Alex Jones Show - Alex Jones interviews Al Philippus San Antonio Chief of Police

00:00:00.000 Chief Philippus, we really appreciate you taking out the time.

00:00:04.000 A lot of public officials and public servants are afraid to even talk to the public or the press about things like this.

00:00:11.000 When did you first become aware that Delta Force, the most elite training force in America, is what the Pentagon says, wanted to train with actual live-fire blanks here in San Antonio?

00:00:24.000 Is that true?

00:00:24.000 Yes, that's correct.

00:00:26.000 That actually started probably...

00:00:28.000 I want to say back in February when they first approached us, maybe even earlier than that, about doing some operations in the San Antonio area.

00:00:36.000 What were your major reservations in asking the mayor to tell them that y'all didn't want them to train here and to cease training here?

00:00:43.000 Well, a lot of things happened.

00:00:46.000 First of all, the organization came into the city and never really approached the city as a whole.

00:00:52.000 We just got together with the mayor and said, we need to speak to all these different departments and request some assistance.

00:00:58.000 Various groups and individuals came into the city and approached different people at different levels.

00:01:03.000 The police department was contacted.

00:01:05.000 The city manager's office was contacted about using city facilities.

00:01:09.000 Various business owners were contacted through the economic development department.

00:01:13.000 The fire department was contacted by different individuals.

00:01:17.000 So there was never any coordinated approach to the city of San Antonio.

00:01:23.000 When we found out about it, we had some reservations, but we were willing at least to listen.

00:01:28.000 But then we started finding out that discussions were happening at other different levels, and there was no communication, no coordination between that.

00:01:35.000 We also found out that leases had been negotiated with private business people throughout the city to utilize their vacant buildings without any coordination with the police department, because we were originally told there were probably going to be a couple of locations, and later on we find out that there's 12 locations.

00:01:52.000 And yet, we were never brought into this at the beginning.

00:01:56.000 Last Saturday, the Austin American Statesman did an article about how they're practicing taking over police departments in Chicago.

00:02:01.000 In fact, I've got a copy of that.

00:02:02.000 I can give you a copy of that after the interview.

00:02:04.000 I should have brought it up from my car.

00:02:05.000 I just remembered.

00:02:07.000 That's one thing that some cities I've heard have had reservations about.

00:02:10.000 They call it touring the police department, but they actually practice dynamic entry and other things at the police departments.

00:02:17.000 I heard that they were planning to do this in Houston, that they've already done some training along with the Marines and other forces of the military.

00:02:25.000 Have you ever heard of anything like this before?

00:02:27.000 No, I have not.

00:02:29.000 They did offer to allow our SWAT teams to do training with them in these particular exercises, but, you know, our missionaries are different.

00:02:39.000 Their deals specifically with international type situations.

00:02:42.000 Our deals with local situations, and if an incident were to occur in this country, it would be local law enforcement, the FBI, and others that would deal with that.

00:02:51.000 Whereas the Delta Forces purely kill the terrorists.

00:02:54.000 Whatever it is.

00:02:55.000 I'm not so sure what it is, but it's at an international level, and so our missions, our tactics are somewhat different.

00:03:01.000 And I'm very proud of the SWAT team that we have.

00:03:04.000 I think we have one of the best in the country.

00:03:05.000 We do a lot of training for other agencies.

00:03:08.000 And I think that we have the skills and the expertise to deal with those situations.

00:03:12.000 I heard it quoted that the mayor said that he didn't appreciate the dishonesty of the Delta Force.

00:03:18.000 I was curious.

00:03:19.000 We call the mayor's office, and Jackie O'Donnell, I believe is her name, she told us that you were the mayor's spokesman on this.

00:03:26.000 Can you tell us exactly why the mayor would use such strong language and call them dishonest?

00:03:32.000 Well, I think that there were various approaches.

00:03:34.000 For example, I originally said no several weeks ago.

00:03:37.000 Matter of fact, a couple of months ago.

00:03:39.000 But no was never no.

00:03:41.000 And then no was never no.

00:03:44.000 Ender runs were done around to various community leaders.

00:03:46.000 I had someone...

00:03:47.000 Excuse me, sir.

