We don’t know if the Kenosha police department has direct connections to active white supremacist groups. But, writes @rethinkintel, the FBI has warned for decades that white supremacist and far-right militant groups often have links to law enforcement. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/28/fbi-far-right-white-supremacists-police

White supremacists and far-right militants have committed far more attacks and killed more people in the US over the last 10 years than any foreign terrorist movement. The FBI regards them as the most lethal domestic terror threat.

Since 2000, officers with alleged connections to white supremacist or far-right militant groups have been exposed in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and other states.

The police response to the nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd includes a number of law enforcement officers across the country flaunting their affiliation with far-right militant groups. Here are some examples:

A veteran sheriff’s deputy monitoring a Black Lives Matter protest in Orange County, CA, wore patches with logos of the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers — far-right militant groups that often challenge the federal government’s authority.

A 13-year veteran of the Chicago police department with a long history of misconduct complaints was investigated for wearing a face covering with a Three Percenters’ logo while on duty at a recent protest.

Police officers in Philadelphia failed to intervene when mostly white mobs armed with bats, clubs, and long guns attacked journalists and protesters.

The following month, Philadelphia police officers openly socialized with men wearing Proud Boys regalia during a “Back the Blue” party at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge.

It’s a small percentage, but any active white supremacist presence in law enforcement is too much. This must be treated as a matter of urgent concern.