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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 TheGratefulNet on Thursday June 12 2014, @03:03AM
you are correct, this will be an escalation not a de-escalation.
for an example of how to properly do things, see england. they took guns away from the cops (most of them) and this HELPED increase the peace.
in the US, we do the opposite. we arm and arm and arm, again, the police force.
it seems we are not able to learn from other countries. what a damned shame ;(
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 2) by dry on Thursday June 12 2014, @06:09AM
I don't think the average cop in England ever was armed with anything more then a billy club. Its really a whole attitude thing, or at least it was. My Dad grew up over there and his attitude towards cops was so different then mine. Basically cops were there to help, not harass. As a kid, if he needed help, lost or a flat tire on his bike, you seeked out a cop whereas here (Canada) its the opposite and things are much more extreme in the States.
(Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Thursday June 12 2014, @12:43PM
that's what I heard, too; I traveled the england regularly in the 80's and 90's and stayed there for weeks at a time. I got to know a tiny bit about the culture and my hosts did tell me that they grew up feeling that the cops were there to protect them and help them. I did ask a UK cop for some help once and they were really nice (I was a yank, so maybe they felt like they should be on better 'show england as cool' behavior) but they could not have been nicer to me and we actually had a bit of fun driving around and trying to catch up with a bus that I missed (long story, almost a funny one). I left feeling that the 'uk cops are not so bad' idea was true. again, this is many decades ago, but at the same timeframe, I would never say I'd trust a US cop or befriend him.
I don't think kids in the US trust cops, even at extremely young ages. the internet is a great informer and they all know about cops kicking in doors, shooting their dogs, arresting the wrong people and generally causing more trouble than they solve. kids KNOW not to trust authority figures, at least most of them do. and in a way, its good. its good that they know how the world really works. it may save their lives, later on and that's no exaggeration.
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 2) by dry on Friday June 13 2014, @04:06AM
I was taught not to trust cops when in kindergarten or maybe grade 1, about '67 or '68. There were riots going on back then, marijuana laws being enforced, lots of American political refugees and so on and my older siblings explained to me to never trust a cop and experience agreed. These were the city cops (Vancouver PD) who were always the rejects from other police forces and even then plain old bullies.
Basically seems that all the small police forces around here are like that. The RCMP are/were somewhat better and I've even met a couple that seemed decent. Currently for me the RCMP are the municipal, provincial and federal police forces. The next town over with its own police force the cops are just plain old arseholes.