The Cinniapolis Safety Department task force recently closed an investigation into the local narcotics trade that resulted in 26 indictments and the arrest of the alleged queenpin of the illicit activities, Annabelle Winston. Known to her peers and customers as “Painfree-B”, Ms. Winston is the alleged leader of the local narcotics distribution network. This piece of news is extraordinary on its own. The CSD has a weak record of snuffing out criminal activities, in comparison to the previously expelled Cinniapolis Police Department. They also have a short but successful history of transparency and cooperation with federal and state-level law enforcement combating crime in the area. However, what the CSD may not want to publicize is their recently revealed cozy relationship with the local militia, Holy Sheriff Legion.

Over the past few years as public demonstrations became more volatile, it was no surprise to see HSL members patrolling the outskirts of city blocks helping to maintain the peace. What may come as a surprise is their growing influence over Cinniapolis government policies. As the defund the police cries grew louder, Mayor Gondola acquiesced to the public outcry over the massive police spending to bolster his re-election campaign. Over the past two years, the Cinniapolis Police Department transitioned into its current moniker, the Cinniapolis Safety Department. Rather than accept accountability for out of control policing that led to fiery citizen demonstrations, Mayor Gondola oversaw a PR campaign to re-brand Cinniapolis law enforcement. A simple change in title and creative budgeting appeased the citizenry. While the public celebrated their victory, Cinniapolis officials were enlisting the HSL into duty to keep the balance of power strongly in the hands of government.

Gerard Gonzalez experienced the brutality and lawlessness of HSL militia shortly after the re-branding of CSD. Mr. Gonzalez is the son of immigrant parents from Mexico. Their family has resided in Cinniapolis for nearly two decades. While Mr. Gonzalez is an American citizen, his parents are not. But, not for lack of trying. “Unfortunately, my parents speak barely any English. It is very hard for them to find consistent, well-paying jobs,” said Mr. Gonzalez. “A couple different years, they saved up and applied for citizenship only to be rejected for no specific reason. Well, our landlord at the time, Mr. Voper, was being investigated for harboring immigrants. He evicted us after my parents citizenship application was rejected.” Up until recently, local evictions were handled by the CSD. But, now they outsource that role to the HSL. “These men and women kicked in our door and dragged us out of our home. They arrived unannounced and treated us like animals. They insulted us, insulted our heritage and physically abused us. They broke our belongings and confiscated things they liked,” said Mr. Gonzalez. The Cinniapolis Chorus Investigative Team found some of these items for sale at the most recent church silent auction.

The team followed up with Father Ned, the current pastor at St. Boris. When pressed to identify where the church procures their items, the church’s spokesperson, Karen Jefferson, confirmed most items at auction are received from anonymous donors or donations from civil institutions, such as law enforcement. She reassured us there is no nefarious activity involved in the auctions. “We don’t currently keep a record of where donated items are sourced. Law enforcement has donated items confiscated from criminals and we make every attempt to refurbish them and give them a proper home,” she said. These auctions are monitored and administered by the HSL.

The HSL has also been coordinating road safety checks over the past several weeks. The stated purpose of these safety checkpoints is to verify vehicle insurance and deter reckless driving. However, it has resulted in HSL confiscating items suspected to have been involved in crimes. In other words, if a driver does not have valid insurance, their belongings become property of Cinniapolis. Juanito Sanchez alleged such behavior, “They took my car and all my belongings I had with me. I’m lucky they left me clothed,” he said. “I committed no crime. I was behind on a payment and my insurance policy lapsed.” Our team obtained a copy of the incident report which documented Mr. Sanchez as unruly and combative. “Of course I was unruly, they stole my car.”

We reached out to HSL’s Chief of Operations, General John Chester, for comment on our story but his office declined. We attempted to get a comment on the story from CSD’s Chief Executive, Rhonda Dixon, whom also declined to comment.

The HSL made its way into the local government budget too. This private entity received a lucrative contract to continue its operations on behalf of CSD through 2027. However, the amount of money paid to the HSL is not documented in the public budget. When reached for comment, Mayor Gondola said, “We are grateful for the dedication and partnership from the Holy Sheriff Legion. They uphold Cinniapolis values and help keep our community safe.”