When Law Enforcement Becomes Secret Police: Are We Already There?

I recently watched a LIve video on Substack presented by psychologist and political activist Catherine Ann Bower (Cat) that presented information about law enforcement and when it transitions to secret police. 

This is certainly not law enforcement as we are used to it. Not by any definition that matters. 

Core distinctions

Cat posed an important question which she has been researching.  What is the difference between law enforcement and secret police behavior. 

Understanding the difference is critical if we want to survive the political chaos we’re seeing.

Law enforcement exists to serve the public. It enforces laws we create, within a visible and accountable framework. 

Officers wear badges, their authority comes from the Constitution, and they operate transparently, going through courts and due process. Their job is protecting citizens, not intimidating them.

Secret police operate in the shadows. They exist to protect the regime, suppress political dissidents, and operate outside legal bounds. 

They instill fear, surveil citizens, and act with impunity. Famous examples? The Gestapo, the KGB, Venezuela’s Colectivo.

A few alarming points

• ICE arrests under Trump’s administration have surged, with nearly three in four detainees having no criminal convictions. Only 5% of those arrested were violent offenders.

• Reports indicate hundreds of American citizens detained under questionable circumstances.

• Surveillance is escalating—social media monitoring, cameras in neighborhoods, tracking devices on cars. This is systemic intimidation.

And yet, the government calls these operations “law enforcement.” 

They aren’t. They’re performing a show of force, targeting “undesirables." non-supporters, immigrants, and everyday citizens, and sending a chilling message: obey or risk becoming the next target.

As Cat pointed out, we all need to recognize the difference before it’s too late. 

Law enforcement works within the borders of the law. 

Secret police operate above it. If we ignore the distinction, we risk normalizing fear as governance.

Minnesota isn’t an isolated case. The patterns echo historical dictatorships, from the Gestapo to the KGB. 

And it’s here now. On American soil. In Minnesota and in other states.

It’s time to ask hard questions

• How many Americans have been detained without charges?

• How much surveillance is actually happening in our homes and communities?

• At what point does the government’s action cross from law enforcement into secret police?

When law enforcement becomes secret police, liberty dies. 

And the first step to protecting it is knowing the difference.

To see more of Cat's work visit her on Substack.