There have been many articles in the news lately regarding the use of surplus military equipment by law enforcement. SBYNews has taken the position that sometimes this may constitute a prudent use of an item which saves the taxpayers money. We have also pointed out those instances when we see it as being over the top and not cost effective.
Recently overheard on the campus of Salisbury University was a conversation concerning the acquisition of several M-16 rifles by the campus police department. Folks these guns are reportedly fully automatic, military grade firearms. It certainly raised more than one eyebrow at SBYNews.
If this is true it begs the question: are machine guns really necessary for a university police force?
No way that is needed on a campus, semi auto is safer, and equally efficient in TRAINED hands. We don't need some rent a cops "spraying" projectiles all over the area.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I love a full auto rifle, but I seriously question the training that goes on for campus security.
great so when one of the college kids manages to get their hands on one of these look out! Maybe they should arm the students just in case!
ReplyDeletecampus security are actually real police with full arrest powers.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, but it is an effective use for crowd control
ReplyDeleteIts not for crowd control its for a mass murderer fools.
Deletethey go thru the same academy every other officer around here goes thru
ReplyDeleteCampus POLICE have been trained in active shooter response and they also have to meet the same weapon qualifications as any other police officer in the state. Thanks for your UNEDUCATED concerns Joe!
ReplyDelete11:49, MY uneducated concerns???
ReplyDeleteLet me ask you this Mr. Mrs. SU Police Officer or impersonator, AM I WRONG ABOUT THE GUNS? NO. Let's start with that.
Next, are you perhaps talking about COMMENTS here OR my original article?
Because one thing I am NOT is uneducated about TRUTH.
11:49 Still, a semi auto AR-15, AR-10, SCAR, whatever is way more effective in a shooter scenario, than a M-16.
ReplyDeleteJust adds to the oversized police force here.Has to make you wonder how bad things are here.
ReplyDeleteWell, first, "recently overheard" does neither constitute fact nor a legitamate noews story. After proof of this happening, then we should all be outraged as to why security guards,need such firepower.
ReplyDeleteHow come spd dont have these but the college cops do.
ReplyDeleteIf they can have them, so should I be able to enjoy fully automatic weapons.
ReplyDeleteYou can, legally with a $250 federal tax stamp and there is a class III dealer on the shore now.
DeleteI trained on the M16 and it CAN fire on automatic but not without some part we (the troops) were given. Leave that part out and it shoots as fast as you can pull the trigger each time.
ReplyDeleteThe Vietnam era 16's were full auto. They stopped making them because soldiers and cops couldn't control their fire. Thwy would waste ammo. They're now 3 Rd burst weapons unless the firing pin has been seared .
DeleteNobody is kicking out M-16 A1s from 'Nam so whatever full auto they're reportedly getting would have to be modded. Whatever they may be receiving it gives me a bad feeling. College campuses do not need to be militarized folks.
DeleteA bunch of people trying to sound like they know automatic weapons. How do you sear a firing pin??? In order to make a semi auto full auto you have to replace the BCG (bolt carrier group) with a full auto BCG, different sear and safety/selector, and hammer. These are regulated class III parts and you must have a $250 tax stamp to do it.
DeleteIt has been answered they are trained the same as police, but do they practice as often. Do they take classes to update their reactions to situations, are they taught to restrict the use of these weapons and use only as a last resort?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should use bb guns.
ReplyDelete12:00, Trust me, they have the weapons. I'm simply being kind, FOR THE MOMENT.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, the Daily Times and WBOC are now all over this and it will come out.
We figured that if we were to start putting such information out this way, maybe they, (WBOC & DT's) will stop copying our news articles without giving us credit for it first.
Time will tell what happens but I think we can rest a little bit knowing they won't take the article seriously and by the time they find out it is true they'll be several days behind. SO, the joke is on you and them.
1204. I don't know what M-16 you're talking about but they either fire single shot or three round burst. there is new part that you can leave out or something of the military gives us to shoot it fully automatic. We learned a valuable lesson with a fully automatic weapons going to Vietnam war.
ReplyDeleteThey need to get some humvees and MRAPs to go with them.
ReplyDeleteThere is no good reason for these rifles to be at the college.
ReplyDeleteBunch of non educated fools crying until one of there friends or family gets massacred at a college.
DeleteJokes not on me. Just pointing out that its not a news story without proof. Automatic weapons is by no means a joking matter. Especially without need
ReplyDelete12:00. They are not security guards they a Maryland state CERTIFIED police officers of which most spent the first part of their careers at other POLICE agencies.
ReplyDelete12:19, They have these weapons and I agree, talk about overkill. I know several of these Officers and quite frankly, #1, many of them used to be local law enforcement officers who are perfectly trained and are incredible human beings.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'd love to censor many of these comments, I'm confident these officers let their stupidity roll right off their backs. They are by no means rent a cops.
