Bloomington Police purchase of armored truck sparks debate

[Woobie]

I don't agree they are "blowing money." Keep up the good fight in trying to prevent the purchase.

Every purchase is blowing taxpayer money if Government has no legitimate use for the expense.


No need for snark. Just facts, please.

 

[ghitch75]

Is that that government housing over on the west side of downtown, up from where Bender's is or was?

I don' know that Bloomington is like Chicago or even Indianapolis but it's not like the Mayberry the chamber of commerce likes to promote it as.

yes west of benders to Vernal pike...went to school up there in the 70's......very very fine area...

 

[Woobie]

do you live there or have family that lives there?????????

I did for a short time. I'm under no delusions it is peaceful. But is their violence of the sort that requires this kind of expense to respond? It's quite possible, but so far my question has only been answered with theoretical and a single real-world event.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

yes west of benders to Vernal pike...went to school up there......very very fine area...

I don't take the newspaper anymore and miss out on a lot of the local news but yeah, there are parts of town that are pretty rough.

 

[ghitch75]

I did for a short time. I'm under no delusions it is peaceful. But is their violence of the sort that requires this kind of expense to respond? It's quite possible, but so far my question has only been answered with theoretical and a single real-world event.

i grew up there still have family there and work up there most everyday......friend of mines brother in on the swat team and has told me that they could use a vehicle like this time and time again in a stand off that don't get to the news so Bloomington can keep it's Mayberry goody too shoe liberal image.....

 

[bwframe]

I'm not particularly against this. I do wonder why they seemingly tried to be so sneaky in the purchase of it? Sneaky enough they had to publicly apologize.

I also wonder about how much additional spending today turns into standard spending tomorrow? For example, is there any police vehicle now days that doesn't have an elaborate computer system (and all the support that must go along with it?)

 

[Woobie]

I'm not particularly against this. I do wonder why they seemingly tried to be so sneaky in the purchase of it? Sneaky enough they had to publicly apologize.

I also wonder about how much additional spending today turns into standard spending tomorrow? For example, is there any police vehicle now days that doesn't have an elaborate computer system (and all the support that must go along with it?)

Right. I don't think there is a reasonable principled argument against police owning an Abrams or an AT4 or an M777. But the particular agency should be able to justify their need. So, in Bloomington's instance, at least one of three things (none of them mutually exclusive) must be true:

1) They don't actually need it.

2) They are arrogant and feel they are above justifying the expense of hard-earned tax dollars.

3) They are inept and spent the money with no consideration for whether it was justified or not.


The first is possible, since it would have been easy to show but they have not. The second and third have reached epidemic levels across all levels of government, and I'm certain Bloomington is no exception.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Every purchase is blowing taxpayer money if Government has no legitimate use for the expense.


No need for snark. Just facts, please.

Snark is my middle name.

 

[KLB]

Snark is my middle name.

That doesn't start with N.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

That doesn't start with N.

Dangit, foiled again.

 

[Birds Away]

Snark is my middle name.

I thought it started with an N. I was going with Nigel.