Alternet: Military Quietly Grants Itself the Power to Police the Streets

[Historic NY]

12. This is nothing new just codefiies how involved they can be in assistance...

The Secretary of Defense may, in accordance with other
applicable law, make Department of Defense personnel available to
any Federal, State, or local civilian law enforcement agency to
operate equipment for purposes other than described in subsection
(b)(2) only to the extent that such support does not involve direct
participation by such personnel in a civilian law enforcement
operation unless such direct participation is otherwise authorized
by law.

In other words they have to be invited to assist.........they just can't do it themselves.

For decades the military has assisted in bomb dectection and recovery, movement of military equipment from bases to base of public highways (convoys) or rail, and asisted local police in the policing of military personnel in civilian communities. An active agreement between local & military authorities must spell out the concurrent arrangements....I lived in an active military subpost community and both civilian police and military would respond to calls there...in most cases major incidents (excluding traffic) involving civilians were turned over to local authorities. The arrangement was spelled out and signed by the Provost Marshal (Government) & Police Chief (Town) & renewed annually.