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Militarization of police in the US

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Abu_Hajaar
Posts: 2749 - Karma: 3,907
I was checking my local news this morning when I saw an article about how my local police department had just been given a military vehicle called an MRAP. The small township that I live in has almost no violent crime and is considered to be a really nice area. I just don't see how the local police can justify owning an IED proof vehicle that was made for a battlefield.
The MRAP my local police department just inherited ^



So NS, do towns need tanks?
Aug 19 2014 4:52PM
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vandersteeze
Posts: 2650 - Karma: 1,511
Yes to keep little boys from touching themselves at night
Aug 19 2014 4:53PM
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erikK
Posts: 3245 - Karma: 2,328
vandersteezeYes to keep little boys from touching themselves at night


case closed
Aug 19 2014 4:59PM
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BungHole.
Posts: 698 - Karma: 1,422
Most cops don't have guns in New Zealand. They have tazers though and it seems to work fine.
Aug 19 2014 4:59PM
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BungHole.
Posts: 698 - Karma: 1,422
JosephRikysMost cops don't have guns in New Zealand. They have tazers though and it seems to work fine.


I'm not against owning guns but military vehicles is a little over the top...
Aug 19 2014 5:00PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
JosephRikysMost cops don't have guns in New Zealand. They have tazers though and it seems to work fine.


probably because the average citizen most likely has a much harder time acquiring automatic weapons than Americans do.

an MRAP seems ridiculously over the top but in most cases the police wouldn't get something unless there was a need or a specific incident in which they were under prepared.

take for example the changes that occurred after the north Hollywood shootout. Wouldn't have happened had that situation not occurred.
Aug 19 2014 5:03PM
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JAHpow
Posts: 7282 - Karma: 17,176
You do know that the DoD is donating those and other vehicles/equipment because they have a surplus. All the police department has to pay is the shipping.

Many police departments have old equipment, like a town in MN used an old ambulance as a SWAT van and were given an MRAP to replace it.

I think it's ok to use this equipment rather than waste our tax dollars to let it sit and rust.
Aug 19 2014 5:13PM
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--ski--
Posts: 1670 - Karma: 817
JosephRikysMost cops don't have guns in New Zealand. They have tazers though and it seems to work fine.


Hey now, cops need guns to put those sheep down.....

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=332_1406356527&comments=1
Aug 19 2014 5:30PM
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Dolan.Escobar
Posts: 683 - Karma: 943
fucking pork
Aug 19 2014 5:36PM
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Bombogenesis
Posts: 1984 - Karma: 4,006
Touchy subject. Nice to be prepared if shit hit the fan. National guard / military could be several crucial minutes away when needed. Worked out in Boston post bombing. I personally don't have a paranoid feeling about the government taking over and oppressing the citizens of the us so maybe I'm the wrong person to ask.


I think instead of saying "should the police be militarized?" we should ask ourselves why people wish to conduct themselves in a way that could possibly warrant the use of say an MRAP. It's almost like the perpetrators are never at fault.
Aug 19 2014 5:40PM
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Laurent.
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 25,313
The biggest problem with military vehicles used by the police is the obvious (duh) connection with the military, with crowd mentality that can be picked up extremely negatively those resulting in even worse situations.

The largest and most aggressive thing the Dutch police has is a watercannon, which is mostly used to disperse angry hemp sweater wearing crowds during demonstrations about ignoring the feelings of turnips in the bio industry. Despite looking a bit like an evolved street cleaner or futuristic fire truck it still very much a police attribute.



Whenever I see it in action it always looks like such a fun job to operate one of the cannon's

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/768575/Staking-Waterkanon-Museumplein
Aug 19 2014 6:16PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51645 - Karma: 162,278
It will keep happening, they'll use this or that to justify it and the country will keep getting sketchier. Thanks to our inability to not invade every fucking country and spend stupid amounts of money doing so, we have tons of these types of vehicles around. It's like kids with toys, everyone wants to have the super cool over the top one, nobody wants the more practical smaller one.

Police put in to get one of these even though they don't need them like it's a game. The increased militarization of police is fucking sketchy.

That said there's a ton of sketchy shit happening these days. The world is fucked anyway so whatever.
Aug 19 2014 6:24PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
you can thank these guys. the militarization of the police was a direct response to these LA bank robbers in the 90s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrlUsaYlKPs
Aug 19 2014 7:48PM
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