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Thursday, January 05, 2012

LEESBURG, FL ,
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Training excercise startles locals

Published: Wednesday, January 04, 2012 LEESBURG MILLARD K. IVES | Staff Writer millardives@dailycommercial.com It may have looked like they were ready for war or some deranged person looking for his late Social Security benefits. But it was only Federal Protective Service officers with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security who were conducting a random training operation early Tuesday morning when they surprisingly showed up at the Social Security Administration office in downtown Leesburg. With their blue and white SUVs circled around the Main Street office, at least one official was posted on the door with a semiautomatic rifle, randomly checking identifications. And other officers, some with K-9s, sifted through the building. "I thought someone was upset about not getting there check," said Laura Kelly, who took a friend to the office on Tuesday. According to one Homeland official in the Washington, D.C. office, Operation Shield. is an effort that uses routine, unannounced visits by FPS inspectors to test the effectiveness of contract guards, or protective security officers -- "detecting the presence of unauthorized persons and potentially disruptive or dangerous activities." Part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FPS is the federal law enforcement agency that provides integrated security and law enforcement services to over 9,000 federally-owned and leased buildings, facilities, properties and other assets.

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Homeland Security officers participate in an Operation Shield training exercise on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012, at the Leesburg Social Security Administration office.

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Officers on the scene would not speak to the press and by noon they were gone. But Thomas Milligan, district manager for the Social Security Administration office, said while the visit came as a surprise, the office was ready. He added the officers checked videos, security measures, alarm system and more. "It was to make sure security measures are in place and properly followed," Milligan said.

Go FPS(by:Bob-1/5/2012) The only way to keep criminals and terrorist at bay, is to have spot checks. The protection of our government facilities is FPS' responsibility. People don't need to know when checks can and will occur. Report Abuse ?(by:who knows-1/5/2012) "Training excercise..." Training for what exactly? Why all of the paranoia? Report Abuse WHAT!!!(by:Biff-1/5/2012) Next time try a Philadelphia voting area Report Abuse VIPR(by:Col Bat Guano-1/5/2012) "It was to make sure security measures are in place and properly followed," Und to makez sure ze peeple knowz whoz ins control. Our federal government run amuck. Expect it to get worse. Report Abuse Checking ID at SS office(by:west1890-1/5/2012) OK, why is it ok to check ID's at a Social Security office but AG Holder says it's racist to require an ID to vote? Report Abuse Can you say police state(by:Pnutbrand-1/5/2012) When did this type of thing become acceptable? Are you all really that scared that you accept this?

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Report Abuse Quislings serving the beast(by:yanqui-1/5/2012) Gestapo, Nazis, KGB, take your pick, they all act the same.. as long as they get their paycheck it isnt about law, its about power and control and intimidation. What will they do when imtimidation of old men women and children no fails ? These are tactics to show force and will lead up to a militarized police presense. Report Abuse Training excercise startles locals(by:IdahoMan-1/5/2012) NAZIS Just call them for what they are. Call a spade a spade. You know what the answer to crap like this is... Open-Carry. You see, the jack-booted-thugs that make up these Fatherland Security teams are sending messages with "exercises" like this. That they are here, heavily armed, in-your-face, and ready to violate your rights at the barrel of a gun. To "enforce 'compliance'". It is well known that criminally or predatory minded peoples want to get what they want with as little resistance as possible. Be they streetthugs or out-of-control governments. If a person is armed, it makes them much less easier a target. If, or rather WHEN, these DFS teams move to our streets, people carrying firearms will be much less easy to corral and violate. Be it 4thAmendment-violating searches or ID demands, or maybe worse: A trip somewhere you don't want to go. The NAZIS. Or the Soviets, or the Armenians, or other despots. Let's not let what happened there/then happen here. Report Abuse This Is What a Police State Looks Like!(by:Phok Yoo-1/5/2012) Get used to the Stasi! Report Abuse What hypocrisy!(by:The Obama Timeline author-1/5/2012) Most Americans might wonder why the Obama administration is opposed to photo ID for voting but has armed Federal Protective Services officers setting up announced identification checkpoints. In fact, most Americans are probably not even aware the administration has "Federal Protective Services officers." Report Abuse Gestapo Harassment of Innocents(by:Adolph Hitler Obama-1/5/2012) "Ein Reich"...."Ein Volk"...."Ein Fuehrer"..! Report Abuse gov tools(by:trained -1/5/2012) Federal Protective Service officers with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security what a bunch of tools hey carry your gun right, if you to do it like that you should just hand it over to the next person that walks up. Complete morons with toys they don't know how to use. If you want to look at the security just walk in and look around. its not hard if you know what your doing. Report Abuse Why no comments(by:CONCERNED CITIZEN-1/5/2012) Seems suspect, if to audit internal security why would you show up armed and check people entering. Seems like a show of force. What country am I living in? Report Abuse DHS Criminals(by:Bill Fisher-1/5/2012) America now has its own Stasi. The criminal agencies of DGS, TSA, FPS and CBP are eroding our rights before our eyes. DHS must be dismantled and those responsible for this treasonous assault on the Constitution prosecuted for this travesty. Report Abuse Training exercise(by:Chuck-1/5/2012) So the commie system needs to train their givernment thugs before they crack down and haul people to the gulags. Intimidation of seniors who, after years of paying taxes, are picking up their measly checks! That is "CHANGE" alright. I can hardly recognize my country any more. Run the bum out of office. Vote Ron Paul. Report Abuse not America(by:Free Man-1/5/2012) The new Gestapo. America... you have failed in your vigilance, and will pay the price, dearly Report Abuse SECURITY(by:jules-1/5/2012) Nice to see at least they are trying ...... Report Abuse training exercise(by:George-1/5/2012) Hitler would be proud. Report Abuse (by:Geoff-1/5/2012) The government is conditioning us to willingly give up our Constituional rights and become sheep. Checkpoints on the highways, showing our "papers". American freedom and liberty are quickly becoming lost. Report Abuse DHS training exercise(by:Ralph-1/5/2012) Was the LCSO or the Leesburg Police Chief notified as a precaution to insure that there could not be a potential confrontation? Report Abuse Martial Law(by:Tom Trebow-1/5/2012) Just a matter of time, this was a warm-up to see how the peasants would take it. Report Abuse (by:Stuntman Mike-1/5/2012) ...complete waste of time and money - anyone who complied and showed ID needs to grow a backbone! It's nothing more than a conditioning exercise to get good little amerikans to know their place in what is coming... Report Abuse