Do I agree with them possessing these weapons, hell no. I think pepper spray, stun guns and bean bag guns should be the first line of defense. I also believe they should carry pistols and keep in mind they have been known to back up local law enforcement on occasion.
M-16's, no way! But when the government is giving them away like candy, some leaders are lining up for the free ride. It's ridiculous.
Joe really? You expect police officers to go up against active killers with rifles and shotguns with only handguns, stun guns, and pepper mace?
DeleteThey have no need for several of these weapons, period! As far as the comment about Texas A&M all they really need is one high power rifle with scope and two people with special training for such a situation. The M-16 was designed for the purpose of putting a lot of fire power down range for a large number of attackers! I seriously doubt 300 + students are going to arm and storm the administration building!
ReplyDeleteThat bunch of "Barney Fifes" wouldn't know how to operate/maintain them.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't they be considered M4's and not M-16's? We are not in the sixties anymore.
ReplyDeleteAll right enough bashing the S.U.Police. They need long guns to protect each other on mids while they all sleep. Have you ever seen such a waste of police certification in your life ??? They do nothing and are very professional at it. It is hard to be able to operate a Cushman in tight quarters. Hell they almost killed one of their own with one lol Yep they need em.
ReplyDeleteJust because they have them, doesn't mean it's a primary weapon.
ReplyDeleteThey are fully certified police force, they can handle them.
With the way society is going, I'm glad they have them if needed.
It should go like this. Cops get X technology. Citizens should get access to the same X technology. What the police are doing right now is creating a scenario were by the peoples right to bear arms is significantly less than the select few who are given privilege. It also raises the question of a standing army. Police should be restricted to whatever laws the people are restricted to and not just with guns, with everything.
ReplyDeleteI would have no problem with full auto weapons as long as the people are given the same consideration. My right to defend my life on equal footing as my enemies is inalienable.
Here is how it works,
ReplyDeleteSome murderer shows up with an "Assault Weapon" or daddy's deer rifle or shotgun, they are 100-200 yards away, your handgun is worthless. As a police officer I wish there would be a fulltime police officer, that is better Equipped and trained, in the schools where my children are when I am not there to protect them. More often that not Cowards will attack the helpless instead of taking on a person that can be a threat to them.
the only reason you carry a handgun is because it is convenient, If you are going to a gun fight, you take a long gun.
Also if you check the .223/5.56 bullet from an AR15 is more accurate, easier to shoot, and penetrates less than all of the standard duty 9mm/.40/.45acp duty ammo. Never mind the truth the AR 15 looks to mean.
Then cops need to pull out a 30 06 like they did fifty years ago.
DeleteWe Aren't living 50 years ago.
DeleteIf all the guns stashed away on Smith St. were tallied up, those objecting to more police firepower might reconsider. Take a drive up and down it, or through the 'hood across from Bennett. See for yourselves. SBY has a lot of very bad people, and they aren't packing slingshots.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised liberals running the college even allow guns.Remember when Hillary Clinton made the guards at the Los Alamos nuke facility use no bullets?
ReplyDelete1:38 and 1:43 well said!
ReplyDeleteI don't get it.. Sigh we havent learned from the past. How many Maryland residents went out and bought an AR style rifle when they learned Maryland was going to ban/restrict them. So they day one guy walks in with an AK or AR into SU, you're telling me you expect the Salisbury University police to return fire with pepper spray, stun guns, and a pistol?
ReplyDeleteIt's not like your going to see them walking around campus for no reason with them, but to cry that they got something for free from the government that they could someday save a life with is crazy. And by the way, these weapons come fixed to prevent full auto and are single fire only.
I remember how the LAPD was caught off guard by two gunman shooting AK47s and wearing body armor during a bank robbery. 9mm didn't cut it for them. What did they do? They sent officers to a local gun store to get AR's.
It's better to have something and never use it, than to need it and not have it. Now the LAPD and most department's across the country have AR style rifles for these what if situations.
But then again, I never read the news anymore and see shootings in the Bury. So the world is just a peaceful place where nothing bad happens.
Commonplace = readying for a police state
ReplyDeleteLike the boy scouts song goes, "Be Prepared".
ReplyDeleteGotta keep those college punks in line!
ReplyDeletePolice academy schmademy there ain't no reason local police need automatic weapons,PERIOD.
ReplyDeleteThey don't have automatic weapons.....PERIOD.
DeleteWell 346 I Dont think its your choice, PERIOD!
ReplyDelete...and yet the question still remains: it asks about "machine guns"...not rifles or the like. These surplus guns from the military are A-1's and A-2's...not burst mode...most of them are old shot up M-16's. Honestly, what the college needs is a few new carbine rifles with enhanced optics...machine guns are not necessary and require too much additional (and continued) training to master.