00:03:47.000 You're saying that they ignored the police chief and under our Constitution, you're the same as the sheriff, and you run the city or the county.

00:03:55.000 You're telling me that Delta Force was ignoring your order?

00:03:59.000 Well...

00:04:00.000 I don't want to say they ignored it, but a roundabout way, yes, because what they would do once I said no, they went to various individuals in the community to bring pressure to bear to get me to change my mind.

00:04:10.000 For example, there was a community leader who I have a great deal of respect for, and we have a very good relationship that they went to.

00:04:16.000 I get a call from him, and he says, Chief, there's some people in here that they're in town, and it was part of their role here.

00:04:23.000 It didn't say who it was.

00:04:24.000 They need to meet with the mayor and the police chief.

00:04:26.000 Well, of course, this gentleman, I've worked very closely with him on a number of projects.

00:04:30.000 I said, sure, have him give me a call.

00:04:32.000 I had already said no.

00:04:34.000 Well, then I find out it's the same group.

00:04:37.000 So they identified somebody, apparently, that I know that's very high in the community to make an approach to me and get me to change my mind.

00:04:45.000 Well, then, when we said no, then some elected officials were contacted to bring pressure to bear.

00:04:51.000 And then offers were made to give money, cash money.

00:04:56.000 To elected officials, charities, if they could get us to change our minds.

00:05:01.000 I mean, you know, as one of my deputy chiefs said, in some circles, that's called bribery.

00:05:05.000 Well, it is called bribery, but more importantly, it's called manipulation of the constitutional system and the takeover of local police departments.

00:05:14.000 And that $4,600,000,000 that we just saw on the Statesman that's so wonderful is buying them a lot of control if they can't buy the police chiefs off like they did Elizabeth Watson.

00:05:25.000 For that $244,000 a year job at the Justice Department.

00:05:29.000 Let's hear him say that one more time.

00:05:31.000 To make an approach to me and get me to change my mind.

00:05:34.000 Well then, when we said no, then some elected officials were contacted to bring pressure to bear.

00:05:41.000 And then offers were made to give money, cash money, to elected officials' charities if they could get us to change our minds.

00:05:51.000 I mean, you know, as one of my deputy chiefs said, in some circles that's called bribery.

00:05:55.000 Why do you think in Chicago, and we're not aware of this, I'll get you a copy of it, that they're practicing taking over police stations and fire stations and bridges?

00:06:05.000 That seems like a military takeover of the city.

00:06:08.000 Yeah, I don't know.

00:06:09.000 I mean, I wouldn't even want to speculate on that.

00:06:12.000 I'm not familiar that those types of things are occurring.

00:06:14.000 Certainly there was no approach made to us to do those kind of things.

00:06:17.000 Well, that's good.

00:06:19.000 You talked about a memo from Delta Force?

00:06:23.000 Yeah, because what happened is various elected officials were being contacted.

00:06:28.000 I have ten city council members and a mayor, and I just wanted to alert them as to what was happening.

00:06:33.000 That these situations were occurring, that they might be contacted by these individuals, and that in the best interest of public safety, and that's what I continue to fall back on, we didn't feel that it was in the best interest of the citizens of San Antonio to do that type of thing.

00:06:50.000 All I can say is that, you know, no just never seemed to be no.

00:06:55.000 And even after they told us, we don't need you, we're still going to do our training exercise at other locations.

00:07:03.000 In and around the San Antonio area, but we're allowed to do them here.

00:07:06.000 Next, I'm still getting contacted by various officials.

00:07:09.000 I mean, they never would say, take no for an answer.

00:07:11.000 So they weren't respecting your jurisdiction?

00:07:13.000 They were not respecting our jurisdiction.

00:07:16.000 I don't think they respected our decision.

00:07:19.000 To go into predominantly minority areas of the city where we had vacant warehouses and buildings and try to do those types of exercises at those locations in the middle of the night.

00:07:30.000 Oh, I'm sorry, middle of the night?

00:07:32.000 In the middle of the night.

00:07:33.000 You know, sometime between 9 p.m.

00:07:35.000 and midnight.

00:07:36.000 You know, I mean, people become frightened.

