I’m OK with this Obama move
To ease tensions, apparently:
Grenade launchers, bayonets, tracked armored vehicles, weaponized aircraft and vehicles, firearms and ammunition of .50-caliber or higher will no longer be provided to state and local police agencies by the federal government under Obama’s order.
May 18th, 2015 at 6:21 pm
What I don’t get is the fear of Bayonets. Is it held over from the Kent State erra? It’s just a knife on a stick.
May 18th, 2015 at 6:39 pm
Good. Your average police department getting this surplus is just cops trying to play soldier. Grenade launchers? Seriously? And what do they need bayonets for. Sell those to the public where I’ll put them to use as a field knife. Cops don’t need bayonets.
That overmilitarized police department does nobody any good.
May 18th, 2015 at 6:46 pm
This is all well and good, but how much of this was EVER transferred?
Grenade launchers? They can be modified to throw lines – for use in rescue operations.
.50 caliber (and above)? Really?
So this means that the .gov will keep giving .223 weapons to cops. Did it say anything about “fully automatic?”
May 18th, 2015 at 6:50 pm
Grenade launchers = tear gas for police.
May 18th, 2015 at 7:19 pm
Meh, in this I agree with Mike Vanderboegh, the more military ordinance in the hand of local cops, the easier it will be for patriots to get their hands on when the Fed finally tries to go full Stalin.
May 18th, 2015 at 8:09 pm
Bayonets are excellent for crowd control.
Tracked armored vehicles? Are M-1 Abrams being transferred to the local cop shop? I’d imagine by now that he M-113s are pretty much scrap. So, tracked or armored are OK, in others words, Strykers and MRAPs are good to go.
The linked article didn’t mention that camo uniforms don’t get to be transferred either, a pointless gesture.
As is the rest of it.
May 18th, 2015 at 8:57 pm
They get to keep doling out M4s and MRAPS and Humvees so I don’t really see the point.
May 18th, 2015 at 9:54 pm
Don’t forget riot helmets and riot shields. I confess I didn’t realize the .mil had those.
May 18th, 2015 at 10:02 pm
You know, if they put those M113A3s out for surplus, I’d be interested in picking one up. I just finished closing on a house with an outbuilding just the right size to fit one.
May 18th, 2015 at 10:05 pm
I’ve been a critic of the militarization of Mayberry for a long time, and with speculation of the federalizing of all LE, I’m good with BO’s move, not so much with his motive:
“The issue of police militarization entered the national spotlight last summer as officers and demonstrators angered by the death of Michael Brown, 18, violently clashed in the streets of Ferguson.”
It entered the spotlight way before that, but apparently it’s okay to roll the tanks and break out the jack boots to take down a suburban grow house, just don’t go after my bussed-in peeps just because they’re burning the fucking town down to avenge the justifiable takeout of a violent strong-arm thug. Gotcha, Bobo you vain self-serving racist bastard.
May 18th, 2015 at 10:23 pm
The Federal Gov’t has NO BUSINESS in the affairs of local and State Police because it has NO delegated powers and is prohibited from doing so by the 10th Amendment unless it’s assistance is requested by a Governor or State Legislature according to Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution. Of course, these militarized aspects will and have already been applied to agencies like the DHS and BATF. But again, these agencies should be subject to having the Constitutional permission of States and County Sheriffs.
May 19th, 2015 at 7:11 am
SJWs and proponents of the religion of peace may submit their application for grenade launchers, bayonets, tracked armored vehicles, weaponized aircraft and vehicles, firearms and ammunition of .50-caliber or higher directly to the Administration, via the websites: moveon.org, barrackobamaforpresident.org, and readyforhillary.com.
May 19th, 2015 at 8:01 am
I recall that the rifle rack in Mayberry had a lever action .30-30, a Springfield 1903 .30-06, a Krag 1898, and a pump shotgun. Two out of four milsurp rifles.
And both Andy and Barney, under different character names, made themselves famous in military movies, one in nuclear tests and the other as a Naval asset.
Mayberry was pretty well militarized, but in a more civilized fashion than the police of today.
May 19th, 2015 at 9:08 am
It’s funny that he didn’t include any federal agency, or its alphabet soup derivatives.
May 19th, 2015 at 10:04 am
@wizardpc: It does at least add the requirement that the cops get written approval in advance from their local elected government, rather than just going out and buying it out of their general equipment budget.
May 20th, 2015 at 12:38 am
Um, this doesn’t change much, they mostly buy wheeled armored vehicles and weapons smaller than .50 cal.
May 20th, 2015 at 10:43 am
Doc – this doesn’t change much
Like most of what spills out of Jokebama’s mouth, it is bumper sticker babble designed to make his acolytes feel better.
It’s all about feelings, not substance…or the truth for that matter.
May 20th, 2015 at 12:15 pm
One thing to consider: with this Edict, The Anointed One has decided to make LOCAL Law Enforcement WEAKER than FEDERAL Law Enforcement, since those “Transfer Restrictions” imply that THIS Administration fears LOCAL Law Enforcement might actually USE the provided equipment in Crisis Situations AGAINST its “Protected Class Foot Soldiers.” You know, the ones wearing GAS MASKS and chopping up Fire Hoses?
After all, “Community Oriented Policing” means that certain “Communities” get a Pass from Obeying the Law!
But God Forbid that “Non-Politically Correct Communities” and their LOCALLY RESPONSIBLE Law Enforcement Agencies decide to USE that Equipment to Protect their Constitutional Rights and maintain Law and Order!
But Hey! After all, the last time I saw Tracked Armored Vehicles used against Citizens was at the Branch Davidian Compound, and the Federales were the ones operating them, so what do I know?