ReplyDeleteThey are converted. They are not full automatics. They are basically just AR15
DeleteThey don't need the guns. Most mass murderers just wind up offing themselves before the cops arrive.
ReplyDeleteAfter he has Already done the damage .
DeleteIf you ate referring to school or campus type active shooters they usually sour themselves when they are aware that the cops have arrived
DeleteMachine guns are not a necessary for Salisbury University Police Officers. Yes they are fully certified police officers and have to keep up on their training but what do they really do? Not much but complain. They are overpaid for what they do and most of them get paid more than city cops in this area.
ReplyDeleteI guess they could be used if there were active shooters inside a building. But in that instance, I'd expect to see a full SWAT presence to take on the assailant.
ReplyDeleteYou would think the campus police would be trained to evacuate people, isolate the problem inside, and secure the perimeter of the building. They aren't going to engage by themselves as a small group on staff unless it's absolutely necessary.
Outside, a few snipers on top of buildings would be much safer than trying to engage at ground level.
So I don't view M-16s as especially valuable. Not a lot of upside, and the downside of them being used for harm, the cost of maintaining proficiency, etc.
Everything you said is wrong. For am active shooter situation, officers will respond as fast as possible and go directly to the sounds of shots. They will form teams as available and hunt the shooter until he is dead or in custody.
Delete4:09 you're probably overpaid too for whatever you do if you even work at all.
ReplyDeleteThey are necessary at times. There is an element that exist in and around the university. Everyone seems to think they're just youngsters getting educated. The truth is its a city within a city that has more crime than you know. Dudley Eisshbach squashes any news from getting out about her Little Darlings. Campus police have encountered guns and devices numerous ties and you never heard about it. Many criminals inhabit the campus area to sell drugs, steal or hide from police. You need only to watch national news or remember Sept. 3, 2013 on Onley Rd. where 3 students were shot or killed. An active shooter incident will come to SU. Its not a matter of if. Its when. I pray it does not, but given todays world its a real possibility. Just because campus police have the weapons doesn't mean they will ever have to use them. Chief Lashley is a very experience law man. If he feels SU police need those weapons, then that good enough for me. Let the experts do their job.
ReplyDeleteLet me rephrase what I said on my comment of 4:09 as what I had originally typed was accidentally deleted before it was sent. They are hard working cops (and yes some of them complain) working hard to keep the students in line and to protect the students at the University and that in itself is a hard job. How many of us would do that? I don't think many could. Are they overpaid for what they do. I don' t know. A lot of the cops there are good cops and very good individuals. I don't think the M-16 rifles are necessary for all of the cops. They are not security guards but they are fully certified police officers protecting the city just like the state and county cops. If they get them they should be locked up until and if they are ever needed.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteCampus POLICE have been trained in active shooter response and they also have to meet the same weapon qualifications as any other police officer in the state. Thanks for your UNEDUCATED concerns Joe!
January 29, 2015 at 11:49 AM
Maybe, but they have absolutely no experience being a police officer. Some of them left the Salisbury PD because they were to scared to patrol the streets of Salisbury. They were afraid they would run into a thug who might beat them up.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteIts not for crowd control its for a mass murderer fools.
January 29, 2015 at 11:49 AM
It is not for a mass murderer you liberal Dildo!!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWell, first, "recently overheard" does neither constitute fact nor a legitamate noews story. After proof of this happening, then we should all be outraged as to why security guards,need such firepower.
January 29, 2015 at 12:00 PM
They are sworn police officers through default of an academy. Unfortunately they really are no more than campus security. I blame that on their police chief. After he retired from the MSP I really thought he was going to turn that department into a real and progressive police force. Boy was I wrong. He is a punk himself. Yes Ed Lashly you are a lazy punk who is still retired.
Yep, they admit they are campus security.
ReplyDeleteMission Statement
“TO ENHANCE THE EDUCATIONAL AND
CULTURAL EXPERIENCE FOR ALL STUDENTS,
FACULTY, STAFF AND VISITORS BY
PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL, COMPETENT
AND COMPASSIONATE LAW ENFORCEMENT
SERVICES AND SECURITY.”
* * *
If my calculations are correct I counted 19 sworn officers including the Chief. They also have 6 security guards and numerous dispatchers. That isn't a bad size police department for no more than they do. Many of the titles of the Lieutenants are embarrassing since they do absolutely nothing during breaks. Lieutenant/Field Operations Commander? WTF do they need commanders for? What kind of incidents have they commanded? Lieutenant/Administrative Commander? Imagine that, they gave that position to the female officer. Shame on you Ed Lashley for discriminating against your females and you are a minority yourself. That is almost 5 officers per shift and I bet they have the best hiding places on that campus so they can sleep at night.
