Bloomington Police purchase of armored truck sparks debate

[Vigilant]

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.

Obama stopped that for the most part. I do think it has been reimplemented since Trump took office, but I’m not sure?

 

[Gabriel]

Yet you have no issue in sitting back in the safety of uninvolvement and claim to know how it should be done.

Without reading any more of this thread, this post pretty much sums it up.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Obama stopped that for the most part. I do think it has been reimplemented since Trump took office, but I’m not sure?

I don't think the armored car program was stopped. The things that were stopped were fairly ridiculous. I recall bayonets being one.

The request forms are still available at least: LESO Forms

 

[Gabriel]

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

Not the Bearcats, which are extremely nice for LE work as far as size. Our MRAP is too big for most streets, but has been used in a few standoffs since we got it. If those same situations were in tighter areas of the city, it would have been useless.

 

[Route 45]

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I'm torn on this one. It's probably a waste of money, but then again, it will be worth its weight in gold if it's ever truly needed.

It makes libertarians and liberals cry, so I'm going to have to give it a +1. But only if it's got a sunroof and is not a Chrysler product.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Not the Bearcats, which are extremely nice for LE work as far as size. Our MRAP is too big for most streets, but has been used in a few standoffs since we got it. If those same situations were in tighter areas of the city, it would have been useless.

I personally think all PDs should have one. It's not like they go patrolling the streets with the dang things. If a situation occurs every few years where the thing rolls out and protects officers, it's money well spent.

 

[Vigilant]

I don't think the armored car program was stopped. The things that were stopped were fairly ridiculous. I recall bayonets being one.

The request forms are still available at least: LESO Forms

I thought it was the MRAPS and M16’s that everyone got all panty wadded about after Ferguson? I think that Bearcats and similar are much better than MRAPs, but hell, we still have 113’s too gimme one of those!

 

[phylodog]

I'm torn on this one. It's probably a waste of money, but then again, it will be worth its weight in gold if it's ever truly needed.

It makes libertarians and liberals cry, so I'm going to have to give it a +1. But only if it's got a sunroof and is not a Chrysler product.

Yeah, yeah, you got me.

I’ve spent many an hour in the sunroof, they’re pretty sweet as sunroofs go.

 

[indyartisan]

I saw one in front of that Florida school.
Could be a handy piece of hardware from time to time.

 

[Woobie]

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.

Yeah, actually. Not every unit every day, but many units every day. Unless that unit never left the FOB. Of course there were exceptions. And even then they still took rocket/mortar attacks periodically.

A lot of the folks at the end of OIF didn't see anything, but they were using what was already in inventory.

 

[phylodog]

I personally think all PDs should have one. It's not like they go patrolling the streets with the dang things. If a situation occurs every few years where the thing rolls out and protects officers, it's money well spent.

Holy hellelujeiah, you trying to make folks have a stroke up in here?!?!?!

 

[KellyinAvon]

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.

I know there's no such thing as a free puppy, but you just gotta keep it running. The up-armored part will stop bullets.

 

[Vigilant]

On second thought, if I can’t have a full power PEQ15 or similar, you guys shouldn’t get cool RV’s. If I have to use eyesafe lasers, you gotta use standard patrol vehicles! Wait, you don’t even need cars, get your asses back in the hoods on foot! DRMO’s got plenty of boots to hand out!(purple)

 

[Woobie]

Where's the cost/benefit analysis?

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



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

You mean those 13 times in the history of U.S. law enforcement they cited? Yeah, I clicked it.

Do you call $225,000 paid for? If so, I've got a truck I want to give you.

 

[phylodog]

Yeah, actually. Unless that unit never left the FOB. Of course there were exceptions. And even then they still took rocket/mortar attacks periodically.

A lot of the folks at the end of OIF didn't see anything, but they were using what was already in inventory.

So yeah, except when no. Got it. But yeah cause Army and **** no cause police. Sweet.

 

[Woobie]

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.

You mean the kind of common sense that spends $225,000 on something you could get for free?

 

[phylodog]

You mean the kind of common sense that spends $225,000 on something you could get for free?

Oh but no, can’t have an MRAP, that’s an “assault vehicle”. That scares kids and keeps old people up at night fretting.

 

[Kutnupe14]

You mean those 13 times in the history of U.S. law enforcement they cited? Yeah, I clicked it.

Do you call $225,000 paid for? If so, I've got a truck I want to give you.

Just out of curiosity what is you opposition to LE having MRAPs?

 

[Woobie]

So yeah, except when no. Got it. But yeah cause Army and **** no cause police. Sweet.

Seriously? On any given day in Iraq, multiple units got ambushed, blown up, etc. Can you say with a straight face that police here are facing a similar threat? No? Didn't think so. Like I said, false equivalency.

 

[jamil]

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.

Yeah. Okay. Every town 30K and under gets to have a $225K armored vehicle.

Seriously, isn't that just another flavor of the "if it can save just one child" argument? I'm not against police having them. It kinda needs to be justified beyond, well, if you ever need it you'll be glad to have it. If that's a valid justification then what is it not valid justification to spend money on?

If you're Detroit, yeah. You probably need it. To have it sit there just in case you might ever need one isn't a great justification for that kind of money for a town of 85K and relatively low crime.