U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
Who was it who said, "Democracy means that when there's a knock on the door at 3 a.m., it's probably the milkman."? How to explain this story, then?
Kenneth Wright, a father of three without a criminal record, was the victim of a S.W.A.T. raid yesterday. He looked out his window at 6 a.m. and saw 15 police officers. They didn't bother to knock, instead barging through his front door, grabbing him by the neck and pushing him face down onto his front lawn. They woke his 3, 7 and 11-year-old children and put them in a police car while they searched the home.
Now it turns out that the person they were looking for wasn't even there -- Wright's wife. But why was S.W.A.T. -- S.W.A.T., mind you -- called in? Her unpaid student loans.
Why is a federal agency devoted to ruining the country's education systems even empowered with such a team? This is not what a free country looks like. Doesn't this read more like a story about the old Soviet Union?
What can we do to rein in the ridiculous expansion of such raids?
UPDATE: Reason says that the Dept. of Education says they did send SWAT into this family home but that the media report that it was related to unpaid student loans is incorrect. They claim they send SWAT in about three dozen times a year but not for late payments (whoo hoo). Instead, you can get the feds to come in with guns if you're being investigated for bribery, fraud, and embezzlement of federal student aid funds.
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Sep '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
Michelle Malkin's been on these "no knock" paramilitary police operations for quite some time now. Its quite disturbing. I'm very sympathetic to what cops face when taking down heavily armed criminals but if you are armed and have training and you're the potentially innocent homeowner you can just imagine the potential for disaster, and it has happened.
Unpaid student loans? Send SWAT to the White House. Barry owes 14 trillion and we know the press never raises a fuss when the cops bust in on Harvard grads.
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
We've got to reign in government at all levels. The more powerful and arrogant a government becomes, the more powerful and arrogant its enforcement arm grows. The solution at present is the nearest ballot box. Show me a candidate who wants to abolish the Department of Education and that's where my vote will go.
Sep '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
And let the record show that for all its failing with Stalinesque Human Rights Commissions, Canada does not have a Federal Department of Education.
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
The irony, of course, is that when there *is* a heavily armed criminal, S.W.A.T. patiently waits for situations to resolve themselves. The Columbine type situations rarely see SWAT do anything but frisk fleeing victims. But unpaid student loans? By all means, send in the big guns.
May '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
I think the fundamental question is why does the Federal Government need these paramilitary forces at all? These groups represent a standing army outside of the constitutional strictures. Our Founders were very Leary of armed forces controlled by the executive in times of peace. These abuses from Elian Gonzalez and Waco to this raid only highlight the risk we face when we allow the Government to raise private armies.
Edited on June 8, 2011 at 4:13pmSep '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
This is unbelievable. It keeps getting worse. I want some Republican representatives to get on this issue of no-knock swat team searches and precious few are, along with the overzealous behaviors of police departments across the country.
This is exactly why I'm against the law enforcement wing of the GOP like Giuliani. Things have changed in America. Law enforcement is focusing on the wrong laws - there are so many laws to enfore we are all criminals. We are developing into a fascist state with the help of both Democrats and Republicans. Someone with power should do something about this, now!
Mar '11
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
Outrageous.
...But confusing...(Remember: the first report is always wrong)
How does the chain of command work in this instance? "Dept of Education orders the search"? WHAT!? Does DOE liaise with local SWAT teams on a routine basis? SWAT is organized at the precinct or city level (I believe....correct me if I am mistaken)--that is, there is LA SWAT, NY SWAT, etc. SWAT is not a federal organization. Under what power can DOE order any local police force anywhere?
If it was the FBI that they coordinated through and the FBI liaised, is this now policy?
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
I don't mean to be a government shill here, but I get the feeling there is a whole lot of facts to this story that we don't know.
Dec '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
Ideally, we the people have the power to do something about it. Realistically, however, too many of the people have been bought off or become addicted to the government teat to even want to do anything about it.
