Molly Redden and Mother Jones have acquired a stash of armored vehicle request documents from police departments all over the nation. The requests are tied to the Department of Defense’s 1033 program, in which military hand-me-downs are given to basically any law enforcement agency that asks for them, whether or not these agencies actually need them.
Most of the documents contain some sort of pitch detailing the “need” for an armored vehicle, like the ever-popular MRAP (Mine-Resistant Armored Protected vehicle). Some of the pitches mention terrorism. Others simply state that potential terrorist targets reside in their jurisdiction. A great deal of them mention HIDTAs (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area). As Redden points out, only 17% of the nation’s counties are actually federally-recognized HIDTAs, but that doesn’t stop requesting agencies from suggesting they too are in the midst of constant, dangerous drug trafficking.
Fully a quarter of the 465 requests projected using the vehicles for drug enforcement. Almost half of all departments indicated that they sit within a region designated by the federal government as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
Very few mention any real reasons an armored vehicle might be useful.
By contrast, out of the total 465 requests, only 8 percent mention the possibility of a barricaded gunman. For hostage situations, the number is 7 percent, for active shooters, 6 percent. Only a handful mentioned downed officers or the possibility of terrorism.
Given that the Military Vehicle Request: Short Form only contains three lines for “Special Considerations,” law enforcement agencies have been submitting a variety of non-sequiturs as justifications for armored vehicle procurement.
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21 comments:
Can I request one for our neighborhood watch group?
It will be funny when we go into Iran and the US government has to buy a whole new fleet of MRAPS because they gave half to local police and left half for ISIS. I know they just hate giving your money to the military industrial complex.
That's awesome.
I could careless what the police have. I don't go to the riots and battle mobs burning down city's like they do. So who cares.
With the crime running Out of Control here..I'm all for local LE getting a few of these and using them to start busting some heads.
The sheriff needs one because he can't see over the dash of a pickup truck.
You're a jerk. Mike Lewis does more in one day for this community than you will do in your pathetic life time...moron
That must be why heroin addicts and thieves run rampant throughout the county. BTW, I volunteered in my community for 15 years without taking a pension and a salary or getting paid to take military toys across the bay just to get on TV instead of serving the community. Often people resort to name calling when they do not have a valid argument to make or defend.
Care when that busts in your door for your guns?
Sure does. From make up to interviews.
4:30 and 4:39 Are our police getting into gun battles with militarily armed gangs? What situation have you seen anywhere around here that would require that type of equipment? In actuality every case is one or two people shooting one or two people with a small caliper handgun. Cops are always there late, they would be even later if they had to go pick up their tank first. Next day a press release comes out and they are looking for a black male around 6' medium build white shirt and blue jeans. Well that helps. Realize that while we have had quite a few citizen shootings, we have also had several people die at the hands of the police as well.
Remember the Daily Grimes that came out with the "hostage situation" at Parkside story? Here is the real deal. Guy finds out his girl is cheating. Tells her to get out of the house and locks her out. She proceeds to call the cops and say that he has barracked himself in the house with a shotgun and child. The reaction by police was to bring the tanks, SWAT, and a sniper. It is a total show of force, and if there had been the situation the lying girlfriend had described there would be a dead guy and a dead kid. Luckily, it was not and he came out of the apartment willingly.
I want officers to be equipped to react to situations they will face, I don't however want them to be equipped to overreact to the situation. And this goes for all the confiscations of money and property by the police as well.
4:41 Now that's funny I don't care who ya're
Oh lord the bleeding heart liberals all worried about those poor wobegotten criminals has found their way on to this respectable sugh
Now they're worried that the law abiding citizens will have too much protection from the heavily armed criminals.
Hey moron...YOU are the very reason crime has increased in this area in the last 10 years. When they break into your home and violate your family be sure to recall your moronic remarks right before they slit your throat. The good news is that Darwins law will prevail at that moment.
Can't I'm black
You have admitted to being a pot head! So we don't read your comments bc your high all the time homie!!!
What if mike Phillips is driving it?
8:25 your a nut case. I hope you go back and read your comment.
If you're a legal firearm owner, not a felon, do what YT does:
Don't give them a damn thing, and don't let them find them.
8:25...you seem to believe that if a critic of the local unit of the gestapo experiences a break-in or home invasion and he calls them to his house, they will arrive in seconds and handle the situation, probably with the help of a tank or MRAP. The reality is this -- citizen calls the police for the above-mentioned incident.
The police show up in 15 minutes to collect evidence, bag the bodies and get their picture taken at the scene to pad their "involvement" at the crime scene.
And 'we, the people" are NOT worried that "law abiding citizens will have too much protection from the HEAVILY ARMED CRIMINALS (emphasis mine)".
We are much more worried about the police having too much power. Jefferson and his friends knew that government would eventually become oppressive (can't deny THAT) and use every means available to protect that power. Almost as if he was watching the tanks, drones, NSA, MRAPS, and unlimited searching and surveillance of us on a TV.
Heavily armed criminals??? Really? Even heavily armed criminals (with what? Anti-tank weapons? Mini-guns? Come on, man.....) are no match for the 30-70 cops that show up at an active shooting. The POLICE are the "heavily armed" entity among us.
Along with 150 million private citizens, that is.....
And lastly, how is an armed law abiding citizen contributing to the increase in crime??? Want to cut real crime? Stop sending officers out to shake down citizens for $80-150 for ticky-tack tickets and put them on patrol in crime areas, which, by the way, DOESN'T include RT 50 into Ocean city.. Seems to me that the attention police give to speeders and seat belt violators instead of open air drug markets and high crime neighborhoods is a bigger (by far) contributor to crime rate increases than any citizen Joe with a gun and a house.
I can't believe that you would make the comment you made and then call someone ELSE a moron. God help us if you're a cop.
With the blacks ruining city after city with their thug life this will become common place.
Then why did you vote for Obama? To late to cry now!! Moron.
Let then riot here lol There will be some oil slicks in the road if you know what I mean. All Americans have a right to protest. NO Americans have the right to burn and loot period. Obey the laws of the land and get a job. Funny people who work for living could care less about how the police are armed. Only criminals care.
Until a cop or clerk makes a mistake on a warrant by mixing up a number or using road rather than street and they throw flash bangs in your windows before taking the doors down to storm in wearing riot gear/body armor. Odds are you die because you think it's an intruder, pull a gun and are hit by 30-40 bullets.
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