The Snooper Report

Ever hear of the Sheriff's Department?  Have you ever heard about just how hard it is for the Feds to knock over a Sheriff's Department?  Well, never fear!  Czarbie's Civilian National Security Forces are here to help.

I received an email about 7 hours ago and The Dame Truth, Dean, Faultline USA and myself were heavy into looking for the data.  Here it is:

Faultline USA: Police State in Hardin, Montana

WND.com - Drew Zahn - ‎5 hours ago‎

Recent stories of a private security force descending upon a Montana town in black Mercedes SUVs with police department insignias emblazoned on ...

APF Hits Hardin, MT from KULR8 TV: APF In Hardin

BILLINGS - American Police Force officials showed up in Mercedes SUV's that had "Hardin Police" stenciled on the vehicles. The twist, the city of Hardin doesn't have a police department.

Two Rivers Authority officials say having APF patrol the streets was never part of their agenda. "I have no idea. I really don't because that's not been a part of any of the discussions we've had with any of them," said Two Rivers Authority's Al Peterson.

As it stands now the Big Horn County Sheriff's Department is contracted to patrol the city and APF has no jurisdiction. If that was changed Peterson says it would have to go through the city council.

As for the jail contract with APF, both sides are yet to agree to a deal as bondholders rejected it again on Thursday morning. "It's a complicated issue there are a lot of tax laws to work through we were hoping to get it by Tuesday night now we're hoping to get it by Friday night," said Peterson.

Officials say the contract only deals with the detention facility and a police training center. There's no mention of a homeless shelter, animal shelter, or any services for the area.

"That was never in the contract to begin with. I think it was on a wish list of what Captain Michael wanted to do here," said Peterson. American Police Force officials plan to stay in the area for the next month. [END]

Here's more:

MontanaWithKids: American Police Force hits Hardin, Montana

[...] The APF has as of yet not been made aware that the State of Montana has a constitution that forbids the creation of a private police force. Those were called posses during the lawless Wild West days in Montana back in the late 1800’s. Citizens are now more law abiding and the worst thing you can get caught at in Terry is going 29 miles in Spring Street’s 25 miles per hour zone. APF could be in the process of applying but it would take the legislature or the Governor to give their final approval. But better be watching out for one of those black Mercedes SUV’s to pull up behind you and turn on its siren. It could be the American Police Force hitting your town. [END]

MercuryNews: Mont. lawmakers want info on secretive CA company

BILLINGS, Mont.—Montana legislators said Tuesday they want to know more about a secretive California company that wants to take over an empty jail in the southeastern corner of the state and build a military training center on adjacent property.

The company, American Police Force, has attracted widespread attention with its plans—but won't reveal its backers or where it would get prisoners for the jail, located in the rural city of Hardin.

With Hardin officials also saying little about the company, rumors have flourished. On a Web site run by right-wing radio show host Alex Jones, a posting claimed that employees of American Police Force had "occupied" the city and started patrolling its streets.

Montana Rep. Bob Ebinger said more rumors were likely until Hardin and the company provide more details.

"Always when things are secretive, you end up getting everybody—on both the right and the left—making suppositions about what's going on," said Ebinger, a Democrat from Livingston. [...]

Raw Story: Reports: Mysterious, unregistered security firm policing Montana town

A mysterious, reportedly unregistered and almost entirely unknown private security firm by the name "American Police Force" is causing a stir in a small Montana town for apparently impersonating local police.

According to a local media report, APF representatives were recently seen in the tiny town of Hardin, Montana, driving black SUV's with a peculiar logo and, inexplicably, "City of Hardin Police Department" stamped on the door.

However, Hardin does not have a police force.

The town instead contracts with the Big Horn County Sheriff's Department for patrols, according to KULR 8 in Billings, Montana. [...]

Gawker: Is "American Police Force" the Next Great Militia?

Think things in America can't get any more unsettling? Well, you're wrong. Meet the American Police Force, which will soon take over a Montana jail that once asked to house Guantanamo inmates. And, shocker, they're shady as hell. Let's look...

Unorganized militia's played quite the role in America's revolution, and they've been experiencing a bit of a revival in the scary recent past. The anti-immigrant Minute Men are out in full force down Arizona way, while the once-defunct Michigan Militia seems to have revived itself: they just had a training exercise called Operation Pita Storm.

But those groups are small potatoes compared to a new, ultra-mysterious "security force" called the American Police Force, which just agreed to take over an indebted prison in Hardin, Montana. And sounds a lot like a militia, only far more organized, less forthcoming and, therefore, more frightening.

So let's get some facts, if such things exist anymore. [...]

Prison Planet (these guys need rubber boots, but):  Paramilitary Force To Boss Internment Camp In Montana

Empty detention facility could serve as Gitmo in the U.S., as reports emerge of APF thugs harassing citizens.

Following our earlier report about a paramilitary security force occupying a town in Montana, it has now become clear that the purpose of American Police Force is to boss a state of the art internment camp that some fear will be used to incarcerate American citizens, as reports come in of the private paramilitary unit setting up roadblocks and harassing citizens in Hardin. [...]

Ya know what?  It is BAD enough already without Alex Jones chiming in.

Examiner: American Police Force

This story about American Police Force is shaping up to be a quite wonderful little scandal. It's perhaps a little early to offer a definitive statement of the facts so I'll constrain myself to reasonable interpretations and point out that this is very much personal supposition, opinion, not a definitive statement of facts.

