What the...

Either CBS didn't give this story prominent play, or Americans are shrugging off information more than is healthy:

HARDIN, Mont. (CBS/AP) This is the strange story of how American Police Force, a little known company which claims to specialize in training military and security forces overseas, has seemingly taken control of a $27 million, never-used jail, and a rural Montana town's nonexistent police force. After arriving in this tiny city with three Mercedes SUVs marked with the logo of a police department that has never existed, representatives of the obscure California security company said preparations were under way to take over Hardin's jail, which has no prisoners.

Hilton also said he planned a helicopter tour of the region in coming days to look at real estate for a planned tactical military training ground. He said 5,000 to 10,000 acres were needed to complement the training center, a $17 million project. But the company's flashy arrival this week stirred new questions. The logo on the black Mercedes SUVs said “City of Hardin Police Department.” Yet the city has not had a police force of its own for 30 years. “Pretty looking police car, ain't it?” Hardin resident Leroy Frickle, 67, said as he eyed one of the vehicles parked in front of a bed and breakfast where Hilton and other company representatives were staying. “The things you hear about this American Police, I don't know what to think.”

Nor are we likely to get straight answers anytime soon since:

On Friday, American Police Force announced its first local hire: a reporter for the Billings Gazette, Becky Shay, who has covered events surrounding the jail since its construction. She will be the company's spokeswoman for $60,000 a year. Shay said she intended to bring new transparency to the process, but declined to directly answer the first question posed to her: Where is American Police Force getting the money to operate the jail and build the training center? “I know enough about where the money is coming from to be confident signing on with them,” she said.

Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better...
I hope this is just some crazy viral marketing scheme for a movie or novel (hey, CBS has been suckered before...). Because if it's not, people have some explaining to do. You know, 5,000 to 10,000 remote acres would make a good place to build an army... and all that stimulus money that "hasn't been spent" yet could finance a lot of interesting things.

Think I'm overly suspicious? I can't imagine what reasons I might have...