Does the U.S. Marshals Office Waste Taxpayers' Money?

    We must wonder if money spent is money wasted when it comes the federal SWAT teams. They swoop in those wanted on trespass warrants and such perhaps as often as they swoop in on dangerous criminals. The units were created to handle riot control and violent confrontations. SWAT (special weapons and tactics) are trained and equipped to deal with snipers, barricaded subjects, hostage situations, and "heavy" arrests.

   So, how does somebody on a trespassing warrant get arrested by a SWAT unit from the U.S. Marshals Office? These offenders often have past criminal records that allow all they've done in addition to trespassing to allow them to be classed as federal offenders. 

   Interestingly, SWAT teams often show up the day before the offender is to appear in court. If they waited until the court appearance, they could simply arrest the offender without so much fanfare.

   But, that wouldn't go in the books as a SWAT raid. Building up the numbers to justify your existence is important. If you are getting all this federal money, you will want to be able to explain it is being used wisely.

   Forgive me, but I have suspicions it is not. How many incidents involving snipers, barricaded subjects, and hostage situations do we have each day in Utah? How about each week; I still would guess there aren't too many.

   Yet, the U.S. Marshals Office SWAT officers still show up for 40-hour work weeks, I would guess. Filling in their schedule by classing those who fail to show up in court, or who move without telling their probation officers might seem worthy to some, but not to me.

  I say train your regular officers in SWAT techniques. Often, officers run into dangerous situations and it is worthy to have them all trained and prepared for them.

   Government waste can exist in our policing units as much as in other places of government. And, it does.