Burglars Quote by Ronald Kessler
“TacOps is a unit which breaks into homes and offices to plant bugging devices. They get into mafia hangouts, they go into embassies, they go into terrorist hangouts, and they describe themselves as court-sanctioned burglars.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The FBI and the Rise of Counterterrorism, 2005
A specialized unit conducts covert surveillance in high‑risk locations, acting as legally authorized intruders.
In simple terms: A covert team plants bugs in dangerous places under legal authority.
Key Takeaway
Understand the balance of security and privacy.
Themes
surveillance
security
legal authority
Mood
tense
analytical
Type
informative
critical
When to use this quote
- political investigations
- corporate espionage
- personal privacy
- law enforcement
Key Concepts
counterterrorism
intelligence gathering
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we ensure oversight of such operations?
- What safeguards protect civil liberties?
A Different Perspective
Legal permission does not eliminate ethical concerns.
![“Suppose . . . burglars had made entry into this . . . [library]. Picture them seated here on this floor, pouring the light of their dark-lanterns over some books they found, and thus absorbing moral truths and getting moral uplift. The whole course of their lives would have been changed. As it…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/917/mark-twain-22_absorbing_suppose-burglars-had-made-entry-into-thi_281932.jpg)
![“[it is] a high class kind of subversion, very high class. We're not second story burglars. We go right in the front door.” quote by Mike Gorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/51e/mike-gorman-263386_burglars_it-is-a-high-class-kind-of-subversion-ve_216253.jpg)
