Mail Call: Letter (to the editor) of the law was off

Ret. Gen. Kevin Gerdes:

No. 1, thank you for your service and your star. Your letter was read with great admiration, and I wish to merely point out a few of my viewpoints. At times (although so very minimal) techniques used by various “feds” may have been reckless, but never ruthless.  Our feds (CPB, ICE, BP, SECRET SERVICE, HSI, etc) are trained in college-level constitutional law, Supreme Court decisions, use of force, TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures) and the list goes on and on.

Some of these academies last for over a year in length, and are intensive!  Couples with that, there are semiyearly training activities, schooling, and again, the list goes on and on.

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC at GA, NM, SC and MD) graduates a far superior officer/agent, because its course of schooling is at times much more in depth than most local police departments, county departments, and state academies.

Granted, errors are made, but if you look at national statistics complied over decades by the FBI, you will see the percentage of officers/agents that are “feds” that fall under the bar acceptable; you will se it is less than .05 percent.

If you compare this nationwide to city, county, state infractions by local law enforcement — well, I don’t even want to go there.

You mention standards we’ve come to expect from Minnesota local, city, county, state offices … well, maybe look into infractions by these agencies.

I would, if ever in a pinch, rather call on a FLETC-trained officer/agent, if available, than a local law-enforcement officer. That being said, I only am looking at stats. The local LEOs I am in fellowship with and have worked with are stellar.

Mike Rasmussen

Ret. chaplain for U.S. Customs & Border Patrol

and Air Force captain

Warroad Post 25