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State of Emergency in Ferguson; More Federal Agencies Going Undercover
Missouri Governor Declares Preemptive State of Emergency for Ferguson. The order, which lasts for thirty days, directs that the “St. Louis County Police Department shall have command and operational control over security in the City of Ferguson relating to areas of protests, acts of civil disobedience and conduct otherwise arising from such activities.” Further, it opens the doors for the U.S. National Guard to be called in at any time in order to “take such action and employ such equipment as may be necessary to carry out requests processed through the Missouri State Highway Patrol and ordered by the Governor of the state to protect life and property and support civilian authorities.”
More Federal Agencies Are Using Undercover Operations. At the Supreme Court, all of the court’s more than 150 police officers are trained in undercover tactics, according to a federal law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because it involved internal security measures. At large protests over issues like abortion, small teams of undercover officers mill about — usually behind the crowd — to look for potential disturbances. The agents, often youthful looking, will typically “dress down” and wear backpacks to blend inconspicuously into the crowd, the official said.
