General Discussion

Holly_Hobby

(3,033 posts) Wed Apr 9, 2014, 09:53 PM Apr 2014

Small Iowa town of 7,000 with 11 cops gets MRAP (armored vehicle)

...

These things normally cost $500,000, but will be given to Washington, Iowa for free under a Defense Department program that gives surplus military equipment to domestic law enforcement.

Matthew Byrd writes in the Daily Iowan that:

Sometimes the news is just so drearily awful that you have to sit back and almost appreciate the pure comedy induced by it.

Take this item from Washington, Iowa, where the local police have recently acquired an MRAP vehicle (short for Mine Resistance Ambush Protected) through a Defense Department program that donates excess vehicles originally produced for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to local police departments across the United States, including other Iowa towns such as Mason City and Storm Lake.

...

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-09/iowa-city-population-7000-will-receive-armored-military-vehicle

18 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Small Iowa town of 7,000 with 11 cops gets MRAP (armored vehicle) (Original Post) Holly_Hobby Apr 2014 OP

The growing militarization of the civilian police departments is a troubling offshoot blueridge3210 Apr 2014 #1

+1000 sakabatou Apr 2014 #3

Here's a hilarious short video piece from the Des Moines register on this story. pa28 Apr 2014 #2

"The police department makes it clear: they won't use it to take away your guns" DiverDave Apr 2014 #16

What do you suggest .. JJChambers Apr 2014 #4

Remand to Reserve or Guard units stateside; blueridge3210 Apr 2014 #5

And terrorists. pa28 Apr 2014 #6

There's probably some pigs and cows there that need to be kept under surveillance. hobbit709 Apr 2014 #18

Use them DashOneBravo Apr 2014 #13

"...ever growing number of violent criminals equipped with assault weapons?" Ikonoklast Apr 2014 #15

Have you ever seen what a deer can do to a car? Philly Cowboy Apr 2014 #7

Grew up in Iowa. My suggestion for this town. Take the damn thing - its free. Disable it and put it jwirr Apr 2014 #8

My County has a shabby version of one of these Bonx Apr 2014 #9

Sounds like your friend gave an honest response fujiyama Apr 2014 #12

Cool AnalystInParadise Apr 2014 #10

Also awesome stories at that website like this gem AnalystInParadise Apr 2014 #11

I wonder what Barney Fife would have done with that. rug Apr 2014 #14

They can waste money on this, but at the same time our infrastructure B Calm Apr 2014 #17

blueridge3210

(1,401 posts)

1. The growing militarization of the civilian police departments is a troubling offshoot

Reply to Holly_Hobby (Original post)

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 10:09 PM

Apr 2014

of the ill-advised "war" on drugs. Resources could be better spent on treatment and community relations.

sakabatou

(42,186 posts)

3. +1000

Reply to blueridge3210 (Reply #1)

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 10:49 PM

Apr 2014

pa28

(6,145 posts)

2. Here's a hilarious short video piece from the Des Moines register on this story.

Reply to Holly_Hobby (Original post)

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 10:48 PM

Apr 2014

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/news/local/kyle-munson/2014/04/05/7304749/

The "SWAT team chief" of this 7000 person town is giving the film crew a walkaround and giggling like a ten year old on Christmas morning. He can't wait to use it.

The police department makes it clear: they won't use it to take away your guns. I'm guessing they'll use it to flatten some 59 year old MMJ patient instead so no problem there.

DiverDave

(4,887 posts)

16. "The police department makes it clear: they won't use it to take away your guns"

Reply to pa28 (Reply #2)

Thu Apr 10, 2014, 04:31 AM

Apr 2014

Christ on toast points, why would he say that?
Are the armed so scared?
oh, fox news. nevermind

JJChambers

(1,115 posts)

4. What do you suggest ..

Reply to Holly_Hobby (Original post)

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 10:51 PM

Apr 2014

Should we let these expensive pieces of equipment rust away into nothing? Or should we protect our police officers from an ever growing number of violent criminals equipped with assault weapons?

blueridge3210

(1,401 posts)

5. Remand to Reserve or Guard units stateside;

Reply to JJChambers (Reply #4)

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 11:00 PM

Apr 2014

assign to DNR or other agencies to use for natural disaster response. Properly maintained they should not "rust away to nothing"

pa28

(6,145 posts)

6. And terrorists.

Reply to JJChambers (Reply #4)

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 11:10 PM

Apr 2014

Don't forget about all the terrorists in Washington Iowa.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

18. There's probably some pigs and cows there that need to be kept under surveillance.

Reply to pa28 (Reply #6)

Thu Apr 10, 2014, 06:57 AM

Apr 2014

DashOneBravo

(2,679 posts)

13. Use them

Reply to JJChambers (Reply #4)

Thu Apr 10, 2014, 12:35 AM

Apr 2014

It would be a waste to let them rust. Use them for officer safety.

Take the turret off, weld the top shut, paint it white and put "RESCUE" in bright red on all the sides. I have no issue at all with them being used like this.

Ikonoklast

(23,973 posts)

15. "...ever growing number of violent criminals equipped with assault weapons?"

Reply to JJChambers (Reply #4)

Thu Apr 10, 2014, 02:51 AM

Apr 2014

What a steaming pantsload.

Show your numbers, I already know that you cannot.

Philly Cowboy

(35 posts)

7. Have you ever seen what a deer can do to a car?

Reply to Holly_Hobby (Original post)

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 11:43 PM

Apr 2014

The patrolmen need this to protect themselves from the deers.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)

8. Grew up in Iowa. My suggestion for this town. Take the damn thing - its free. Disable it and put it

Reply to Holly_Hobby (Original post)

Wed Apr 9, 2014, 11:56 PM

Apr 2014

in your city park.

Bonx

(2,078 posts)

9. My County has a shabby version of one of these

Reply to Holly_Hobby (Original post)

Thu Apr 10, 2014, 12:06 AM

Apr 2014

I asked a buddy of mine who works in the PD what it's for & he joked 'freedom suppression'.

fujiyama

(15,185 posts)

12. Sounds like your friend gave an honest response

Reply to Bonx (Reply #9)

Thu Apr 10, 2014, 12:14 AM

Apr 2014

These things are tough as shit after all, they were the only thing protecting troops against IEDs in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I can see maybe one as part of each major city's SWAT team, but a small town in the middle of BFE Iowa? Wtf? This militarization of police departments is being done, it looks like, to make us increasingly comfortable with the police state.