combat Flint's soaring crime rate. Instead, Gov. Jennifer Granholm authorized an increased state police presence in the city.

Kristen Longley of The Flint Journal reports:

The governor has authorized the Michigan State Police to triple its presence in Flint after the city has seen five homicides in six days, including a fatal shooting this morning.

Mayor Dayne Walling made the call for help yesterday to Gov. Jennifer Granholm's office, and she responded:

"Public safety is our top priority, and we stand ready to assist our local partners to ensure that citizens are protected and remain safe," Granholm said in a statement released at a City Hall news conference this morning.