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Jeremy Bender reports that eight different law enforcement agencies in Indiana have purchased massive Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs) that were formerly used in Iraq and Afghanistan. The MRAP is a bulletproof, 60,000-pound, six-wheeled behemoth with heavy armor, a gunner's turret and the word "SHERIFF" emblazoned on its flank.
Pulaski County, home to 13,124 people, is one of the counties that have purchased an MRAP from military surplus. When asked to justify the purchase of a former military vehicle, Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer told the Indy Star:
"The United States of America has become a war zone. There's violence in the workplace, there's violence in schools and there's violence in the streets. You are seeing police departments going to a semi-military format because of the threats we have to counteract. If driving a military vehicle is going to protect officers, then that's what I'm going to do."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by keplr on Wednesday June 11 2014, @09:10PM
All types of violence have been on the decline for pretty much all of humanity's history. It's not a constant downward trend. There are temporary relapses and temporary local reversals, but over any period greater than a few centuries things always get better. The last few decades have been especially good for the decline in violence.
The militarization of our police is primarily a trickle-down effect from our bloated military budget. There are tons of cheap, even free, military equipment that is still perfectly good but is obsolete compared to the shiny new toys we pump out every year. So it ends up being donated or sold to law enforcement.
I don't respond to ACs.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Wednesday June 11 2014, @09:16PM
The joke's on those police departments when they realize that they have to pay for 'em not once but twice - with parts and maintenance.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday June 11 2014, @09:23PM
Training can be fun too. From personal experience driving some .mil vehicles is not as simple as jumping in the seat of a F-150 and taking off. And training takes fuel and parts and maint and some training for the mechanics too.
Note we've been running this against 3rd world countries for years. Here have some old F16, just sign on the line for this service and parts contract and also you'll have to do what we say or we won't fix your toys anymore...
The tools a trillion dollar military uses don't scale down so well to a two million dollar police dept.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Sir Garlon on Wednesday June 11 2014, @09:41PM
Unfortunately it's the local taxpayer who suffers. The police budget starts creeping up to maintain all that equipment they don't actually need. They say they need it and it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars to throw away that multi-million-dollar MRAP we've already acquired. In for a penny, in for a pound. Besides, we can't take away lifesaving equipment from our neighborhood first responders!
The worst part is, even a local politician who sees through the scam cannot really afford politically to be seen as antagonistic to local law enforcement.
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.