How militarized is your police department? Find out at this website.

[LostintheOzone]

Ferguson aside, you may not have seen the recent videos of teen gang members roaming the streets in places like Memphis randomly beating the snot out of innocent folks.

MRAP isn't the answer here. Neither is a police response because the police can't respond in time.

I would try this approach.

Tennessee Concealed Carry Permit Information

It is illegal to carry a gun in Ireland. Not so in TN.

 

[Jessie]

Do you want to see mind numbing?
Check out Brevard County, Fl.
Holy cow! Look at the aircraft! And 8 Apache helicopters, really??

 

[rwsmith]

My county has one page

The more populous county next to me has 5 pages,including:

Sporting gear
Sleeping bags
Entrenching tools
Golf cart
Microwaves.

 

[alde]

I would rather my local sheriff have these toys then the IRS or Department of Interior. I trust my local guys more then the feds.

We got a $10K EOD Robot, 2 pairs of binoculars and some small arms (.38's, .45's, 7.62 and 5.56).

 

[the ringo kid]

Did we all get scammed? After all--this info WAS on the internet. Heh heh heh....

 

[Quick10]

I think somewhere along the line people started thinking we officers should only engage in fights on equal or lesser terms with equal or lesser weapons. I'd kinda like to go home at the end of the shift.

Equal yes greater no. You should be allowed the same type arms as the rest of us.

 

[GerSan69]

Equal yes greater no. You should be allowed the same type arms as the rest of us.

I try really hard to stay within the rules and remain calm and civilized, but I have to say: this is likely the most ignorant thing I've ever read on this or any other forum.
The mindset that somehow, there are Marquis de Queensberry-type rules that the police need to follow, that a "slap must only be met with a slap," is ludicrous at best. Tin-foil hat types need to understand that a cop gets paid to win the fight if there is one, not battle to a tie. Too bad if that doesn't fit the current themes, but it's always been that way and likely will continue.
I'm not a cop any more, and I'm thankful for that. I "survived" my career. If I'd followed the thinking of "some people," I'd be dead several times over.

 

[A10]

The best way to win a fight is to respond with overwhelming force. For folks who are worried about "militarization", police forces have been purchasing surplus stuff from the military for a long, long time. I don't much care about the armored vehicles thing, it just protects the officers inside kinda like an armored truck protects the guards and cash.

Keep in mind that equipment does not dictate tactics. They are only tools. Being upset at how the cop looks is a little like being upset at a semi-auto gun for looking "evil".

I'd recommend that if your local PD is doing stuff that concerns you, contact your city/county council and voice your concerns. Then contact the press, they are ALWAYS happy to take the opposite side of law enforcement!

Also, if you are for some reason concerned that the PDs will be taken over by the big bad government and start disarming us all, keep in mind how a poorly armed and untrained insurgency impacted the US military during the Iraq conflict.

 

[307-Niner]

I think somewhere along the line people started thinking we officers should only engage in fights on equal or lesser terms with equal or lesser weapons. I'd kinda like to go home at the end of the shift.

IMHO, if you want to play with MRAPs, grenade launchers, and other tools of warfare, then go join the military and defend our country against the enemy.

As an officer of the law, your role is completely different. You are protecting citizens from each other. It is absolutely not the same.

The community that you work in is not a war zone. People are not actively trying to kill you on an everyday basis. You do not have enemies here, this is your home turf.

I'm not saying that your job can't be dangerous. Of course it does have it's hazards, as many jobs do. But if you're thanking your lucky stars that you made it home at the end of the day, you probably should consider a career change.

Police departments have equipment like this for the intimidation factor, and policing the public by keeping the public in fear is bad practice. Citizens should not be afraid of the police, you're supposed to be there to help your community. It's not you against them.

 

[jbull380]

I love it when people describe my job to me.

 

[safearm]

Sorry to rain on this parade, but where does this list come from? According to it, the county where my mother and brother lives received eight (8) helicopters; one med-evac, six observation, and one utility. I happen to know that not a single LE agency in the entire county has a helicopter of any type.
I saw an entry from this table for Brevard County, Florida on another forum. Again according to this table, they received eight (8) fixed wing aircraft, one with a value of $4.3 million, and 73 rotary wing aircraft, eight with a value of $18 million each.
Unless someone can show me what credible organization put this list together, it's just internet junk. Put on the tin foil hats.

 

[Ranger514]

Anybody remember the Bank of America Robbery in North Hollywood? LE didn't have adequate firepower. Two criminals with fully automatic firearms (AK-47s if memory serves) kicked butt until the Police got their hands on the right firearms at a LGS. Lesson learned. Nowadays, we have Sovereign Citizens using fully automatic firearms to kill Police, as happened down south not long ago.

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

Anybody remember the Bank of America Robbery in North Hollywood? LE didn't have adequate firepower. Two criminals with fully automatic firearms (AK-47s if memory serves) kicked butt until the Police got their hands on the right firearms at a LGS. Lesson learned. Nowadays, we have Sovereign Citizens using fully automatic firearms to kill Police, as happened down south not long ago.

It is not rare for fully automatic weapons to be used against police? Does it justify militarizing police across the country? Nope.

 

[ditrina]

Thank you all for your input..
EVERYONE stay safe out there.. whether your a working LEO or just walking the dog..