[Humerox]

This may differ from area to area, so I can only speak for what our particular enforcement action encompassed under local law.

We would have had the ability to enforce existing law in relation to crime, to the extent of detention and arrest until regular authorities could take action. For example, if we arrested someone for whatever...we could hold the individual until the regular police could place him under proper arrest. The beauty of it was that because we weren't regular police, Miranda didn't apply, although habeas corpus did, but was a gray area because of the differences in civil and criminal law, and the definition of power given to us by the state.

Each state basically has a definition of power the PPS, security agencies, et al. have to operate under. So what works in one area may not be the same as another.

We would have had the power to regulate anything a regular police officer did...but were also more subject to lawsuits, which is where our insurance problems came in. They didn't want to issue liability because the legitimate power issue was so gray...so that blew it for us.

Any level of police effort is subject to regulation by another authority...city police are subject to state police, both subject to the US Marshal's Office...etc.

As far as corruption goes...if I had a nickel for every corrupt police force there is in this country...