The 12 regional Federal Reserve banks are legally private entities, yet they have their own police forces under the authority of the United States government. They have possessed this authority for over a decade. It was given to them by the Patriot Act (2001).
They do not broadcast this authority. They prefer to keep this fact in the background. But they hire armed officers to police their own affairs.
Why do private agencies possess such authority under the United States Constitution? Because this is not your grandfather’s Constitution any more. The Patriot Act changed all that.
http://teapartyeconomist.com/2012/09/19/the-12-federal-reserve-banks-have-their-own-police-forces/
