http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/2818211.html?page=1

"No one sees them coming. There are no flashing lights, no sirens. The black Suburban simply glides out of Fifth Avenue traffic and pulls into a no-parking zone in front of the Empire State Building. Moments later, four men spill out in combat helmets and heavy body armor: Two carry submachine guns; the others, snub-nosed shotguns.

Camera-toting tourists stop jabbering and stare at this intimidating new presence, their faces a mixture of curiosity and fear. Even jaded New Yorkers, many of whom work inside the midtown Manhattan landmark, look impressed.

A stone's throw down the sidewalk, Abad Nieves watches the scene unfold. Nieves is a detective with the Intelligence Division of the New York Police Department (NYPD). Casually clad in slacks and a black leather jacket, he monitors the response of people loitering in the area. Is anyone making notes or videotaping? Does anyone seem especially startled by the out-of-the-blue appearance of a heavily armed NYPD squad?

On this day, Nieves doesn't see anything overly suspicious, but he is pleased that the deployment created a strong impression. Known as a Hercules team, it makes multiple appearances around the city each day. The locations are chosen either in response to specific intelligence or simply to provide a show of force at high-profile sites.

"The response we usually get is, 'Holy s---!'" Nieves says. "That's the reaction we want. We are in the business of scaring people--we just want to scare the right people."

Pretty scary stuff I agree......gone are the days of Barney Fife. These black suburban dudes were all over the place in 2001 up at the Aryan Nations Congress when we had to meet in that park near Hayden Lake. Another WN and I went on a jog one evening and on our way back we were repeatedly run off the road by one of these SUVs. They actually put their tire in the dirt as they passed, trying to run us into the field as we tried to get back to the campsite. They passed us 5 or 6 times coming at us with thier lights on bright. I think they wanted to run us into the field or make us try to cut across the field toward the campsite. I knew there were ATF with nightscopes and guns surrounding us outside the yellow tape so I figured that if we went that way they would shoot us and say we were trying to sneak up on them. We got back to camp and told the rest of the people there, but I dont think anyone believed us....