"Just the minute the FBI begins making recommendations on what should be done with its information, it becomes a Gestapo"

This quote by J. Edgar Hoover is a warning versus the potential for the FBI to become a Gestapo, a secret police force that operates outside of the law. Hoover is suggesting that if the FBI begins to make decisions about how to utilize its details, it will become a powerful and oppressive force. He is emphasizing the value of the FBI staying unbiased and not taking sides in order to maintain its stability. He is also alerting versus the potential for the FBI to end up being a tool of the government, used to oppress people and break their rights. By making this declaration, Hoover is emphasizing the value of the FBI remaining independent and impartial in order to safeguard the rights of people.