Texas Parks and Wildlife Now Has a SWAT Team
The man in the photo to the left isn't a Ranger in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. He's a Texas game warden, kitted out to check your deer tags or lead a paramilitary, kick-the-door-in assault on your tent. The militarization of every possible law enforcement entity in America is complete: Texas Parks and Wildlife now has a SWAT team.
The 25-man unit can deploy anywhere in the state within four hours, TPWD boasts, and is modeled after what military types call a "force multiplier," which basically means that these guys can shoot a bunch of bullets. At what, you ask? In this Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine story, they list potential missions like "border operations, dignitary protection or any sort of high-risk law enforcement, such as serving felony arrest warrants or hostage situations.
Stuff can get real down in the dusty arroyos of Big Bend Ranch State Park. Hell, a Mexican man on a burro might try to sell you a carved statuette. In fairness, a game warden's average suspect is usually carrying a high-powered rifle. But something tells me some of these guys couldn't wait to shuck those slacks and Stetsons and put on a fresh pair of BDU pants and a Kevlar helmet.
"We're steeped in tradition and very mindful of our past," said special ops chief Grahame Jones. "It's an important part of who we are, but we have to look to the future."
And the future is a camo AR. Now, if Texas truly intends to secede, it's got its own military force ready and waiting. We've even got a Navy! TPWD has 564 vessels, including a 65-foot gulf patrol ship, and gunboats mounted with .30 cal machine guns.
Perhaps they did go too far, but then again, would you want to go up against drug smugglers with a six shooter and maybe a .30-30? I wouldn't and I suspect that you wouldn't either.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, the 'gunboats' belong to DPS - otherwise known as the Highway Patrol - same thing applies to them as well - the border (Rio Grande) ain't exactly the safest place to go fishing ;-)
It would be a wonderful thing if circumstances didn't warrant expanded capabilities, gee maybe the Navy should still have wooden ships and iron men (as just one example of how threats have changed)
OTB MCPO sends (and yes I DO live in Texas)
Good try, but the Parks Service has other agencies they can call upon like they always have. They don't need a SWAT team.
ReplyDeleteBTW, police responses to everything nowadays is way over the top, and they are killing and wounding too may innocents.
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