00:07:38.000 And we do a lot of our decision-making on experiences that have happened in a lot of other cities.

00:07:43.000 We were very concerned with some things that have happened over there, and we didn't get any real good, clear answers.

00:07:48.000 So they're being secretive about it?

00:07:50.000 Very secretive.

00:07:51.000 And you kind of, the city and the mayor and yourself, as the police chief, you kind of felt that it was a little odd that they wouldn't trust y'all.

00:08:01.000 I mean, y'all are the authorities here.

00:08:03.000 A little odd.

00:08:04.000 And once I made contact with my peers in some of the other major cities, and they shared with me some of their experiences over there, the decision really was very easy.

00:08:14.000 My interest as police chief is the citizens of the city, period.

00:08:18.000 And I was not about to jeopardize the safety under an exercise of this magnitude under any circumstance.

00:08:27.000 Well, you can't say it any better than that.

00:08:29.000 This isn't some wild conspiracy theorist.

00:08:32.000 This is Al Philippus, head police chief in San Antonio, Texas.

00:08:37.000 Oh, and the mayor, too, Howard Peake.

00:08:40.000 He says that it's dangerous and that they're dishonest.

00:08:44.000 And, of course, there's former Delta Force commanders like Stephen Barry there to tell you that it's to round up the general population.

00:08:53.000 It's a practice run.

00:08:54.000 Oh, and by the way, according to the May 10th, 1998, Sunday edition of the Austin American Statesman Metro and State, they're conferring with people here in Austin, and sometime after June of this summer.

00:09:08.000 They plan to have this training here in Austin, Texas.

00:09:11.000 I guess our safety isn't important, despite the track record North Carolina, $100,000 damage, and in Miami, a stray bullet from the Delta Force going into a crowded restaurant.

00:09:23.000 What is wrong with Kirk Watson?

00:09:24.000 I hope he shows the same will that Mayor Howard Peake did, but I think Watson's just concerned with making all the big, fat, juicy kickbacks.

00:09:36.000 Fix it, Watson.

00:09:37.000 That's your job.

00:09:38.000 Protect us.

00:09:39.000 Quit sucking office.

00:09:41.000 And some of you are probably saying, oh, Alex, why are you being so angry about this?

00:09:46.000 Because the statesmen, they know this has happened down in San Antonio.

00:09:50.000 They know this is going on.

00:09:51.000 They're not that ignorant.

00:09:52.000 Four days after all this comes down, they're writing stories about how wonderful it is and how they're coming to town, these secret teams.

00:10:00.000 I mean, this is dangerous.

00:10:03.000 Helicopters could crash.

00:10:04.000 Anything could happen with these low-flying night missions.

00:10:07.000 And Kirk Watson and these people, they know this is going on.

00:10:11.000 They should throw the Delta Force and all the rest of them out of our city. 1.00

00:10:15.000 And once I made contact with my peers in some of the other major cities, and they shared with me some of their experiences over there.

00:10:22.000 The decision really was very easy.

00:10:24.000 My interest as police chief is the citizens of the city, period.

00:10:28.000 And I was not about to jeopardize the safety under an exercise of this magnitude under any circumstance.

00:10:38.000 What types of training were they wanting to engage in?

00:10:42.000 I mean, again, I heard some reports that they wanted to do live fire with blanks and perhaps actually some incendiary flashbangs and things.

00:10:49.000 I don't know.

00:10:50.000 Ticklers of that, I know that they wanted to use some explosives for entry into some of these buildings, some of the so-called ceramic bullets, which would be fired into little traps, which were supposed to catch those, which would disintegrate supposedly on contact.

00:11:04.000 But I know that in one city, American city, that one of those bullets got astray and going through a window and down almost into a restaurant.

00:11:13.000 So, you know, things can go wrong.

00:11:15.000 What city was that?

00:11:16.000 I believe that it was in Miami.

00:11:18.000 They may do something at the various military bases here in San Antonio.

00:11:22.000 That certainly is their jurisdiction, but we will not support any operations at the city limits.

00:11:27.000 Again, the decision really was not that difficult.

00:11:31.000 We have the interests of the citizens of San Antonio.

00:11:33.000 You know, this is a military city.

