The CIA on Ave. A?

Just in time for convention season, Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York's 14th district has introduced a bill that would allow the CIA to deploy agents to local police precincts nationwide. According to the Maloney bill (HR 3439), "upon request of the head of State or local law enforcement agency, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency may detail any employee within the CIA to that State or local law enforcement agency?"

In addition, HR 3439 would permit any state employee or police officer to be deputized by the CIA, with additional pay, upon the orders of the governor or the head of the police department.

Michael Shenker of the New York-based Campaign to Demilitarize the Police (CDMP) has mounted a series of protests in opposition to the bill, the most recent held on Jan. 20 in front of Maloney's Manhattan office. "Given the norms of CIA covert operations," he notes, "their violation of international law, training of death squads, the overthrowing of democratically elected governments?why should [we] believe that the CIA could or would operate within the mandated boundaries of our civilian police forces, where protecting civil rights is as important as fighting crime?"

Though Maloney's deputy chief of staff, Philip Craft, has promised a revised version of HR 3439 (it "will not include the CIA detail"), one has yet to be submitted.

The CDMP is demanding public hearings on the new legislation.