Talk:List of secret police organizations

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Recommendations for citations in List of secret police organizations

This guidance was first published as a pinned topic by Minoa (ex Marianian) on 21 August 2014, and was moved to a {{tmbox}} on 7 November 2022 due to the introduction of automatic archiving: this does not imply ownership of this article.

Editors should:

Give priority to printed sources over web links: examples of printed sources are books, journals and newspapers. The problem with web links is that unless they appear on Archive.org, it would be hard to verify them later. However, printed sources have to be checked for reliability, because there are newspapers that back fringe theories. If you later find that a web article has a printed version, the printed version should replace it.
Ensure that web links have an Archive.org entry: if you have to use web links because it is from an established source and the evidence is compelling, then make sure that Archive.org has archived it, so as to reduce the difficulty of verifying them later.
Ensure that the source directly refers to it as such: I removed a BBC source because it did not actually refer an alleged organisation in Turkey as the country's secret police. Please make sure that the source actually refers the alleged organisation as the secret police, or as a successor to a widely acknowledged secret police (such as the KGB).
Provide short quotes to back the claim: the quotes should be short enough to back the claim and avoid copyright infringement. Phrases like "…the Ministry of Love… …the secret police of Oceania…" should do fine.
Provide two or more citations, with as little polarisation as possible: you will boost the case for the claim that an organisation is a secret police if you can find two reliable sources that back the claim. The less polarised the source is, the better.
Give priority to new sources over old sources: Politics change quickly, so for this article, I think we should avoid adding sources that were published before 31 December 2019, unless they are backed by newer sources that prove that the old source is still relevant.
Use common sense: this is not an article about countries we do not like. Most likely it is a coincidence due to how they run the country.

Semi-protected edit request on 17 July 2020[edit]

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Based on the article from Oregon Public Broadcasting Cited here: https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-law-enforcement-unmarked-vehicles-portland-protesters/ The list needs to be expanded to include the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 2600:8805:1000:6E:A474:62CB:4A48:35DD (talk) 14:31, 17 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Unmarked police are not secret police – Thjarkur (talk) 15:53, 17 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-secret-police-portland/ are secret police secret police? 2601:600:947F:44E0:B42C:DE80:6326:CA07 (talk) 07:24, 18 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Government agencies that target engage in covert operations against political dissidents while circumventing laws around due process are secret police. The political dissidents (protesters) were arrested without probable cause of committing a federal offense (required by the 4th amendment). They were grabbed by government agents with no identification into unmarked vans. No probable cause was presented that the arrested protesters had committed a crime, but it has been made clear that the executive branch wants the protesters removed for political reasons. Multiple reputable sources, including news agencies and multiple member of congress, have began reporting the actions of DHS as those of secret police 71.211.146.249 (talk) ^[1] ^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5] —Preceding undated comment added 19:43, 20 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Specific text to add: "United States" under countries column, "Department of Homeland Security" under Organizations column, citing the above references. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.211.146.249 (talk) 01:16, 21 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit semi-protected}} template. Melmann 17:26, 18 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Support If a consensus is needed, I support the inclusion of the United States. There is enough reporting to objectively justify its inclusion, including major and long-standing media organisations such as MSNBC. Ljgua124 (talk) 06:07, 21 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I'm re-closing the edit request as

Not done: At this point, I don't see enough of a consensus for me to complete an edit request for what is clearly a controversial topic. If any confirmed editor would like to make this edit, feel free (there's been a few in this discussion already). That said, for me I don't see it yet. I looked at the sources cited here, and I don't see any of the news organizations directly making the "secret police" call. They're all quoting political figures who are saying that, which means our citations should go to the quotes themselves, not the news organizations reporting them, which reduces the credibility for me. Personally I agree that it should be here, and I could see a prose discussion of the coverage here, but just putting this on the list without further context? I don't see the sources for it. ‑‑ElHef (Meep?) 18:50, 21 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

References

Secret Police in Oregon[edit]

Where is the US on this list? Unmarked, unidentified paramilitary operatives, sent by the US government, are currently accosting people off the streets in Portland, Oregon, and holding them against their will, without charge. They are acting in direct violation of Oregon state law by using tear gas, and circumventing established legal due process.

If that doesn't constitute "secret police" action, then this entire list is bogus. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.253 (talk) 19:54, 21 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Including US Special Operations Response Team[edit]

I'm seconding adding SORTs (Special Operations Response Team) to the list. The unmarked units are now identified as SORTs but operate outside their initial purpose, effectively making them a secret police. The wiki definition is:

intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Used to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian regime, secret police often operate outside the law and are used to repress dissidents and weaken the political opposition, frequently with violence."

- they violate the constitution

- they are not identified by name, rank or ID

- they respond with violence

- they kidnap people

- and finally the president himself acknowledged it as a tool for political oppression

"Well, it depends on what your definition of “troops” is. I mean, we’re sending law enforcement. Portland was totally out of control. The Democrats — the liberal Democrats running the place had no idea what they were doing. They were ripping down — for 51 days, ripping down that city, destroying the city, looting it. The level of corruption and what was going on there is incredible. And then the governor comes out: “We don’t need any help.”

How about Chicago? I read the numbers were many people killed over the weekend. We’re looking at Chicago too. We’re looking at New York. Look at what’s going on. All run by Democrats, all run by very liberal Democrats. All run, really, by radical left."

source https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-phase-four-negotiations/

I understand it's controversial but it's pretty much the textbook definition of a secret police.

Kiwi72 (talk) 09:27, 24 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 1 May 2022[edit]

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2A02:1811:424:1500:5908:BEEE:12F5:BC64 (talk) 01:03, 1 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

You should add Romania's SRI.

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 01:09, 1 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Why is the FBI not on this list?[edit]

They have been involved in running covert ops against the American left for a long time and employ heavy use of confidential informants against activists in the environmental, pacifist, labor, Black rights, and similar movements.

180.241.28.3 (talk) 00:57, 3 November 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Move Office 610?[edit]

According to the Office 610's Wikipedia page they were disbanded in 2018. Shouldn't they be moved to the Historical or otherwise removed from this one? LeftArchive (talk) 22:08, 21 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

[1] ttps://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2020-07-19_letter_to_doj_dhs_ig_regarding_special_deputations_portland.pdf

[2] ttps://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07/17/portland-protests-federal-arrests/

[3] ttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/07/17/reports-federal-officers-detain-portland-protesters-unmarked-vans/5457471002/

[4] ttps://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/07/trump-administration-deploying-secret-police-against-protesters-in-portland

[5] ttps://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/07/17/us-marshals-accused-of-abuse-of-power-in-portland/amp/

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