Were You Ever a Member of the Secret Police?

by Swan 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  Swan

  A lot of experiences have been written about elders spying on people, tailing them in cars, etc. I think this may have once happened to me, but am not sure if my intuition was correct or if my mind was just playing tricks. I sometimes have some paranoia as a result of the trauma of being in the JWs, so I am not sure what to believe.

  I have been talking to my counselor about this. Yesterday we talked about post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of abuse, but also as a result of being in a war. In many ways we were at war with the World, the government, the people around us, and Satan with his demons. This theocratic warfare was very much like a cold war, often with stealth-like practices and warnings about impending ban and persecution. I even remember a public talk where there was a demonstration. In the scenario, a brother and sister called on a door of an opposer while they were under ban, and as the householder called the cops, the brother and sister changed their appearance by reversing their coats, etc.

  So was I imagining things, or was I really being watched? I noticed strange cars parked down the street where people didn't usually park. I also think I was followed once or twice. This went on for a while many years ago, shortly after I was out, and then it stopped. How likely was it that this happened? Or was it just my overactive imagination? Can I expect the same sort of thing once they become aware that I have been associating with apostates?

  Have you ever been a member of the Watchtower's secret police and followed people to "get the goods" on them? Have you ever been assigned by the CO or DO to try and dig up information about certain JWs? Have you ever been a JW assigned to monitor "apostates" or their websites? Is there any reason for us to be concerned? Or is this feeling just a hold over from the theocratic cold war trauma?

  Tammy
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  happyout

  I wasn't a member of the "secret police", but I know this was done to my brother and sister. They were running track in high school (and doing a great job), and word got out. An elder said he "happened to drive by" and see them at practice. This was an absurd and obvious lie, because the way the school was built, you absolutely COULD NOT see the track from the street. You had to be on the school grounds to see the track, much less identify the runners. So, either he was spying on them, or he was listening to gossip and lied about how he found out. I don't know if a large group of people would be involved, unless you were suspected of apostasy and trying to form your own group, but I certainly believe it is possible one or two people were spying on you.

  Edited by - happyout on 7 January 2003 15:43:33
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  refiners fire

  I suspect that a lot of the members of the "secret police" were self appointed. Myself, I was never one of them. I must however confess to being an informant. The situation was the usual one with informants. Under pressure from authority I ratted someone else out to save myself.
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  pandora

  I can honestly say that I never ratted anyone out, but, at the time I was made to feel bad about that, because evidently my concience wasn't doing it's job too well.

  Oh well, in the end, it worked out quite nicely.

  -P(J)
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  herself

  Happyout, your posts begs the question....... Is it worse for a kid to run track in school or for an elder to lie?

  H.S.

  Edited by - Herself on 7 January 2003 16:6:25
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  Jourles

  Wasn't in the Secret Police, but I did get to work security for a couple years at the DC's. On the backside of our badges was a sticker that told attendants and others that we could go wherever we wanted to, even behind many of the closed door areas. One of our "duties" was to tail suspected apostates and troublemakers through the halls and to see what they were up to. Basically, anyone who wasn't in a suit or dress was a painted target. A few suspicious looking guys came into the assemblies, but we always kept tailing them until they left on thier own.

  We would always joke about getting a billy club and wrapping a Watchtower around it for the ones who would attempt to "Test Jehovah's active force."
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  Swan

  That's very interesting Jourles. Concealed badges, of a sort, to allow you access anywhere in order to track suspected apostates. Hmmm.

  That brings up another question though. What if the apostates where dressed like dubs, especially since they used to be dubs, in order to blend in? Was there a way that you could tell who was apostate and who was the real dub if they dressed alike? You've got me curious.

  Tammy
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  freedom96

  I know my sister was hunted down before she got df'd. She had a personal "friend" work for an elder to get info.

  They went after her like you wouldn't believe. She would not talk to them, so they set up situations to try to get to her.
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  jws

  I have no doubt that informants are used, much like the FBI's proposed informant program. And I remember people who would be tattle-tales, even going out of their way to find out stuff to tell.

  But I've gotta be a little skeptical that it was too organized. I've heard tales of stakeouts on radio programs. I even participated in one with a roomate on a girl who called him, claimed to be the mother of his child, yet kept dodging attempts to meet. Fact is, it requires a lot of time to commit to something like that and/or good organization. I don't think most JWs have the time or organization for either.

  Most elders are family men (isn't being married a requirement). I'm sure cases do vary, but how many family men have time to go stakeout a house, especially when they are JWs and have to attend 3 meetings a week and prepare and give countless talks. Oh, and earn a living. There just aren't enough hours in the day for the time required to do a good job at a stakeout.

  If cars are staking out your house, I'd look for somebody driven by a strong motivation to get the goods on you. Be it an ex-lover trying to get you in trouble over your new one. Maybe an uptight person who feels you're getting away with too much, hates you, and wants to cause trouble. Elders can and do fall into that sort of profile. But again, time. Somebody without elder duties is more likely to be a spy.
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  PopeOfEruke

  Was I ever a member of the secret police? I could tell you but then I would have to kill you.

  Pope