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
I'm sure that's true, Tommy, and I hate early reports for just this reason. Still having trouble thinking of anything that would justify such a S.W.A.T. raid.
May '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
Wait one stinking minute -- who's tactical team executed this? I watched the news report twice, but no explicit indication of the unit's agency affiliation.
Edited on June 8, 2011 at 4:59pmMay '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
Delinquent student loans can lead to arrest, which would be the only reason they would have to storm the house in this manner. They would have used the element of surprise if they felt the wife was a flight risk. Behemoth that it is, the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General does not have a standing army in Stockton, CA. They would have relied on other Federal agencies to help out including FBI, DEA, Marshal service, etc. They likely felt as though they needed to detain the husband in case he was offering assistance to his wife in some way. Local police would not have been involved, though it looks like they had one squad car present. The way the OIG is organized, they operate independent of other Dept. officials.
There is a growing aggressiveness on the part of the Federal government to collect what it is owed. You can bet this story will further discourage the uptake of student loans which has been a growing force recently in Year 3 of recession. Imagine what sort of Federal police presence we would have if federal taxes were not automatically withheld from our pay...
Dec '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
How on God's green earth does the dept. of ed. get warrant writing and/or execution authority anyway? Who's SWAT team was used? Is the Obama administration going to revive the concept of debtor's prisons again? Where are Epstein and Yoo on this one?
May '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
What were they looking for? Unpaid loans would call for asset search - bank records, etc., unless they showed a judge reasonable cause that she kept a half million dollars stuffed in her mattress...
Feb '11
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
Franco, you know who has power? Everybody. Get on it.
Jan '11
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
My first reaction was exactly the same as Tommy's ... this is a prime candidate for waiting for a story to play out. Of course, I distrust the media to begin with, so I hold to that rule for almost every story.
This sounds like a story that has a lot of missing details.
Aug '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
Probably. We instinctively know that SWAT isn't the answer. On the other hand, unpaid student loans are a problem, right?
I suspect one of the background problems might be that Dept of Ed isn't efficient at getting the money it can get out of student-loan owers.
My experience is that the process for restructuring student loan payments (temporary reductions, etc) during times of hardship are byzantine at best -- which just makes it harder for them to get whatever you can pay at the time.
And when you do have the funds make all promised student-loan payments on time, I still find that, compared to commercial enterprises, it's relatively inconvenient to arrange the methods of payment (though it's gotten a lot better in the past few years).
It's as if the Dept of Ed isn't really that interested in getting the money debtors want to pay them. How odd.
Edited on June 8, 2011 at 5:08pmMay '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
A Federal judge, or more likely magistrate would have signed off on the warrant.
They are likely pursuing a case of criminal evasion. Same legal status as paying your taxes. She obviously doesn't have lawyers as good as Wesley Snipes'.
Jun '10
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
The reporter stated that Stockton police did not kick in the door or handcuff Wright, and that he and the kids were never held against their will.
Does that mean they were not detained by the one officer from Stockton? Or are they claiming that Wright and the kids were not detained? Or did Stockton sit in the squad car wearing boxers for six hours by choice?
Obviously the door was kicked in!! I love their reaction to Wright's request to have the door fixed --- They fix the hole (by bolting on a piece of wood) but leave the lock swinging in the breeze. This poor guy has had his address spread around and the fact that his front door is wide open has been advertised.
He apprears credible. He has an estranged wife and he looks to be the one who is caring for their kids. Under no circumstance could law enforcement justify an armed invasion for failure to pay a student loan. If there is a shred of evidence leading them to believe this average suburban dad would put up armed resistance, we had better see it ASAP.
A suburban Ruby Ridge might have been the result.
Edited on June 8, 2011 at 5:08pmApr '11
Re: U.S. Department of Education Brings In S.W.A.T. For Unpaid Loans. Really. (UPDATED)
I mean this in the friendliest way, but it is "rein in" not "reign in".