Bloomington Police purchase of armored truck sparks debate

[Lwright]

Why can't they just buy a used armored truck?

 

[OutdoorDad]

One doesn’t have to hate police to think that this isn’t a good idea.

From a purely economic standpoint, I’m pretty sure we could supply many self-portable bulletproof barricades for far less.

Im all for better schools, but I’m not sure a $200k bookmobile is the best way to spend tax dollars.
Sure, it’s cool. But does it deliver the desired outcome in the most effective way?

 

[Vigilant]

Technically, I would have rather they bought an armored Land Cruiser, or Escalade, that way they get double duty (executive protection possibly) out of it, and look damned swank doing so. An Escalade or Land Cruiser can carry at least 4 jocked up SWAT dudes into or out of a situation, can be armored up to near any threat that exists in the civvy world, costs a bit less than $225K and the AC works very well in them.

 

[Woobie]

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/



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.

Ah, terrorism. The bogey man that keeps on giving.


I would love to see a comparison of the money we've spent on Bearcats in communities of less than 100,000, and the number of times they've been used for something other than a drug warrant.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Ah, terrorism. The bogey man that keeps on giving.


I would love to see a comparison of the money we've spent on Bearcats in communities of less than 100,000, and the number of times they've been used for something other than a drug warrant.

I sure as hell hope they didn't use an armored car to assist in apprehension of the school shooter in Parkland, which has a population pretty close to 30k. Nothing like that could happen in Bloomington, though. Right? I mean, in that thread there is plenty of calls for metal detectors at schools, armed guards, training teachers. All boogeymen, though, bad things always happen somewhere else.

 

[Vigilant]

One doesn’t have to hate police to think that this isn’t a good idea.

From a purely economic standpoint, I’m pretty sure we could supply many self-portable bulletproof barricades for far less.

Im all for better schools, but I’m not sure a $200k bookmobile is the best way to spend tax dollars.
Sure, it’s cool. But does it deliver the desired outcome in the most effective way?

I dunno, get yourself shot in the middle of a big wide open area there on campus, now, not shot dead mind you, just leaky shot, where you can’t move. Now the shooter has you and everyone else pinned down, so as you’re leaking the red stuff you need to stay alive, BPD is calling Johnson County Sheriff’s office to see about ubering their MRAP to come and get you? That would change my mind in a hurry.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

Ah, terrorism. The bogey man that keeps on giving.


I would love to see a comparison of the money we've spent on Bearcats in communities of less than 100,000, and the number of times they've been used for something other than a drug warrant.

Don't go dragging the beloved drug war sacred cow into this , next thing you know we're being told that LEO air assault training at Atterbury is mission critical and tax dollars well spent .
You know , just in case .

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I dunno, get yourself shot in the middle of a big wide open area there on campus, now, not shot dead mind you, just leaky shot, where you can’t move. Now the shooter has you and everyone else pinned down, so as you’re leaking the red stuff you need to stay alive, BPD is calling Johnson County Sheriff’s office to see about ubering their MRAP to come and get you? That would change my mind in a hurry.

Just go ahead and die. It's cheaper.

 

[Vigilant]

Just go ahead and die. It's cheaper.

Somehow I just KNEW someone on INGO could work “cheaper” into this thread! Bravo Sir, Bravo!

 

[Woobie]

I love how emotional this gets. A person only need get half an objection out before there are cops weeping about all the dead officers you obviously want to cause.

But it is possible there are objective concerns. I don't think the staunchest supporter of giving police this kind of equipment would argue that every town marshall in America needs them. So the problem is really one of scale. Reasonable people can make supportable arguments that the types of communities who need this sort of equipment are probably larger than Bloomington or Lafayette. If every town of 60-80,000 in America had one would crime be that much less? How many lives would be saved? Would the cost to taxpayers be justified?

But no. The plebes can't ask these questions. We just need to cough up the cash for any agency that cries "but dead cops!"

