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Techdirt reports
Two law enforcement agencies will be returning their Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) [vehicles] to Uncle Sam, with the announcements arriving almost simultaneously.
Davis, Calif., city officials have directed the police department to return a surplus U.S. military armored vehicle to the federal government after residents, citing images seen during protests in Ferguson, Mo., expressed fears of militarization.
The Davis Police Department now has 60 days to get rid of a $689,000 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected armored vehicle, which police acquired through a U.S. Defense Department program, and must consider other rescue vehicle options.
[...]
Over in San Jose, CA, it's a completely different story. Rather than having an MRAP pried from law enforcement's clutches by city reps, the San Jose Police Department gave it up voluntarily to protect its relationship with the people it serves.
San Jose police spokeswoman Sgt. Heather Randol told KCBS the decision was made based on concerns for potential damage to the department's image and community relationships.
"We want to keep their trust. We don't want them to feel we are going off on another path with our police department," she said. "We want them to feel comfortable about the tools that we use."
(Score: 4, Interesting) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday September 04 2014, @02:29AM
Are they just returning the vehicles or all of the automatic weapons and other military equipment that the police departments have been buying?
Sounds like they are just making a PR move to get rid of the "scary trucks" that everyone is talking about while continuing to become para military forces.
"We want them to feel comfortable about the tools that we use." Maybe they should just repaint them pink with flowers and rainbows.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 04 2014, @02:55AM
It's publicity. I don't know about San Jose but the Davis police have a SWAT team despite the cities 3ish murders per decade and otherwise low crime statistics. Being a college town we have more than our fare share of rape as well as theft and robbery but neither the SWAT team nor the now-returned armored vehicle help at all in those crimes. Having a few less SWAT members and instead a few beat cops on frat row might lower the incidents of rape but then the cops wouldn't get to play with all those fancy toys.
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Thursday September 04 2014, @04:19AM
yep. Same goes for every city/jurisdiction, get more uniformed cops walking the beat (walking/marked cars, unmarked/plain cloths does nothing to *prevent* crime) and the crime rate will go down.
And after reading that other article about how some police departments have *lost* some of the stuff they bought from the Pentagon its not hard to imagine that some of the M-16/15 rifles that have gone missing are now probably in some cops gun collection/private arsenal.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by Kromagv0 on Thursday September 04 2014, @07:58PM
Well there are a number that go missing because they are stolen out of the back of a squad car and then end up in the hands of criminals so I wouldn't imagine a few more missing would be noticed.
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