Oath Keepers List Active-Duty Police Among Ranks
Extremism experts say law enforcement officers who take an oath only to defend the Constitution as they interpret it should be a cause for concern.
Landwebs
Leaked records purportedly from a far-right organization reveal active officers in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago on the Oath Keepers membership roster, with Chicago showing the greatest representation of the three, reports NPR. While extremism and policing experts say the findings are reason for concern, defining a clear standard on officers’ affiliation with groups such as the Oath Keepers is tricky, as it could run afoul of officers’ free speech and free assembly rights. The Chicago officers range in age from 42 to 54 and are white, Hispanic and of Asian/Pacific heritage. Five of them work in “training and support,” which includes firearms training.
The leaders of local government agencies that oversee the Sheriff’s Department said that they were concerned by NPR’s findings, but not surprised, given recent scrutiny of deputy sub-groups in the department – often referred to as “gangs” or “cliques.” Those groups have been accused of violent attacks and racial discrimination over decades. “We have a problem with white supremacy in the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department,” said Priscilla Ocen, the chair of the Los Angeles County Civilian Oversight Commission. “We have a problem with white supremacist gangs. And the sheriff who is tasked with managing this department has looked the other way.” With nearly 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies across the country, there is little consensus around how — or even whether — departments should address the issue of officers joining anti-government organizations. Extremism experts say law enforcement officers who take an oath only to defend the Constitution as they interpret it should be a cause for concern. Federal prosecutors have brought charges against at least 21 people with alleged ties to the Oath Keepers group who participated in the Jan. 6 attack.