ReplyDeleteTheir website is embarrassing by the way. There isn't even a page introducing the chief of police. Almost every police department in the nation has a link for the police chief.
Oooh... I just noticed they have a police substation. Must be in the ghetto part of the campus.
"I also believe they should carry pistols and keep in mind they have been known to back up local law enforcement on occasion."
ReplyDeleteWhen did that happen? I have never known them to back up and police agency.
Only the M-16A1 was fully automatic and they were retired in Vietnam. The A2 only has 3 round burst. Regardless, only an idiot would use full auto without a mount and butterfly trigger.
ReplyDeleteGo to www.salisbury.edu/universitypolice and see their page. There very first page is trying to justify these new weapons. Several videos to put the scare in you. So Joe was right about the first commenter being a campus officer.
ReplyDeleteActive Shooter Preparedness Videos
Brothers and sisters of SUPD,
ReplyDeleteDon't let this "discussion" from those that have no real knowledge of police work bring you down. The same OLD name calling has been in place for as long as I can remember. I was there when the department was TOTALLY unarmed and let me assure you that you are in a better place now should the SHTF!. It is called "progressive policing" and any department worth it's salt does it. It is easy to say you should not be armed at all by someone sitting home reading a blog. You've come a long way with a long way to go yet. I have no problem saying I retired from your department because I was involved in changing it for the better. Stay strong!
Most serious criminals days will out gun most police department as we don't like the thought of have automatic weapons on campus, yet in active shooter scenarios cops will the the fire power.
ReplyDeleteThe M-16 can be switched to semi auto or full auto. Don't get your bowels in an uproar over things you know little about.
ReplyDelete5:39 maybe just maybe they left SPD because they weren't being paid what they were worth to do the job! All the prior SPD officers that are there had their fill of dealing with crack heads and gang bangers and just wanted to better themselves. If you had the chance to better yourself and your pay and didn't take that's your problem!
ReplyDeleteMost of you on this site have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. If you would care to educate yourselves before opening your mouths or computers then maybe life would not be so miserable for you. Please feel free to drop by the campus police department any time. I am certain the staff can answer all of your questions!
ReplyDeleteHere's a productive answer since I haven't seen one yet! Why don't some of you google Maryland Judiciary Case search and enter the names of the officers working there. See for yourselves the crime on campus and the arrests that are made. The crime that never make the press release.
ReplyDeleteBest gun Mattel ever made,hence the "M"
ReplyDeleteMattel made the stock. Colt made the important parts.
DeleteBig friggin deal , so what is all the excitement about? m-16 or m15
ReplyDeletemost police agencies have them , as well as most criminals.
4:41 EXPERTS? People like you scare me.
ReplyDeleteA few weeks in Wor Wic and a sophomore level entrance exam does not make an expert!
ALL BUT a very few select cops should be allowed to carry weapons. Period.
And SU does not need full auto.
Mall security wants to know when they will get theirs?
ReplyDelete704, if you think only a select few cops should carry weapons then you need to pull your head out of your...
ReplyDeleteWhat difference does it make? Guns don't kill people!
ReplyDeleteS.U. Police congrats if the post is true. You may need them. It is better to be ready, then dead. So to you haters "suck it". Also just heard you guys have collective bargaining with the F.O.P. representing you. Awesome stuff. Good luck God Speed
ReplyDeleteThis is nothing more then a means for our government to Control it's sheepeople. One of the major excuses used for this program to give military weapons to local governments was Sandy hook. Which was actually a government controlled exercise and played off as a real situation in order to scare the sheepeople into believing your police departments needed to be militarized. This also gave the government another chance to shut you the parent out of your child's education by simply turning your child's school into a prison and cutting off most physical access to your child's education.this along with many other rights that have been taken away in secrecy from Americans since 9/11 leaves this american very afraid of what's to come in this country. What I mean by secrecy is rights being taken away from Americans behind closed doors without the consent of the American people.
ReplyDeletepeople can call me a conspiracy theorist all they want but, all I know is if I was going to try and take over a country there is three things I would do if I was in it for the long haul. #1. Control the economics. Funny how we as a nation supposedly live in a free market but our government is the one Controlling that market.#2 control the education. Dumb down your enemies. one only has to look at common core. Who would you rather have calling in air strikes in split second timing? The man who can add 5+2 and comes up with 7 or the guy using common core who has to place numbers in columns and show how 5+2=7? Last but not least you have to find a way to control the population. Hence putting military weaponry in the hands of people you can control. Anything sound familiar here?
Call me what you will but, it's clear to this reader this country is headed into some dark times.
11:17 stop smoking weed, it's making you paranoid.
ReplyDeleteJust sent Andy Harris an email about this. I'm anxious to see what his view is.
ReplyDelete