Last Wednesday DHS Federal Protective Service (FPS) showed up the VA Mission Valley Health Care Clinic in San Diego in 8 white vans in full combat dress that lacked any identification and, refusing to identify themselves, blocked all access to parking for disabled veterans. Veterans arriving for care were quite alarmed and some were frightened away.
According to a formal complaint filed with VA OIG, veterans on site were harassed and threatened when they took pictures and questioned what was happening. One veteran was even threatened with $10,000 fine and arrest if he didn’t delete a photo he took.
The exercise was for the purpose of “presence deterrence” at a VA health care facility in San Diego. Many veterans’ legal advocates are concerned about what this “presence deterrence” actually means and what it seeks to accomplish for veterans needing care.
Navy Captain Joseph John (Ret), chairman of Combat Veterans For Congress PAC, was not surprised when the report crossed his desk. After a cursory investigation, Capt. John concluded, “Due to [confidentiality] concerns, we can only get personnel in the office of Honoring Our Troops to tell us that the parties who witnessed the exercise [saw. The witnesses included] a retired Navy Chief, employees of the VA Medical Center, patients inside the building, etc., who witnessed armed FPS officers in SWAT gear walking up and down the corridors inside the VA Medical Clinic in Mission Valley.”
Capt. John opposes unannounced police actions at VA medical facilities that resemble “para-military exercises.” His deepest concerns are for elderly veterans with “heart conditions, suffering from PTSD, or elderly Veterans from the WWII or Korean era could be frightened and negatively affected by these [secret police] exercises in the middle of [their medical treatments].” For these reasons, Capt. John believes DHS and its FPS division “should be prevented from holding these para-military exercises at any VA medical Center,” especially during patient treatment and service times during the day.
Since the OIG complaint, HRT received numerous threatening calls to their organization’s volunteers by individuals whom they believed were VA or DHS employees. Callers blasted the organization saying, “VA does not need this type of exposure right now; bringing this up will not help veterans.” Other harassing calls threatened the staff with stalking and investigations into their own personal conduct. According to HRT, the calls were all blocked to hide the caller’s phone number.
A spokesman for the San Diego VA Regional Office, Alejandro Mendio la Flores,verified this FPS police action and stated it was part of Operation Shield for “presence deterrence.” VA claims the official count of FPS officers was only 8, and that the FPS does not owe VA any explanation for its actions or training exercises — even if it affects a VA medical facility or its patients. Nor does DHS-FPS have to give VA any advance notice that these exercises will occur or get VA’s permission to conduct them. Just what is going on here?
VA already has in place a “patient security flag” procedure under VHA Directive 2010-053. Even though this procedure is completely illegal and occurs in secret VAMC staff councils behind closed doors, it is nevertheless the main device VA has created to deal with security issues with any veterans who give them reason to be concerned for potential violent incidents. The VA-OIG made a rather shocking report about this illegal procedure just last year — and any lawyer or judge who reads it would be horrified at the blatant “due process” violations, since veterans cannot know who made the complaints about them or in any way have a chance to refute or defend against false allegations by VA staff. See OIG Report No. 11-02585-129, March 7, 2013.
They should be ashamed with themselves!! What kind of job is that to mess with veterans than fought for this country and their family gave up so much.. Pitiful job!
I would of taken the fine and got arrested and TD the world about the A hole ppl that loves to bully ppl/veterans.. Where do you find these ppl for these commie jobs? Disgraceful job with zero honor!!
O’B told us he was going to have his own private army. The thing that really angers me is that there are Americans who will sign up for it.
They are not Americans, they are traitors!!!!!
DHS definitely working at the direction of tyrant b.HUSSEIN o.has displayed itself to be a useless and counterproductive “agency” working only to grease their own palms with taxpayer money and do the intimidating, harassing and attempt at silencing any and everybody who shines the light of truth on this treasonous tyrant and the renegade DHS, BLM, etc. that he is out of line using to achieve “his” own end! Shame on the treasonous tyrant and shame on the tactics and greed of what is supposed to be an important and productive DHS but has, instead, shown itself to be quite the opposite. Audit the DHS, the treasonous tyrant invading our White House and anyone in government associated with them! They SHOULD have nothing to hide…..DO THEY???
AWAKE YET???????????????????????????????????????????????????
Obama’s brown coats
ok people it is way past time to take back our country…
Any way to hide or to make people run.
obama Butt Buddy’s
ok America this is the first of marshall law . do we take it or do we now take a stand ? these guys went to war so we could be free and for what , we want stand with them now in there own back yard . what a shame