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prey(by:sovereign citizen-1/5/2012) welcome to 1984 Report Abuse National Police Force?(by:Sparticus-1/5/2012) Why is DHS intimidating the public with such shows of force? Are citizens 4th ammendment rights going to be stripped in public now as they are in our countries airports? Report Abuse Social Security Office is a threat?(by:sb10-1/5/2012) This looks like DHS is looking for a reason to justify its existence. We have wasted many billions of taxpayer money on such pointless "make-work." Report Abuse BS(by:Bob57-1/5/2012) The excuse is BS! You don't a LEO armed with a semiauto rifle to check the security of a building. These little shows of force by arms of the DHS are part of getting the American people used to totalitarianism. It is of a piece with the VIPER program. OK, John Q Public, how much totalitarianism will YOU tolerate before you rise up to stop it? Report Abuse DHS?(by:kitty the eldery-1/5/2012) I thought they had bonifide training places in order, not to pick on a bunch of eldery people who you could knock over with a feather. How very sad, is this the best they could do? Why not try out their ''skills'' at a real place that tends to have a real threat at times? Report Abuse DHS(by:G.J. Silver-1/5/2012) I find it odd that there are no comments on this story. We are looking more like a police state everyday. Even after 911 you did not see sights like this.I can understand protecting federal offices in a much more discreet way; but this show of force is intimidating. Why aren't these officers on the border? Maybe because it's an election year. So instead of border security Obama puts in a hotline for illegals. Report Abuse Training excercise startles locals(by:Ed Garnier-1/5/2012) This is just something we're going to have to get used to. What with all the terroism.. talk. The Germans had to get used to it under Hitler. Report Abuse Training excercise(by:Dee Jay-1/5/2012) The only training going on is for the locals to be de-sensitized to see heavy security as "normal" when there is nothing normal about it. Report Abuse FPS(by:copper-1/5/2012) A dangerous statement, "only the Federal Protective Service" . I'm sure most people complied with their request to show identification and state their purpose but I would not. It's none of their business. You don't have to tell them didly squat. I would though ask them for their identification including a badge number to make sure I had the correct person to serve a violation of civil rights lawsuit to them. What's wrong with the American public. They've mostly turned into a bunch of little wimps. Report Abuse What a joke...(by:Dan Fixer-1/5/2012) The sooner "Homeland Security" is tossed in the trash bin of history the safer this country will be. Total waste of money. This is the same outfit that recruited from ads on pizza delivery boxes...says volumes about the IQ of the management of this group of goons. Report Abuse Fascinating(by:Dawn J-1/5/2012) Perhaps they could try this at the border. Report Abuse Police State(by:Citizen-1/5/2012) "training operation" Yes, training and conditioning the American people to accept this tyranny as the new norm. Report Abuse POLICE STATE(by:Barry_soetoro_2012-1/5/2012) Tyranny is upon us. Wake up NOW, before it's too late. Report Abuse A hole.(by:Bigger A hole.-1/5/2012) WOE to you Homeland chumps. You are violating the U.S. Constitution. Your ignorance is NO excuse for your paycheck. Report Abuse Seig Heil!(by:Troll-1/5/2012) Mein Fuhrer! Report Abuse Training?(by:Chris Baird-1/5/2012) The only "training" going on was that of the public being trained to accept that the United States of America is slowly being "Fundamentally transformed" into a police state, under the dictates of the Marxist supreme leader. Report Abuse "Training Exercise"(by:Dan Marcus-1/5/2012) A blatant example of the police state we now live under. We're in it now, up to our necks. Report Abuse A Training Exercise?(by:Aqrty-1/5/2012) What exactly are they training for? This is INSANE. Report Abuse Training exercise startles locals(by:DPMD-1/5/2012) We deploy squads of heavily armed and armored assault rifle toting Feds checking photo ID's of seniors and the disabled hoping to collect the monthly insult.

