Hardin Is Famous

These past few weeks have been interesting to say the least. My hometown of Hardin has been plastered in the news, on the internet and the newspapers for the empty jail. The Two Rivers Trade Authority had apparently signed a contract with the American Police Force and this has taken off like a stolen rocket.

First, Hardin had built a detention facility two years ago with the promise from the state that it would be used. To make a long story short, this did not happen. The agreement was with one governor and when the new one took office new policy changes.

At first there were protests and meeting with the governor to get this open, we were promised that Hardin could bid on the sex offender treatment program for this facility. Hardin did and was awarded the bid, but then the legislature cut the program. Now we are back to nothing again. Many feel that the state did it to us again.

Hardin made the news by wanting the Gitmo prisoners when President Obama announced that he was going to close the Gitmo prison in Cuba. Well, this caused an uproar and we made the national news, big time.

Just in the past month it was announced that the Two Rivers Trade Authority signed a contract with the American Police Force. What promises this company was going to give, but they are so secretive about who they are and what they do. Of course if they announced publicly what they did and who they are, then then wouldn't be in the security business anyway.

To make a long story short, this was just something too good to be true. You know how the saying goes. This company stated that they would help Hardin get their police force up and running, they were going to have an animal shelter, help feed the hungry and also use the facility for an international security training ground. Would bring in big bucks. The Hardin citizens were told how wonderful this will be and that in five years Hardin will have changed so much that you won't recognize it.

It went to hell in a quick snap. Some reporters got digging into the supposed owners past and found out that he served prison time in California for fraud, he also has been sued civilally and owes tons of money to people. He talked investors into building a nursing home and never delivered on the goods.

Hardin and the county are and in fact have signed a deal to deconsolidate law enforcement. The city for a long time has wanted their own police department and the money from the detention facility was going to fund the police department. The deconsolidation is a done deal, in fact the city and county powers signed the paperwork. Now it has to go before a judge, but that is another story.

In the meantime, this American Police Force said that they would help fund and provide cars for the new police department, in fact they rolled into town with three mercedes suv's with decals for the Hardin police department. This got the tongues rolling and all the rumors starting. In fact all this was meant to show what the police cars could look like and how willing this company was to help Hardin.

Here are the rumors. Hardin has been barricaded nobody in or out. Hardin citizens are being forced to take untested swine flu shots and if they refuse will be quarantined in the detention center. Everybody in Hardin will have health insurance through this company. Twelve mercedes suv's are in town and the international police are stopping people and harassing people.

It has been quite fun, but now the loonies are showing up in town and some are pretty radical. Some sort of radio "shock jock" from Texas arrived in town. There was a group who called themselve the "Oath Defenders". They were going around town and taking pictures of one of the sheriff deputies on patrol around town and trying to say that this company is working the streets. In fact the deputy on patrol drives a black ford suv. The deputy was stopping motorists but then that is the deputy's job.

Things have come to a head I think. The state Attorney General is doing a civil investigation into this company and the contract. The bond holders of the detention facility have not signed off on the contract and now since all the revelations the other board members are now reluctant to go into further negotiations with this supposed company. The man running it has been ordered into court in California, remember he still owes money there.

One thing you can say about Hardin is that it is never boring. If you want to read up on all of this, just go to the Billings Gazette site and search for Hardin. It will bring up everything. Will make for interesting reading.