What are the effects of the politicization of state security agencies on state-society relations? The provision of security and protection are the quintessential, Weberian role of contemporary nation-states. In fact, the police are often the most tangible face of the state for ordinary citizens. The politicization of police forces thus has widespread consequences for relations between state security institutions and citizens. In Lebanon, the country’s the Internal Security Forces (ISF) are frequently criticized for being deficient in their duties as a civilian police force and instead focused on protecting the political status quo. Based on archival police records, GIS mapping of security institutions, and over 120 semi-structured interviews with citizens, civil society activists, and former security sector employees in Lebanon, I argue that the politicization of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) has had two major consequences. First, it has decreased trust and respect of the agency by citizens. Second, when security institutions become clientelistic resources, employees appointed via patronage must weigh their professional roles with their obligations to the political party that secured their employment. This has contributed to biased and mediated access to policing and help and, more importantly, allowed the institution to become an enforcer for specific political interests. I show how these dynamics play out in both everyday life and at crucial political moments, such as the ongoing “All of Them Means All of Them” (Kiloun Y3ani Kiloun) protests.