DHS in Portland

[trekkerpaul]

Delete please

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[Nutty4Guns]

I have seen them around Portland many times in the past year or so. Gives a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

 

[econoaddict]

That was DHS, I have a shop in Salem and there are loads of them running around the area.

 

[carracer]

they were doing a radiation check on your truck and equipment.

 

[pokerace]

obama's private army!!!!

 

[Mattofsmatt]

White SUV with blue logo on the door? If so they were Federal Protective Services. Basically they are fed property security guards. There is a new Customs office at 14th and overton or pettygrove. From thier website:

"The FPS mission is to render federal properties safe and secure for federal employees, officials and visitors in a professional and cost effective manner by deploying a highly trained and multi-disciplined police force. As the federal agency charged with protecting and delivering integrated law enforcement and security services to facilities owned or leased by the General Services Administration (GSA), FPS employs 1,225 federal staff (including 900 law enforcement security officers, criminal investigators, police officers, and support personnel) and 15,000 contract guard staff to secure over 9,000 buildings and safeguard their occupants. FPS provides comprehensive coverage for these facilities nationwide.

Protecting the critical infrastructure and key resources of the United States is essential to our nation's security, public health and safety, economic vitality and way of life. FPS protects one component of the nation's infrastructure by mitigating risk to federal facilities and their occupants.

FPS organizes its activities along three guiding principles: stakeholder service, technical expertise, and organizational excellence. Supporting these principles are immediate priorities that will allow FPS to meet its short-term goals and long-term strategic goals.

With nearly 40 years of law enforcement experience, FPS has established a physical security program to provide protection to GSA owned or leased federal facilities. From the installation of alarm systems, x-rays, magnetometers and entry control systems, to monitoring those systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing uniformed police response and investigative follow-up, FPS is organized to protect and serve. The provision of contract protective security officer services, crime prevention seminars tailored to individual agency and employee needs, facility security surveys, integrating intelligence gathering and sharing, and maintaining special operations capabilities all serve to make FPS a world-class security force. What FPS does every day embodies the spirit of the Department and contributes to the achievement of Department goals and organizational excellence."

 

[Nutty4Guns]

White SUV with blue logo on the door? If so they were Federal Protective Services.

I can't recall the color of the vehicles that I have seen. I think they might have been white, but they definitely said Department of Homeland Security on them with the corresponding logo; not FPS.

 

[drew]

DHS is such a large umbrella it's difficult to tell what their job function is actually supposed to be. I wish they scaled back and realigned some agencies eliminating others.

 

[ob1]

The FPS is nothing new here. They have been in Portland for at least since the 70's that I can recall, although back then we used to call them the "GSA rent-a-cops".
Now with them being sucked up into the DHS they are probably emphasizing the POLICE/DHS logos and deleting the FPS ones to help distance themselves from their "Rodney Dangerfield,no respect" former selves. Reminiscent of the mentality of some security guard companies driving around in retired police cars.
DHS officers have been sworn for some time with full arrest authority due to some technicality requiring it on Federal land. Sorry guys, this one pre-dates the 'bama-Red Dawn by decades.

 

[Swedish K]

Recently had to go into the Social Security office in Longview to request a replacement card - I found it odd that they had an armed security guard who was searching all bags/purses while all the other staff were behind a couple inches of lexan. The guard never asked any males if they had any weapons but searched the little old ladies purses for scissors, etc. like they are going to crash through the security windows and attack them over a $2 error in their check...

 

[duane black]

Recently had to go into the Social Security office in Longview to request a replacement card - I found it odd that they had an armed security guard who was searching all bags/purses while all the other staff were behind a couple inches of lexan. The guard never asked any males if they had any weapons but searched the little old ladies purses for scissors, etc. like they are going to crash through the security windows and attack them over a $2 error in their check...

Lol. That is strange man, I have never been in a SS office. Most banks I have been up here do not have that kind of security, why would the SS office need it ?

 

[RB87]

Recently had to go into the Social Security office in Longview to request a replacement card - I found it odd that they had an armed security guard who was searching all bags/purses while all the other staff were behind a couple inches of lexan. The guard never asked any males if they had any weapons but searched the little old ladies purses for scissors, etc. like they are going to crash through the security windows and attack them over a $2 error in their check...

They had a guard doing that back in 2002/03 when I was in the Albany SS office. The guard found mace in a woman's purse, made her take it out to her car if I recall correctly.

 

[ob1]

Lol. That is strange man, I have never been in a SS office. Most banks I have been up here do not have that kind of security, why would the SS office need it ?

Lose your wallet and SS card and you will enjoy that experience. I believe it's the only way you can get a replacement. When there, take a gander around at the people in the waiting area... the reason for armed guards will become apparent. Since I knew enough that it was Federal domain, I wasn't carrying, but was dam glad somebody on the payroll was. hash tag ....Mad Max meets Deliverance

There are a few more quasi/pseudo-government offices in town with armed security.

Quiz: Can anyone name another office downtown (Portland or Seattle) that has heavily armed security personnel, complete with shoulder weapons ?

 

[WhyteCheddar]

Lose your wallet and SS card and you will enjoy that experience. I believe it's the only way you can get a replacement. When there, take a gander around at the people in the waiting area... the reason for armed guards will become apparent. Since I knew enough that it was Federal domain, I wasn't carrying, but was dam glad somebody on the payroll was. hash tag ....Mad Max meets Deliverance

There are a few more quasi/pseudo-government offices in town with armed security. Can anyone name another office downtown (Portland or Seattle) that has heavily armed security personnel, complete with shoulder weapons ?

I was in a Portland area SS office to replace a card not too long ago. There was no bullet proof glass but just as you say there was an armed guard. Also as you mentioned, the clientele made me think of the bar scene from Star Wars.
Glad security was packing.