Bloomington Police purchase of armored truck sparks debate

[Dr.Midnight]

I want to know how often these would be used if we didn't outlaw everything stupid kids tried to shoot up or smoke. I'm pretty sure Bloomington isn't a hotbed for kidnappings and stand offs. But federal money flows, and they gain more sway over local law enforcement and the towns they serve.

I'm all for cops going home at night. I just think it's funny how much money we spend on stuff that departments in these little towns will have to use for traffic stops just to show it's being used at all. Indy? Sure. Bloomington? Is the Dalai Lama threatening a military coup or something?

Jill Behrman was killed in Bloomington. Lauren Spierer was kidnapped in Bloomington and is presumed dead. There was a multi-page story in the Bloomington paper a couple of months ago illustrating just how bad the drug epidemic is in town. To the point, there are some bad folks roaming around this town preying on its residents. I have no problem giving police officers any tools necessary to fight these sickos.

I say this constantly, yes Bloomington is full of loons, but if you can get outside the city limits into other parts of Monroe County, you'll find tons of people with both wisdom and common sense. . .just like me.

 

[phylodog]

I knew the liberal democrats were a bunch of ****ing hypocrites, guess I’ll never get used to mingling with those who claim not to be.

How much money does Bloomington spend pandering to the homeless ****s? How much does Bloomington spend giving free **** to the lazy? How much does Bloomington spend providing security for the “victim of the day” protests? I guess that’s all good but we’ll be God damned if the ****ing police officers will be provided with any protection from the ****ing lunatics the cancerous culture of Bloomington breeds.

 

[phylodog]

I’ll bow out of this thread before I get banned. As someone who stepped up and put some skin in the game I’m probably a little too close to entertain the BS.


Have at it.

 

[ghitch75]

glad to see the Bloomington PD is getting it.......thumb there nose at the libs.........one of the best thing that town has bought in many many years....

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

Seruously? Do you carry a gun? How many times have you been mugged, robbed or been the victim of a home invasion? Are we to suddenly believe, since it doesn’t apply to us, that since the odds are low there is no reason to prepare for the worst? If that is now the case I expect 98% of INGO to turn in their LTCH before Friday. Everyone else’s life is cheaper than our own I reckon.

I get the "Be Prepared " aspect , I just don't perceive Btown as that kinda place .

Now my crazy conspiracy side has to ask , you saying something's coming ?

 

[phylodog]

I get the "Be Prepared " aspect , I just don't perceive Btown as that kinda place .

Now my crazy conspiracy side has to ask , you saying something's coming ?

Like I said, I’ll bow out. Do you carry?

 

[Woobie]

I'm 15,000% in favor of ending the war on drugs and 50,000% in favor of giving police officers the protection they deserve from the ****bags we as a society create.

Well that's the problem, isn't it? We create all kinds of criminals when write these nanny state laws, and when some of these new criminals get violent, we ask the taxpayers for money to buy stuff to protect us from the criminals we created. And every time we buy one of these monstrosities we keep moving farther in the wrong direction. And for all the cool toys we buy, cops are far more likely to be killed or injured on the side of the road or responding to a domestic violence call than any kind of scenario where one of these things would even make it out of the garage. Again, in a town like Indy the odds are a lot worse, and I can see it being pretty likely one of these will be used to save officer's lives. But I don't see Bloomington PD getting rescued from all the cyclists by an MRAP.

 

[Sylvain]

Are people also outraged that cops spend a lot of money on body armor?
Apparently it's just a problem when the armor is mounted on a vehicle.
Giving each officer a $800 vest is a lot of money also.
Cops are not born bulletproof.You need to spend the money to make them bulletproof.

Cops all over the US have used armored trucks since the 1930's and it has never been a problem.
All the sudden they are being "militarized".

Not just the military get shot at.Civilian agencies need armorerd vehicles too.

Indiana cop car from 1935:

 

[Woobie]

Jill Behrman was killed in Bloomington. Lauren Spierer was kidnapped in Bloomington and is presumed dead. There was a multi-page story in the Bloomington paper a couple of months ago illustrating just how bad the drug epidemic is in town. To the point, there are some bad folks roaming around this town preying on its residents. I have no problem giving police officers any tools necessary to fight these sickos.

I say this constantly, yes Bloomington is full of loons, but if you can get outside the city limits into other parts of Monroe County, you'll find tons of people with both wisdom and common sense. . .just like me.

Behrman and Spierer have this in common: Bloomington PD's MRAP couldn't have saved them. And drugs? I have no interest in protecting the government from a class of criminals they created.

 

[phylodog]

Reckon it’s ok if the police officers are the scape goats. Good thing it isn’t an MRAP I guess, oh wait... Anything standing between the legislators we elected and a dead cop is a bad thing.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

Like I said, I’ll bow out. Do you carry?