00:11:34.000 We have a tremendous amount of respect for the military and what they do.

00:11:38.000 But I do not have any respect for the tactics that were used by the advance team coming in here.

00:11:44.000 You're saying that they were disrespectful?

00:11:46.000 They were courteous and friendly to us, to our faces.

00:11:51.000 But, again, when you make a decision, you try to get information to go around and try to put influence on you from pressure groups and individuals, either elected or in the community.

00:12:03.000 That's sad.

00:12:05.000 You're not heading to borderline Gestapo-esque tactics in politics?

00:12:10.000 No, I think it was always done very courteously, very professionally.

00:12:15.000 You know, it still left a bad taste in my mouth.

00:12:18.000 Do you...

00:12:20.000 And I've seen the September 23rd, 997 Layer News Hour, 60 Minutes, a few months later, came out with a story about secret military training with local police departments.

00:12:29.000 It seems that Miami has embraced it.

00:12:31.000 It seems that L.A. has embraced it.

00:12:33.000 And with some of the volatile problems they have, I could, in some instances, understand it.

00:12:37.000 Are you aware, or exactly is the scope, if you can tell us, about the levels of military training between...

00:12:44.000 Law enforcement here and the military?

00:12:46.000 We do not train with the military.

00:12:48.000 Our mission or our roles are different.

00:12:50.000 We've trained on some of the military bases in order to have access to some of the firing ranges and things like that.

00:12:56.000 But we've got a very good police academy facility out there that we can do a lot of that.

00:12:59.000 We train internally inside of our own city.

00:13:01.000 I just got this news of this and just came down here in the last day or so.

00:13:07.000 I'm going to, for you sir, I'm going to get you a packet.

00:13:10.000 And I'm saying this now, so I'll have to do it.

00:13:13.000 I'm going to get you a Lair News Hour.

00:13:14.000 I'm going to get you 60 minutes, and they'll tell you it's wonderful.

00:13:16.000 I'm going to get you some of the other information where local...

00:13:18.000 Now, here's the question, and this is my last one.

00:13:21.000 I really appreciate the time.

00:13:22.000 Where local police commanders, the commander of the L.A. SWAT team, sits right there on camera.

00:13:27.000 He's also a consultant in other cities.

00:13:32.000 And...

00:13:33.000 Peter Crasser.

00:13:35.000 And he says...

00:13:37.000 When they ask him about the training with Delta Force and other military forces, he looks at the camera and smiles and says, I'm sorry, that's classified.

00:13:46.000 I can't talk about that.

00:13:48.000 Now, to me, that's when six, eight months ago when the red flags went up, when I saw a local law enforcement official saying that something was classified with the military and he couldn't talk about it.

00:14:00.000 And that's why we're here.

00:14:01.000 Again, we just want to thank you all for showing independence of Texas, of America, of San Antonio, that you all are open to that.

00:14:11.000 What do you think about, and I understand you haven't seen this, but if that is true on Lair NewsHour, do you think that that's a red flag or something strange?

00:14:21.000 I don't think it's necessary.

00:14:23.000 I mean, it's not going to happen on my watch here in San Antonio.

00:14:28.000 It's just totally inappropriate.

00:14:32.000 I approached or asked to maintain classified confidentiality on this whole issue.

00:14:38.000 I was in the military.

00:14:40.000 You know, I had a clearance, and I understand that, but nobody's ever asked me to sign anything or say anything of that nature.

00:14:46.000 What would you do if they said, we need the local police to do something classified in conjunction with the feds?

00:14:54.000 I mean, I'm not a total student of the Constitution, but I've read it 10 or 15 times.

00:15:00.000 And I've read the Federalist Papers.

00:15:03.000 That right there looks like police state to me.

00:15:06.000 We don't do that.

00:15:07.000 If we need to work with the FBI, DEA, Secret Service, or other federal law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction in this country, then we will certainly do that.

00:15:17.000 But we're not about to engage in those kind of activities with various military groups.

00:15:22.000 Exactly right.

00:15:23.000 Man, that's great.

00:15:23.000 I appreciate it.

Alex Jones Show - January 01, 1998

Alex Jones interviews Al Philippus San Antonio Chief of Police

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