What some are calling a controversial move by the Trump administration others are calling a life-saving decision for the men and women who serve as police officers protecting the streets of our nation.
In 2015 then President Barack Obama issued an executive order that halted the transfer of surplus gear from our nations' military to any police force. This included items such as armored vehicles, grenade launchers, high-caliber weapons and camouflage uniforms. This order came directly following the controversy over the “militarization” of the police response to unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.
“These guidelines were created after Ferguson to ensure that police departments had a guardian, not warrior, mentality,” said Vanita Gupta, former head of DOJ's civil rights division under Obama and who now leads the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Our communities are not the same as armed combatants in a war zone.”
There are many ways that we can look at this situation. The National Fraternal Order of Police have some strong words about the prior administrations' decision and how this new change will affect our local police departments. So let's take a look at what the head of the NFOP and others had to say about this matter.
That happened 1 fucking time. They don’t need military hardware. They aren’t at war.
To keep the public under the government’s boots. They know eventually some of us will come for them.
Police can get camo uniforms though. Atlanta police wear them.
Michael Corey , over confident are we? Smh apparently you didn’t learn history! Sad
I did not say they never take their power for granted, “too far.” I said they need it as it stands now, without the intention of power abuse and for valid reasons. But, i’m also a firm believer in the second amendment, and think if the military can have it, citizens should be able to have it. Obviously this debate of, to have or not to have, can go a thousand ways, with a thousand different what if scenarios, to be played out until the horse is so dead, it’s turned into oil for a distant future generation.
And for that matter, the military having it is already a potential abuse of power threat. It’s not like the government has ever lied to the citizens right? Necessary potential evil, we give them the power in the hopes that they honor it and protect us from men who just want to watch the world burn. But, we all know that power could instantly be turned against the citizens.
Lenny Clrk it’s simple really. Don’t break the law. It’s not a new concept
Michal and Dana. LEOs already have done it in other areas, during national disasters. Don’t be so foolish to not think it’s happened and happening little by little.
yeah these conditions will definitely effect deliveries….lol.
but through rain or snow or dark of night….
Michael Corey law enforcement does a great job of denying people their rights as it is
Alan Raymond Yates and yet they still violate people constitutional rights on a daily basis here.
if you need military gear to protect yr banks, you might live in a totalitarian state
Eva After youre an idiot. The gear is to protect the officers. They’re people too
Douglas Oscar……no standing army……wtf do you think this is…..can’t handle the danger….don’t be a cop. Fireman are heros. You guys that need this shut are pussies.
Perfect
Because obviously, your local conservation officers need grenade launchers…
Trouble when you give cops “toys” is they tend to find a reason to use them.
The trouble is when rectal jesters like you give them a reason to have them and use them.
are you really that STUPID???
Very controversial. Arming the police militarily, disarming citizenry. Recipe for tyranny.
True, but Trump isn’t trying to disarm citizens… Dems are!
The problem is criminals can get better weapons are police cant get because of budget cuts. Drug dealers dont have budget cuts they have access to black market weapons time to even the playing field and help out the men and women in blue.
Declare martial law, and the militarized cops, will begin disarmament.
Why blame this$#%&!@*on Trump? Obama caused that mess. I remember his attempt to militarize Law Enforcement hoping to further create division.
Rectal Jesters like me are wondering why in the hell a fish and game warden needs a 40mm grenade launcher. You guys are thinking that every cop in America has drug dealers plotting their demise 24/7. Does the Luce County Sheriff’s office need an MRAP to patrol a jurisdiction of 3,000? Doubt it. Too many small towns are getting things they don’t need. FYI I was a street cop for 4 years and a corrections officer for 5. Love your blind obedience though, puppets.
“Better weapons”? Do explain how “better weapons” makes any sense. Full auto is a waste of ammunition, so the semiauto AR15s they all get issued is the best battle rifle available. LE already has launchers for smoke and tear gas grenades so why would they need M209s unless launching live grenades is the plan? Law Enforcement should not militarize, it is not their purpose.
Anything they have we should be able to have as well.
god with trump?
Jerod Notestine lets see your dumbass go up against gang bangers with fully automatic weapons with just a side arm or a semi auto AR!
great. jack booted thugs with m 240s
idiot. they already think they are judge dredd.
God bless our country God bless our troops God bless your president and mine Donald TrumpOnce again our governments failed to do their job. Funny how the same thing is going on to our schools and they’re not doing anything about it. just Democrat dragging their feet. The deputies were called to the shooter home 39 times over the last 7 years. Here’s just a few reasons why. Has been. He was kicked out of 2 private schools beat his girlfriend up her new boyfriend wasnt even allowed to wear a backpack to school the full story is on my page you’re welcome to go read this. The FBI would like to apologize for not following up on a tip they received about the school shooter 5 F***ING MONTHS AGO. They were too busy obstructing justice, covering up their attempts to rig an election, ignoring High Crimes by democrats, investigating fake Russians, and wiretapping Trump Associates. SORRY KIDS
Well well would you look at that.
ONLY ONE REASON THEY NEED THAT STUFF.. LOOK OUT FOLKS.
In my many jobs I have had in my life when the boss buys a new piece of equipment we have found a reason to use it within a day or two. This holds true in every single profession I have had. Cops don’t need military gear because then they will find a reason to use it.
When you have people killing citizens in swaths, you need an appropriate response. Arm the police. Just don’t disarm the people.
I have no problem with them getting excess gear, that is if the civilians could too. After all we’ll need it to fend them off. Since by in large they only “serve” the political elites.
Good
Sorry but the cops don’t need that stuff.how can people protect themselves from bad cops? We aren’t aloud to have that type of gear
Police would t need that equipment if they took the gloves off of citizens.
This sounds likely the way things are going. Very sad. If you go back in memory to the Founding of this country, one can clearly see some disturbing changed that have occurred. First, there are actually four branches of government, although the latter was meant to be “silent but lethal.” They are in order, the Executive, the Legislative, the Judicial, and the fourth, the Citizenry! Yes, the purpose behind the Second Amendment was to insure this! So the number one change that has occurred is that our Founding Fathers never envisioned a military not armed AS WELL as the Citizenry. In fact, after the Revolution, and Civil War, families had cannons at home. In grade school one of my peers had a Civil War eta cannon. Quite a few of these got melted down during the second world war for precious scrap. This ratio between Citizen informal militia and government militia has become incomparable. Helicopters, jet aircraft ( stealth at that) chemical weapinry, infrared and radar technology, state of the art body armour, tanks, armoured personnel carriers, etc. give our military an impressive edge should the citizenry be placed in a situation where it has to correct government. When our police are allowed to use military grade weaponry borders on a violation of Posse Comitatus. If this is in any way also timed with a ban on weapons of any kind, in my opinion it definitely is. Government seems to be working towards this objective from both angles using unfortunate circumstances and the leftist leaning citizens ( villains) to accomplish this hidden agenda. What is ironic is that much of he blame can be put squarely on the government in the first place for many of these crisis.
Is that a fucking MASer on that one truck? Are we shooting microwaves at citizens now?
this is F(&% up
Great. Our law enforcement officers really need mraps.
s**t let the cops run the streets now not all are corrupted but give them more power and they will be… eventually there will be a civil war…
F trump and the police. Train them don’t arm them