No Sir ! I lost mine in a tragic ( insert accident here ) incident that has traumatized so badly I get triggered by the mere sight of one .
Da horror , Da horror !

 

[Woobie]

I knew the liberal democrats were a bunch of ****ing hypocrites, guess I’ll never get used to mingling with those who claim not to be.

How much money does Bloomington spend pandering to the homeless ****s? How much does Bloomington spend giving free **** to the lazy? How much does Bloomington spend providing security for the “victim of the day” protests? I guess that’s all good but we’ll be God damned if the ****ing police officers will be provided with any protection from the ****ing lunatics the cancerous culture of Bloomington breeds.

I don't support any of those things. But if nothing else, it is simply consistent to object to all forms of government waste. We all want government to be frugal, except when it comes to our pet pork.

 

[jsharmon7]

Can I just get someone to explain to me where this common belief that cops get a kick out of playing military comes from? There are a lot of former military in LE and the rest of us just chose not to join the military. Why do folks here seem to think we hit some point where we change our minds and decide to play dress-up in uncomfortable gear? Do people think SWAT officers enjoy wearing all that crap? I don't enjoy wearing 25lbs of extra crap all summer long in a regular uniform, yet people think we want to add to it to feel important? And I'm sure those armored vehicles are no picnic to cruise around town inside. If someone can guarantee nobody will try to kill me for the job I do then I'll wear khakis and polos to work.

 

[Woobie]

Are people also outraged that cops spend a lot of money on body armor?
Apparently it's just a problem when the armor is mounted on a vehicle.
Giving each officer a $800 vest is a lot of money also.
Cops are not born bulletproof.You need to spend the money to make them bulletproof.

Cops all over the US have used armored trucks since the 1930's and it has never been a problem.
All the sudden they are being "militarized".

Not just the military get shot at.Civilian agencies need armorerd vehicles too.

Indiana cop car from 1935:

The funny thing is, we needed those vehicles to protect cops from another class of criminals we created. And that was an era of serious over reach by law enforcement. J. Edgar Hoover and Elliot Ness aren't exactly shining examples of why it's ok to do things now like they used to.

Body armor is used constantly: at traffic stops, domestic violence calls, felonies in progress. Apples/Oranges

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

Can I just get someone to explain to me where this common belief that cops get a kick out of playing military comes from? There are a lot of former military in LE and the rest of us just chose not to join the military. Why do folks here seem to think we hit some point where we change our minds and decide to play dress-up in uncomfortable gear? Do people think SWAT officers enjoy wearing all that crap? I don't enjoy wearing 25lbs of extra crap all summer long in a regular uniform, yet people think we want to add to it to feel important? And I'm sure those armored vehicles are no picnic to cruise around town inside. If someone can guarantee nobody will try to kill me for the job I do then I'll wear khakis and polos to work.

Or you could get on with Carmel pd .

 

[Woobie]

Reckon it’s ok if the police officers are the scape goats. Good thing it isn’t an MRAP I guess, oh wait... Anything standing between the legislators we elected and a dead cop is a bad thing.

You're right to object to being in that position. Perhaps you should petition your elected representatives to stop sending you into harms way for stuff that is none of their business.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

https://www.policeone.com/police-pr...mored-vehicles-13-times-BearCats-saved-lives/

And in recent headlines: https://www.freep.com/story/news/lo...s-self-3-women-dead-3-cops-injured/329980002/

At one point, officers were "pinned down" by gunfire, officials said.
"SRT, our SWAT team, were able to rescue three members who were pinned down, using our armored vehicle to get them to a safe location," Barren said.

Nothing will happen in Bloomington, though, ever. Definitely no soft targets for terrorism or campus shooters, no domestic situations bubbling up, no mentally ill with access to firearms, no suicidal folks pondering "suicide-by-cop". They've likely never had a barricaded armed suspect and never will.

 

[phylodog]

You're right to object to being in that position. Perhaps you should petition your elected representatives to stop sending you into harms way for stuff that is none of their business.

Lol, a cop petitioning?!?! We aren’t even entitled to the basic protections offered by bullet resistant steel vehicles, I can’t imagine how loud the laughs would be if we petitioned against being forced to deal with armed criminals.

 

[Woobie]

Lol, a cop petitioning?!?! We aren’t even entitled to the basic protections offered by bullet resistant steel vehicles, I can’t imagine how loud the laughs would be if we petitioned against being forced to deal with armed criminals.

You've already admitted in this thread you don't support all the laws you enforce. Unless you enjoy that moral dilemma, then why not petition to have the law changed.

You aren't afforded protection from bullet resistant vehicles? Don't you work for IMPD?

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

Lol, a cop petitioning?!?! We aren’t even entitled to the basic protections offered by bullet resistant steel vehicles, I can’t imagine how loud the laughs would be if we petitioned against being forced to deal with armed criminals.

You got bullet resistant vests NOW you want vehicles , when's it end ?

Purple folks , purple .