But absolutely no photo ID for electing a president. Report Abuse Conditioning the sheep(by:chris-1/5/2012) "detecting the presence of unauthorized persons and potentially disruptive or dangerous activities." Their increased public appearances, all around the country, is to condition the sheep. Once the outcries of strong arm presence in society declines, they have won!! I dread the fact that I live in such a time as these, in the United States. Report Abuse here we go...(by:lamerican-1/5/2012) The terrorists win.. There is only one candidate promising to start dismantling these growing federal agencies.. Report Abuse Tryanny(by:Andrew-1/5/2012) Looks like Germany 1939. We are already balls deep in tyranny people. You don't just wake up one day and citizens are being indefinitely detained and housed. Oh wait, The President just signed the indefinite detention bill. Wake up! INFOWARS.COM Report Abuse Beware the Stanford Prison Experiment(by:Vote Ron Paul for Freedom!-1/5/2012) Even a otherwise peaceful security guard can be trained to become militant in a Democracy. Remember before TSA we had security guards that did the same job just fine. Report Abuse Papers Please!(by:A Messenger-1/5/2012) The American Gestapo has begun harassing the disabled and elderly...just like the NAZIs did Welcome to the 4th Reich...Police State USA! Report Abuse Illegal stops(by:ILikeRush-1/5/2012) Asking someone for their ID without probable cause is against the law. Someone should be held responsible. Report Abuse DHS in Leesburg(by:Lukester-1/5/2012) I am an American Citizen. I do not need to show ID to go into a government building. This is not Soviet Russia. Report Abuse Papers! (by:T Jefferson-1/5/2012) The fourth and fifth amendments are d-e-a-d. Hitler is somewhere smiling, so is UBL. Report Abuse Jackboot Thugs(by:truth-1/5/2012) When is america going to wake up to the tyranny these brown shirts, I mean tsa people represent. Report Abuse DHS at the IRS(by:john Smith-1/5/2012) I wonder what these Near Criminals who traded guins to Mexico for Our Presidentr havr in store for America???? Training???? fort What??????????? Report Abuse Yea ok, Training Mission....LOL(by:Allan Colmes-1/5/2012) Nice. Jack booted thugs just doing some "training". When are people going to wake up??? This is 1933 Europe all over again........ Report Abuse Zeigen Sie mir Ihre Papiere!(by:Savage Nation-1/5/2012) Show us your papers! 1930's flashback Report Abuse Training for what?(by:Dagny-1/5/2012) What possible scenario are they training for? The day a disabled person shows up with a possibly fake ID? They need to be heavily armed for that? Really? Report Abuse yep(by:yep-1/5/2012) Get ready folks, because your government is coming for you. Report Abuse Police State(by:Dave-1/5/2012) How do you like living in a police state? This is like the Soviet Union. When will you say no? Report Abuse Police State(by:Cody -1/5/2012) Welcome to the police state everyone! Last time I checked, we don't live in East Germany. Report Abuse (by:Billy_Dickwiggler-1/5/2012) O HOOVERS BLUE SHIRTS Report Abuse Thomas Jefferson(by:WROL1776-1/5/2012) The Virginia delegation's recommended bill of rights included the following: That the people have a right to keep and bear arms; that a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defence of a free state; that standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and therefore ought to be avoided as far as the circumstances and protection of the community will admit; and that, in all cases, the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power.

