Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal published an article which described the growth of Federal police ranks especially in the agencies not traditionally associated with law enforcement. When you have 5 criminal investigators for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and 7 for the Government Printing Office, I think you have a problem. I think Ronald Gainer, a former Justice Department official, hits the nail on the head.
Skeptics also say some of these smaller departments tend to wield their powers indiscriminately, even for seemingly minor infractions, in ways that seem self-justifying.
“When you start making innocuous actions crimes, you multiply the number of people who are enforcing” the laws and regulations, says Ronald Gainer, a former Justice Department official for Democratic and Republican administrations who has cautioned for years against the proliferation of federal law. “You multiply the number of people who have to enforce criminal laws and they all want guns.”
As Tam said earlier this year after the Department of Education SWAT team raid in California, “Look me in the eye and defend this.”
Just one problem there, no agency, however big or small, can prosecute anyone. That is the sole preserve of the several united States Attorney's Offices or Main Justice.