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Trump Administration to Undo 2015 Ban on Police Purchasing Military Gear
BlankZoe
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Per Uproxx:
In reality, the departments were still able to acquire recycled life saving equipment such as those listed by Sessions, the ban was specifically for military weapons and vehicles such as RPGs.
I didn't see a thread that this fit and it, personally scares the shit out of me so I thought it should be brought up
Following a previous report by USA Today on Sunday suggesting as much, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that President Trump will soon sign a new executive order lifting the ban on military gear for police previously instituted by President Barack Obama’s administration. While addressing attendees at the annual meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police, the country’s largest police union, Sessions delivered a 20-minute speech peppered with several bouts of applause that pinpointed the president’s intention regarding Obama’s 2015 executive order and the 2014 study that preceded it. Here’s what Sessions said:
“I am here to announce that President Trump is issuing an executive order that will make it easier to protect yourselves and your communities. He is rescinding restrictions from the prior administration that limited your agencies’ ability to get equipment through federal programs, including life saving gear like Kevlar vests and helmets and first responder and rescue equipment like what they’re using in Texas right now.”
In reality, the departments were still able to acquire recycled life saving equipment such as those listed by Sessions, the ban was specifically for military weapons and vehicles such as RPGs.
I didn't see a thread that this fit and it, personally scares the shit out of me so I thought it should be brought up
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How utterly unsurprising.
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Literally. Departments were buying MRAPs and shit iirc. Not quite a tank, but...
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More/easier ability for the police to purchase military grade weaponry.
(and in case anyone couldn't tell... yes, massive sarcasm)
I fixed that for you. The US police already has PLENTY of military weapons. This is just Trump saying that should also be allowed to have weapons which have no purpose beyond causing mass casualties and allowing them to intimidate large populations into submission with no concern as to public safety.
I just also think it's incredibly horrifying and might lead to some dark shit down the road
Aripio, from the other thread?
Bought a straight up howitzer.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8392/8477200991_f12a80350f_b.jpg
I don't disagree in the least.
I don't think ANY police department needs this stuff, nor should they get it (actual weaponry and equipment, not talking about life saving equipment such as protective gear).
If they express a need for legitimate military grade combat equipment, there should be a process to allow for a temporary deployment of the national guard to help them out for whatever period of time required to get the situation under control.
So this news? Again, like his pardoning of Arpaio, it feels like a personal slight. Fuck you Trump.
The only way I could even conceivably agree with that purchase is if it was stripped of all combat systems and was simply just a really fast helicopter for a cheap price.
Otherwise... like, are they expecting to fight off armed insurgents alone or something?
There are no metahumans to worry about.
And when police departments get their hands on this stuff... they tend to come up with ways to use it, because otherwise people might start asking why they are spending all this money on this unnecessary equipment. Of course, the fact that they use it doesn't mean that they are actually using it for reasons that would actually reasonably call for the use of such equipment. It's an escalation of force driven by "if you got it, flaunt it," and all it does is ramp up the cost to the the taxpayers and encourage the police to act increasingly militaristic.
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I don't think you'll find a better embodiment of the impotency and impracticality of the war on drugs.
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The fuckin drug war folks, fuckin up everything since it was invented.
Can't wait for the first story of an MRAP roaring through the front wall of the wrong house.
That process exists. State governors can do that.
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I think this is a mix of Obama done it so it's bad, and a mix of Trump openly supporting and advocating for police brutality in the past.
I'm pretty sure there was a story about a PD that got an MRAP a few years ago that they ended up retiring for that exact reason. It just tore up the streets, they ended up only using it for fairs and things like that to show off.
There are a couple of places in central TX the last few years that have used their MRAP for tackling flood rescues.
Don't worry. The people living next door to a drug dealer are usually poor and unsympathetic, so no-one will care.
The page, with cited sources, is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1033_program
The police getting the stuff is concerning enough, but the amount that goes missing is rather alarming as well.
Is it a concern that there will be more displays of force by the police or the weapons ending up in unlawful hands?
yes.
and not to be glib about it, but both already starting happening before politicians, not just Obama, called for a review. even Rand Paul called it problematic.
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Police, historically, have been required to demonstrate use with uncommon weaponry and equipment to justify their needs. This is why a disproportionate amount of police dollars go to SWAT operations for what would historically be non-SWAT situations - because they have to demonstrate the rediculous battle-van is being used actively and regularly.
Police will find a need to justify the equipment, because they have to. When police departments start buying tanks, military-grade rifles, RPGs, and what have you the odds of them being used have to be 100%, because otherwise their respective states will take the goods from the local and city authorities.
And when the Police decide they need to use a tank, or a platoon of heavy assault equipped officers, instead of more responsible or conservative levels of responses, people and property will get hurt and innocents will die.
Also this doesn't preclude states from saying no you can't buy that without a legit need.
This is annoying, but honestly what is likely to happen, is Humvees (not those pussy Hummers) will show up in some redneck police forces, more swat teams will have full auto assault rifles, a few MRAPS will get ordered, and some hillbilly is going to get one stuck, which we will mercilessly ridicule him to our own amusement, and not much more. They just don't have the budget for the more exotic items.
I can't speak for every state, but police budgets are at a historic high in Florida, hence:
Then they will make up for their budget with an increase in civil asset forfeiture against civilians with Sessions backing the move.
The Trump Administration and McConnell Congress come to mind.
Yes budgets are at historic highs, but the increases have been less than inflation, and the percentage of budget going to the police is going down, which means the budget is effectively less. I think. Their appropriations page was super confusing.
Origin story of basically every large minority gang is self-policing their community because the cops don't help.
I thought the giving surplus military equipment to local police was bad because they can't afford the maintenance on it. It's like giving someone with no money a yacht... they can't afford any of the associated costs so you've just actually made them more poor due to taxes... and that's giving the equipment at no cost. Actually coming up with funds to purchase equipment seems like it should be plain old illegal.
yes