Report Abuse Death To Tyrants(by:SHTF1776-1/5/2012) It is time to overthrow this Unconstitutional Government pursuant to our Declaration of Independence and institute one that is governed by the Constitution so that our children will live in liberty. These are nazi tactics clear and simple, and if you cannot see that, and are not infuriated by it, you are vastly ignorant and deceived. My Jewish brothers and sisters according to Adam, these images must make you outraged! Report Abuse Police State(by:Lisa Simeone-1/5/2012) And people put up with this, just as they passively put up with getting groped at the airport. Oh, well. As they say, in a democracy, people get the government they deserve. Report Abuse DHS(by:Drontil Russell-1/5/2012) "Officers on the scene would not speak to the press and by noon they were gone. But Thomas Milligan, district manager for the Social Security Administration office, said while the visit came as a surprise, the office was ready. He added the officers checked videos, security measures, alarm system and more." For this they needed someone at the door with an automatic rifle and K-9s? When are the citizens of this country going to wake up and realize: 1. There is not a terrorist behind every tree and under every bush 2. That the more we allow DHS, VIPR teams and the TSA to get away with in terms of violating our rights, the more they are going to take from us 3. None of this makes us any "safer." Oh, you might "feel" safer but you are not. Report Abuse DHS(by:steve-1/5/2012) It's starting folks. Kind of reminds me of Germany in WW2 Report Abuse You live in North Korea(by:Unnecessary-1/5/2012) Subject says it all Report Abuse Show me your papers or I'll machine gun you?(by:Jasonn-1/5/2012) Most of those federal law enforcement weenies are WAY out of control and this story shows a real good example. Those guys are dressed up like a SWAT team with automatic weapons to check a few IDs. Pure intimidation and conditioning of the American people is what's going on. You'd expect to see something like that in the old Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, but not here in MY America. How long are we going to put up with that stuff before some agency heads get canned? Report Abuse Training?(by:Judd Rutledge-1/5/2012) What could they be training for other than a nation wide program to keep us all "safe". Report Abuse t!ts and @ss(by:t!ts and @ss-1/5/2012) It's time to start capping these cowards! Report Abuse Really?(by:Matt in Austin-1/5/2012) Wow, feeds into every conspiracy theorist's mindset: practice for making the whole country a gulag! Report Abuse Training excercise startles locals(by:David-1/5/2012) Department of Homeland Security should put their efforts towards the real criminals out there such as the would be terrorists at all the Muslim mosque's popping up all over the USA and not waste the taxpayers time and money checking for God knows what at a small school like Leesburg's. I am a local resident that lives not far from Leesburg and many of my younger family members went to that school. This seems to me to be more of a case of getting the younger generation to be more accustomed to a overzealous big brother society than in protecting our young people at school or stopping the real criminals. BTW, the info I mentioned on the Muslims mosque came from a long standing active military DHS officer with whom I am acquainted. To quote his words to me verbatim "Every person in every mosque in this country is a terrorist!" I wonder why I haven't seen this story on the local news? Report Abuse Why?(by:Todd Out Loud-1/5/2012) Why is there a need for this kind of nonsense in this country? I guess when the financial structure collapses, the government will use any means necessary to keep the citizenry in line. Where is the Sheriff to remove these thugs from the county? Let me guess, our Congressmen must have traded our sovereignty for federal law enforcement money? Americans, quit allowing our government to play us as victims and fools. Turn off your damn televisions and start paying attention to what is going on in Congress. This is not a Republican vs Democrat issue, this is a matter of liberty vs tyranny. Report Abuse Sanitized for your protection(by:Fred Mertz-1/5/2012) The police state in action; and no one even notices that is what is going on. Report Abuse Wow! (by:Matt-1/5/2012) Not even DHS agents. "Operation Shield. is an effort that uses routine, unannounced visits by FPS inspectors to test the effectiveness of contract guards ..." . So the govt. is hiring thugs with assault rifles to harass citizens getting their social security checks? Kind of Libya or Syria I would say. I guess they will need to enforce martial law when SS finally runs out and the people riot. Report Abuse Training Exercise(by:Danny Nix-1/5/2012) Or a prelude to.....? Report Abuse Lock & Load(by:Tom-1/5/2012) Better keep your powder dry people. It's getting close to a battle with this tyranical bunch of traitors we have in Washington. Report Abuse

Slowly becoming a police state...(by:Deuche-1/5/2012) Fascism is coming from both the left and the right. Report Abuse

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