Utah Fusion Center: Watch Out for Don't-Tread-on-Me Flags
Feb 5, 2016 17:06:20 GMT -5
Post by avordvet on Feb 5, 2016 17:06:20 GMT -5
h/t to SSI...
Utah Fusion Center Warns Cops: Watch Out for Don't-Tread-on-Me Flags
With LaVoy Finicum's funeral being held today, Utah police are on the lookout for "armed extremists." What sort of advice are they getting?
Jesse Walker, Feb. 5, 2016 10:42 am
Funeral services will be held today in Kanab, Utah, for LaVoy Finicum, the rancher killed last month during the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. In a bulletin distributed this week to cops across the region, the Utah Statewide Information and Analysis Center—one of the dozens of intelligence-sharing "fusion centers" around the country that get funds from the Department of Homeland Security—warns that "extremists may utilize such a high profile funeral for media attention or to further ideological beliefs." Although "no credible threats to law enforcement are present at this time," the authors still think police should be wary: "Caravans of individuals traveling to the funeral services may be comprised of one or more armed extremists. Law enforcement should remain vigilant and aware that confrontation with these potentially volatile persons, may include more than one individual. These individuals may adhere to a sovereign citizen ideology, and may not recognize law enforcement as a legitimate authority."
The report includes several "visual indicators" to help police determine whether they're dealing with "extremist and disaffected individuals." These range from images associated with specific political groups, such as the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, to a more generic patriotic symbol, the Gadsden flag—a famous Revolutionary War banner featuring a coiled rattlesnake and the slogan "Don't Tread on Me." One of the "indicators" is a slightly altered version of a picture popular with fans of the Grateful Dead; the guide does not note this potential source of confusion, describing it only as "common sovereign citizen imagery."
reason.com/blog/2016/02/05/utah-fusion-center-warns-cops-watch-out
Utah Fusion Center Warns Cops: Watch Out for Don't-Tread-on-Me Flags
With LaVoy Finicum's funeral being held today, Utah police are on the lookout for "armed extremists." What sort of advice are they getting?
Jesse Walker, Feb. 5, 2016 10:42 am
Funeral services will be held today in Kanab, Utah, for LaVoy Finicum, the rancher killed last month during the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. In a bulletin distributed this week to cops across the region, the Utah Statewide Information and Analysis Center—one of the dozens of intelligence-sharing "fusion centers" around the country that get funds from the Department of Homeland Security—warns that "extremists may utilize such a high profile funeral for media attention or to further ideological beliefs." Although "no credible threats to law enforcement are present at this time," the authors still think police should be wary: "Caravans of individuals traveling to the funeral services may be comprised of one or more armed extremists. Law enforcement should remain vigilant and aware that confrontation with these potentially volatile persons, may include more than one individual. These individuals may adhere to a sovereign citizen ideology, and may not recognize law enforcement as a legitimate authority."
The report includes several "visual indicators" to help police determine whether they're dealing with "extremist and disaffected individuals." These range from images associated with specific political groups, such as the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, to a more generic patriotic symbol, the Gadsden flag—a famous Revolutionary War banner featuring a coiled rattlesnake and the slogan "Don't Tread on Me." One of the "indicators" is a slightly altered version of a picture popular with fans of the Grateful Dead; the guide does not note this potential source of confusion, describing it only as "common sovereign citizen imagery."
reason.com/blog/2016/02/05/utah-fusion-center-warns-cops-watch-out