i don't know the details, but this seems not to apply to licensed police officers.
Johannes Mehserle, for instance, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter while on duty as a BART cop, but it's my understanding that he has continued to serve in a new police department.
AFAIK, Mehserle is still unable to become a LEO due to his conviction and loss of appeal [1]. Of course, he still might work for a police department as parking enforcement or receptionist. But he'll never be legally able to hold a gun ever again.
Arthur Andersen was convicted of obstruction of justice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Andersen#Enron_scandal). (the decision was later reversed by the SCOTUS). The SEC bars convicts from auditing public companies which pretty much put them out of business. Sorry haskell, it was done for the side effects.
So just to start, I hope you watch the SyFy series Continuum[1]. The basic synopsis is that in the future, governments and economies collapse and the "Corporations" bail everyone out. I mean, you trust your personal information to FB way faster than you do with the GVT.
Anyways...
So, my very limited understanding of civil/city/state governments is that they are already special forms of "Non-Profit Corporate Entities" in most states, "Municipal Corporations"[2]. All other "private law enforcement entities" derive from some variation/bastardization of these laws depending on the state. So yes, most private citizens/corporations, what ever definition of the term[3], can obtain any of the weapons described in the article, with limits/exceptions. For instance, the SWAT team of Dallas, TX is part of the Dallas Police Department (Dallas being a Municipal Corporation). I chose this as an example because, when you google Dallas SWAT, you either get a reality TV show or a Facebook Page. In most smaller counties, it is part of the county Sherifs Department. In most states, the only person that can arrest a Sherif is the Governor or Agent of The Federal Government. Stay with me. This is all an argument of semantics from the beginning.
US entities operating outside the US borders obtain literally what ever equipment they, or their clients, can afford. Further, they are either bound by US Military rules of conduct (rules of engagement), beholden to local law, or either/neither seemingly as the parties see fit [see current US military advisor rules in Iraq vs. Blackwater authorization in Op. Iraqi Freedom].
My reading of this article is the scenario last referenced on US soil. A claim that a local SWAT team is both and neither. The power of a government law enforcement agency with the "loosely defined rights" of a private corporation (individual.) It is "risk management" in the corporate sense. You structure yourself for greatest legal/financial protection/benefit.
Grey area -- rant. Expand this to the Federal Government... The FBI is the only organization that is authorized to investigate wrong doing within itself[4]. In addition, the federal government can chose whether or not you are aloud to sue them in federal court (all courts by proxy.)[5]
