Surplus military vehicles and the police...

theclemsonkid

theclemsonkid

Member
So as some of you know, or may not have known, over the past decade the US government is taking older, decommissioned military vehicles and donating them at no cost to any police force who apply for them. When I first read about it, it didn't really bother me one way or the other. I figured in some of the really bad areas of urban areas, that maybe some of these vehicles would come in handy.

Then, last year a local department acquired a few of these ginormous tanks. This department is a township, surrounded by mostly farms and one interstate. I see no real reason this particular department would ever use these two tanks. Then I figured there were probably hundreds of these little departments all over the country acquiring these military tank vehicles. Why exactly?

By no means am I conspiracy theory guy. Let me make that clear. And also, let me state I'm not saying that I think the police are starting to militarize for some big brother type takeover.

However, since this Michael Brown shooting, it's made me a little weary of regular old police departments rolling out these war machines on their towns. Isn't it excessive for one? Secondly, do they even really know how to operate them? And lastly, even though they were free to receive, there is no way they are free to operate. It's gotta cost a ton to operate a tank.

So, should the government nip this in the bud, and stop donating their old rides to the police?
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Why would they nip it in the bud?

Obama just gave himself the power to declair martial law all on his own.

Clearly they feel there is a very real possibility of rebelion or revolt in this country by American extremists.
 
trigger40

trigger40

Well-Known Member
yep this is whats happening to america. ther going to attack right after they take the rest of our guns away.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I doubt local cops are in on some big government conspiracy. IMO local Sherriff's are more likely to fall on the side of citizens vs feds.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Who wouldn't want free tanks? I mean come on. Its a tank!

Excessive would be bringing out the tanks against our own citizens protesting. Although the burning is a bit out of hand qnd dangerous. Probably not the smartest idea.

I don't necessarily think all police departments need such equipment. And I'm having second thoughts on the way we've militarized our law enforcement agencies across the board in this country since pretty much all cops are ex military now. Try becoming a cop these days without that experience and I wish you the best of luck.

That being said we can look at certain situations like what happened at the Bundy ranch and see how those local departments and their equipment can be used and abused by the feds.
 
trigger40

trigger40

Well-Known Member
i dont think anyone should get the tanks ther ment for one thing and thats to blow stuff up. why would the police need a tank. if any one should get them it should be swat. and i dont believe local police departments are plotting with the government. im just saying this could be a start to something much bigger.
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
If you were a cop, and a rioting crowd was throwing molitov cocktails at you, overturning vehicles, smashing and burning businesses, as well as looting and physically attacking people, i am thinking a tank might be a good thing to be inside.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I honestly think it breeds mistrust.

Although, Bang makes a good point. I think most local police departments would side with the locals over the feds. Maybe it's a good thing that local police departments are getting arms - they can use it to fight against a federal takeover?

No one is getting my guns - I'm a law abiding citizen. The moment federal gun collections start happening, a lot of arms are going to go underground anyway.

It's just a matter of time till the next "shot heard around the world."
 
trigger40

trigger40

Well-Known Member
well as far as i have heard is that ther not actual tanks ther more like an armored vehicles that are close to tanks but not tanks like the A1 abrams tank.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
darthtang aw said:
If you were a cop, and a rioting crowd was throwing molitov cocktails at you, overturning vehicles, smashing and burning businesses, as well as looting and physically attacking people, i am thinking a tank might be a good thing to be inside.
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A better idea would be to keep the media and people like jessy jackson out of it and maybe we wouldn't have things escalating to that point to begin with.

They get the mob all fired up and worked into a frenzy untill stuff like this happens. They sell fear by perpetuating old wounds.

Solution: get a bigger gun and scare em into submission?

Then wha, the people go out and get bigger guns for themselves? Its like a cold war going on right in our own country because government doesn't trust the people and the people don't trust the government.

Solution: give the government more power and less to the people?

Brilliant.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
trigger40 said:
i hope your kiding.
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Why would I kid about something that's already happening?

We can beef up our security forces in the home land to protect ourselves from our own citizens but we can't do the same with our military in order to protect ourselves against real terrorists?

I guess our government and law enforcement feel the people here are a bigger threat than ISIS.

How wonderful.

That aught to get everyone to calm down.
 
darthtang aw

darthtang aw

Active Member
2quills said:
A better idea would be to keep the media and people like jessy jackson out of it and maybe we wouldn't have things escalating to that point to begin with.

They get the mob all fired up and worked into a frenzy untill stuff like this happens. They sell fear by perpetuating old wounds.

Solution: get a bigger gun and scare em into submission?

Then wha, the people go out and get bigger guns for themselves? Its like a cold war going on right in our own country because government doesn't trust the people and the people don't trust the government.

Solution: give the government more power and less to the people?

Brilliant.
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There are couple of sections of the constitution that allow the media and politicians to do exactly this. Would you have that changed?
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
darthtang aw said:
There are couple of sections of the constitution that allow the media and politicians to do exactly this. Would you have that changed?
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If all it ever does is insight more violence then sure.

If the system doesn't work then that's the time to protest. Not before.

We don't even know what really happened yet to determin if the shooting was justified or not. But lets burn the neighborhood anyway.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
darthtang aw said:
With that type of thinking the revolutionary war never would have started. The Boston tea party was wrong then from your point of view.
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Over taxation actually happened. We don't yet know if this kid was unjustifiably shot.

I'm not going to go into the video that was shown of the kid just moments before. But if he threatened the cop like he did the store owner then your domestic revolution would not be necissary in this case.

But as long as we get free pizza then I guess we can show up and hold some signs.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
darthtang aw said:
Shot and was unarmed. Justify that. In the middle of the street no less, in the back.
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Supposedly the cop has bruises from a power struggle. If they wrestled for the gun or the kid was on top of the cop then reaching around to shoot in the back may have been the only option.

You and I weren't there. Shall we continue to speculate?
 
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