But I would start by saying that American Police Force and their contract to run the empty jail in Hardin, Montana, well, it looks like a group of small time entrepreneurs (not that there's anything wrong with being a small time entrepreneur, I am one myself) who have bitten off rather more than they can chew. [...]

No one knows what this is all about but with the likes of the Obama Administration, there is no telling what is what and who is who.  Here's the email I was sent but, first: The Sheriff's Department has not been shelved, as some have said but, then again, others are saying that it has.  We will watch this very closely and as for the American Police Force, who in the hell needs them and what in the world do we need an American Police Force anyway?  Ever hear of them?

American Police Force is dedicated to maintaining our well deserved professional reputation as a results oriented full-service private investigative and security agency by way of commitment, diligence, unique resources, creativity, and tenacity on behalf of our clients.

American Police Force leverages the talent and expertise of their extensive global network to provide local, regional, and national security solutions to the United States Government and other clients who are in need of customized private investigative services. Some of our servces include highly sophisticated background checks, asset searches, undercover investigations both domestic & international, and much more.

WTFO?

EMAIL but only a portion is provided...

From: A Good Friend in Montana
Subject: OUT OF TIME: CITY OF HARDIN, MT NOW BECOMING A POLICE STATE! TV Ch8 Verified

This came to me from a faithful watchman!

WE ARE OUT OF TIME!  CITY OF HARDIN & SURROUNDING AREA IS NOW BECOMING A POLICE STATE!
 
THE SHAKING HAS BEGUN!
 
Dear Intercessors,

Things are moving so quickly and we are out of time!  The spirit of Pharaoh has entered our land!  We have found out that our little town of Hardin is the 'test town' for President Obama’s new law to privatize the police force of local communities. Last night, the city council voted to disband our sheriff’s department and to bring in a private security company to police the town.

Interestingly, earlier in the day, the mayor when asked in an interview about the privatization of our police department completely denied it and said that would not be done with out a council meeting. Then that evening, a council meeting was held in regards to that very thing. At the beginning of this month, our local prison signed an agreement with the American Police Force which is a subsidiary of a larger private security force that the U.S. used in the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina.

Yesterday, a convoy of twelve 'blacked out' Mercedes Benz SUV’s were brought into town. They were already painted with Hardin’s colors and ‘Hardin Police Force’ was already painted on them! Hardin’s sheriff’s department will no longer be in operation after the month of October. During October, the Sheriff’s Department is to train this new security force in all the logistics of running the town of Hardin. If you go on the American Police Force site, you might notice that the logo they use is actually a Russian logo. I (Leilani) have been told that the man who came with this new security force as the captain, has a thick Russian accent.

Earlier this month, in an interview in regards to this Hardin prison and the training center that they are planning to build, we were told that seventy five percent of the security officers that were to be trained would be ‘international’. [...]

Here we go people...

The Snooper Report.  Join us as we Take Our Country Back.
Sic vis pacem para bellum
Fight Accordingly

Update on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 9:12AM by Mark "Snooper" Harvey

Michelle Malkin: What’s happening in Hardin, Montana?

Update on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 9:26PM by Mark "Snooper" Harvey

Michelle Malkin: Hardin, Montana update: AG launches probe

The latest on what’s happening in Hardin, Montana: State Attorney General Steve Bullock has launched a probe into the jail deal with American Police Force and its shady founder:

[...] Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock launched an investigation Thursday into American Police Force, the California company founded by a Serbian immigrant with a lengthy criminal history that is seeking to run an empty, 464-bed jail in Hardin. [...]

And then...

[...] Although Michael Hilton, the man behind APF, and local officials say the deal is as good as done, US Bank, the trustee for the bonds sold to build the jail, has never signed off on it. [END]

Folks involved in this are jumping ship?  Why jump off of something that is perfectly OK?  Why is that?

OOPS!

[...] A California company’s bid to take over an empty jail in rural Montana appears to be unraveling, with an attorney involved in the project cutting ties Friday and a second company, once named as a subcontractor, denying any involvement.

Those moves followed revelations earlier in the week that Michael Hilton—the lead figure of the company, American Police Force—is a convicted felon with a history of fraud and failed business dealings in California.

“We met with him and he asked us if we can support him,” said Edward Angelino, chief executive of Allied Defense Systems, an Irvine, Calif.-based defense contractor. “We checked his background, we checked his company. He’s not an adequate person to do business with.”  [...]

Gee.  I wonder why ALL of this started in a no name town in an unmanned jail with no police force?

Update on Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 4:45PM by Mark "Snooper" Harvey

Michelle Malkin: Hardin, Montana update: Jail deal in limbo

APF is in serious trouble.  With cops and everything.

The AP: Montana city's jail deal delayed amid controversy

I knew we'd get to the real something...?

HARDIN, Mont. — Officials in this remote Montana town have placed plans for a California company to take over a never-used, $27 million jail on hold.

The Hardin economic development authority's decision to step back from an agreement with the newly minted American Police Force, of Santa Ana, Calif., came as town leaders on Monday announced the resignation of both the attorney and the economic development official who helped craft the jail deal for the city.

The decision also follows revelations that Mike Hilton, the lead figure of the American Police Force, has a history of fraud that includes several years in jail and three civil judgments against him for more than $1.1 million. [...]

Go read the rest.  This deal is going no where.

[...] On Friday, a California judge ordered Hilton to appear in court Oct. 27 over an outstanding judgment in a fraud lawsuit. [...]

Oh darn.