U.S. Police in Peace and Stability Operations

[OfTheTroops]

Upon review of the video evidence Barney Fife would be an excellent International Police Advisor.

[OfTheTroops]

Some people (not me) say that we can develop the advisor advanced skill set by removing the posse comitatus prohibitions. Thoughts? Federalizing the Military Police Corps?

I believe the utilization of the reserve and national guard sworn officers is the closest thing to the right answer.

I still owe you the answers to your questions Ken but rambling is more entertaining.

[Ken White]

I still owe you the answers to your questions Ken but rambling is more entertaining.

Or is it I resemble that remark.

No problems on the answer, rhetorical in any event...

IMO, Posse Comitatus should be left alone. There are advantages to both the nation and the Army. As you know, National Guard MPs can enforce State Law unless they are in Federal Status. The Reserve MPs have the same restrictions as the active folks.

Though it is noteworthy that Canadian MPs are sworn Federal Law Enforcement Officers with full power of arrest on and off post / base. Many nations have paramilitary police who fulfill the MP function for their Armed Forces and also have a full time civil police role, notably the French Gendarmerie, Italian Carabinieri and Netherlands Marechaussee...

[jmm99]

was based on valid reasoning in its day, which still exist today. I thought much of the Rand memo was a non-starter because a domestic gendarmerie (whether overt military or under the subtrafuge of a civilian agency) would not fly politically. Actually, Ken knows more about the history of Posse Comitatus than I do - and he has actual experience in domestic pacification (Detroit riots et al). So, I hand off to him.

Using a gendarmerie in an insurgency (at the right times and places) seems a good idea to me - if it is an indigenous force. What if they don't have one ? Then, a civilian "FID" effort by the US would be a solution. What, we don't have one - so, who are the trainers ? Form a small unit in the FBI (who want to stick their nose into everything overseas) and send them to countries who have gendarmerie units (e.g., France, Italy and Spain). After their training, they would then be the training base for host nation units.

Very quick thoughts off the tip of my skull.

[davidbfpo]

This thread has a different and related LE theme: http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=5029

Much of that thread is around the police in Small Wars and a gendarmerie.

davidbfpo