An Education
Posted by EdFriedman2, Mar 11 2010, 07:51 PM
Why does the Department of Education need 27 short-barreled shotguns? Well, I had an inkling it was for internal affairs, and that turns out to be correct. A spokesperson for the ED Office of the Inspector General explained the OIG is “responsible for the detection of waste, fraud, abuse and other criminal activity involving Federal education funds, programs and operations.” So, Arne Duncan won’t be busting-in with a SWAT team to remove homeschooled kids or make sure there’s no pictures of guns in school. What the OIG will try to do, however, is find people stealing funds from the ED, pilfering identities of student loan recipients and other, largely internal, issues. The shotguns are meant to replace older and malfunctioning models already in the OIG’s inventory.
A professor of mine in grad school once explained that of the thousands of federal officials who trained at FLETC, the vast majority were there for “inward-looking operations.” That means most federal law enforcement officials are tasked with enforcing the law against other federal employees. We don’t generally associate the ED with law enforcement because the majority of people arrested by an ED cop probably work for the ED.
Still, those are some pretty tacticool shotguns for such purposes…
Comments
EdFriedman2, Mar 12 2010, 12:42 AM
Well, they have no business exisiting at all, but that's another story.
I understand the sentiment, but in this case, I don't think there's anything nefarious afoot. Literally every department of government has internal affairs divisions like the ED OIG with armed law enforcement. They police their own. The guns in question seem a tad excessive for an IA-type organization, but who am I to object to someone's choice of firearm? (IMG:http://www.shootingillustrated.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
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Guest, Mar 12 2010, 01:16 AM
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kahr40, Mar 12 2010, 01:30 AM
Well, they have no business exisiting at all, but that's another story.
I understand the sentiment, but in this case, I don't think there's anything nefarious afoot. Literally every department of government has internal affairs divisions like the ED OIG with armed law enforcement. They police their own. The guns in question seem a tad excessive for an IA-type organization, but who am I to object to someone's choice of firearm? (IMG:http://www.shootingillustrated.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
You're a taxpayer. That's why we get to question the need or the choice of firearms for Federal Agencies even if they are looking inward.
EdFriedman2, Mar 12 2010, 03:04 AM
Well, they have no business exisiting at all, but that's another story.
I understand the sentiment, but in this case, I don't think there's anything nefarious afoot. Literally every department of government has internal affairs divisions like the ED OIG with armed law enforcement. They police their own. The guns in question seem a tad excessive for an IA-type organization, but who am I to object to someone's choice of firearm? (IMG:http://www.shootingillustrated.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
You're a taxpayer. That's why we get to question the need or the choice of firearms for Federal Agencies even if they are looking inward.
Oh, I agree on that level. I would just worry that some anti might say "Well, you're so concerned about the 'honest' government with these types of guns, but you have 'evil-child-killing' high-capacity muzzleloaders! Think of the children!" And explaining why said anti is an idiot would take too much time...
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N.U.G.U.N., Mar 12 2010, 02:57 PM
There is NO point for the Dept of Education to have shotguns. We are fast becoming a police state. Every single administration is becoming an armed paramilitary force. Excuse my french but WTF?
Seriously folks - there is SOMETHING extremely wrong with our nation.
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The proper procedure should be this. Dept. Education has a division of fraud. When they suspect, they call in the FBI or state authorities who are trained in the matter. If the individual is so extremely dangerous as to require a SWAT style raid. Then you call in a Federal SWAT team. Nuff said....
Right now, I suspect there isn't a department in the government that doesn't own short-barreled shotguns.
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bob r, Mar 12 2010, 04:16 PM
"The shotguns are meant to replace older and malfunctioning models already in the OIG’s inventory."
How about they apply proper handling and maintenance to the guns they already have. I'm having trouble seeing them actually have enough use to have legitimately been worn out.
I'd also rather they called in the FBI or the US Marshall, which ever is appropriate, than have their own "police".
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Guest, Mar 13 2010, 04:17 AM
purchases
It isn't just the ED.
Can anybody confirm that these depts. have their own tactical enforcement teams? I had heard that such things are for the FBI to handle.
I don't have a good feelong about this. Is this how the 'civilian security force' will be armed?
Well, they have no business exisiting at all, but that's another story.