 

[Woobie]

I sure as hell hope they didn't use an armored car to assist in apprehension of the school shooter in Parkland, which has a population pretty close to 30k. Nothing like that could happen in Bloomington, though. Right? I mean, in that thread there is plenty of calls for metal detectors at schools, armed guards, training teachers. All boogeymen, though, bad things always happen somewhere else.

Yes, and emotions are high in that thread. When you make public policy decisions, it needs to be done in the cold light of day. Not using dead cops or children as some sort of blanket justification for any type of expense or expansion of government. We can all be reasonable about things.

 

[OutdoorDad]

Yeah. I’m thinking armor plate on a dump truck would do the same thing.
And we could have several. So no waiting if the MRAP is at the drive in theater or car wash.

 

[Woobie]

I dunno, get yourself shot in the middle of a big wide open area there on campus, now, not shot dead mind you, just leaky shot, where you can’t move. Now the shooter has you and everyone else pinned down, so as you’re leaking the red stuff you need to stay alive, BPD is calling Johnson County Sheriff’s office to see about ubering their MRAP to come and get you? That would change my mind in a hurry.

So you've got 4 minutes or so to live. How far away is your bearcat? Yeah. Bearcat or not, you're screwed. Mind you I'm not making an argument here, just pointing out absurdity.

 

[phylodog]

I love how emotional this gets. A person only need get half an objection out before there are cops weeping about all the dead officers you obviously want to cause.

But it is possible there are objective concerns. I don't think the staunchest supporter of giving police this kind of equipment would argue that every town marshall in America needs them. So the problem is really one of scale. Reasonable people can make supportable arguments that the types of communities who need this sort of equipment are probably larger than Bloomington or Lafayette. If every town of 60-80,000 in America had one would crime be that much less? How many lives would be saved? Would the cost to taxpayers be justified?

But no. The plebes can't ask these questions. We just need to cough up the cash for any agency that cries "but dead cops!"

I’m betting you had no issue with the cries about up armorimg the hummers though, even for the supply units. It’s easy to sit back and cry emotions when you don’t have any skin in the game.

 

[Woobie]

I’m betting you had no issue with the fried about up armorimg the hummers though. It’s easy to sit back and cry emotions when you don’t have any skin in the game.

Well, if you start taking rifle fire and command detonated IED's made out of 155 shells on a daily basis, I'll pay for every cop to have an MRAP. False equivalency doesn't track.

 

[KellyinAvon]

OK, I'm asking the question because I really don't know the answer. Can't local LEO agencies get stuff from DRMO (Defense Re-utilization and Marketing Office, pronounced Der-Mo or Doctor Mo) when they work with Feds like DEA on cases anymore? Up-armored Hummers from DRMO maybe? Those deuce and a halfs, soft-doored Hummers and Air Force blue panel vans didn't just show up in the parking lot at the Sheriff's Office.

 

[phylodog]

lol, because every unit ever sent to the Middle East took rifle fire and dealt with daily IEDs. Careful now, your bias is showing again.

 

[Kutnupe14]

They bought one? Hell... isn't the govt giving them away?

 

[phylodog]

OK, I'm asking the question because I really don't know the answer. Can't local LEO agencies get stuff from DRMO (Defense Re-utilization and Marketing Office, pronounces Der-Mo or Doctor Mo) when they work with Feds like DEA on cases anymore? Up-armored Hummers from DRMO maybe? Those deuce and a halfs, soft-doored Hummers and Air Force blue panel vans didn't just show up in the parking lot at the Sheriff's Office.

Sure they can but Oh Sweet Jesus how the paranoid cry about that. You absolutely cannot allow common sense begin to creep in to this **** storm.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Well, if you start taking rifle fire and command detonated IED's made out of 155 shells on a daily basis, I'll pay for every cop to have an MRAP. False equivalency doesn't track.

Where's the cost/benefit analysis?

On a side note, those MRAPs are already paid for but when they get repurposed "militarization".

So you've got 4 minutes or so to live. How far away is your bearcat? Yeah. Bearcat or not, you're screwed. Mind you I'm not making an argument here, just pointing out absurdity.

You didn't click any of the links I posted above, did you?