Desperately Balanced

(Yet... another... MBTA... story...........)

Three days ago, I walked into North Station, and there were three paramilitary/SWAT officers standing there. Black fatigues, bulging thigh pockets, gear clipped all over, automatic weapon, ... WAIT! Did I say automatic weapon?

I did. And what kind of policeman was this? MBTA police.

Now, Massachusetts is weird. The MBTA, or Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, is essentially a state entity. But it isn't a state agency, department, or other fully integrated State entity. It's more like a spin-off company that keeps coming back to the parent company for more money every time they can't get their act together. Which is often.

There are other, similar, organizations in Massachusetts. The MTA, or Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, was put together to build and pay for the Mass Pike (I-90). Which they did so, by making it and managing it as a toll road. Of course, after it was built, they kept the tolls in place. For maintenance. Or whatever. Removing the tolls and the MTA is a recurrent theme of underdog political candidates.

Massport (Massachusetts Port Authority) is responsible for Logan and other airports, docking facilities, and other such things. Fortunately, they seem to be able to make money owning and running a major airport. Who'da thunk airports would be a business opportunity?

ANYWAY, back to my - yes, I had one - point.

Three days ago there were MBTA "SWAT" type police, one with a semi-automatic weapon, in North Station (commuter rail nexus). Two days ago there were MBTA "SWAT" type police and a dog (presumably bomb sniffing, it wasn't the German Shepherd type usually used for run-and-pull-the-criminal-down-by-the-arm jobs).

I don't know about you, but I'm not really comforted having anyone wander around with an automatic weapon. I've said it before, the major threat to (airport or rail station) isn't a pitched battle, it's a bomber or bombers who is trying to stay under the radar. All a rifle is going to do in that situation is raise the likelihood of collateral damage.

But, okay, work with me. Why does the MBTA have its own SWAT team? First of all, wouldn't it make more sense to work with the local police (e.g., the Boston Police Department) who have wider jurisdiction, better communication with the larger network of police on duty, and would save the MBTA much-needed money through pooling of resources?

And, the next question for me is, how exactly does the MBTA qualify to have a private paramilitary police force? I'm sure that J. Random Security Company would have a hell of a time trying to get permission to arm their people with semi-automatic rifles. Bear in mind that Massachusetts has some of the strictest, if not the strictest, set of gun control laws in the nation. Oh, and by the way, to the best of my knowledge Logan Airport doesn't have their own SWAT, the State Police Troop F is responsible for policing it. (A prized duty assignment, the "best" assignment to get. They got in trouble a few years ago for using one of the massive buildings housing air intakes for the Tip O'Neill tunnel as a driving range and marking that as their required physical fitness plan).

I'm getting redundant here. I know that. But I've said it before and I'll say it again. The proliferation of paramilitary police forces does necessarily not make us safer, and has downsides that should not be ignored. Having the MBTA grow their own paramilitary force strikes me as even worse than the trend of each small town creating their own. Police enforce the law, and the military impose the law. That's why we have the Posse Comitatus Act.

P.S. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I don't think this trend represents any sinister plans to control the population, etc. etc. I think it's just that the police now have the funds to buy and play with the cool toys, and they're doing it, and they aren't considering how this trend endangers the goal "To Serve and Protect."

P.P.S. I make a habit of walking directly toward paramilitary police, clearly looking at and inventorying their kit, paying them attention without looking at their faces, acting a tiny bit furtive. You know, the sort of thing a (stupid) terrorist would do. Never been called on it yet. Never a question or a "Hi there" to check me out. Never a frank assessment in return. Isn't that odd?