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Posted on 06/24/2014 6:04:03 AM PDT by bamahead
Robert Shellmyer was relieved to see last week at his hometown’s 175th anniversary celebration that the local police department’s new prized possession was not driving alongside the tractors and floats in the parade. That’s because a 45,000 pound, explosion-resistant vehicle from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan might spoil the mood.
Shellmyer, a 78-year-old city councilman for the small town of Washington, Iowa, was the sole local politician to vote against the department of 12 police officers getting the free MRAP—short for mine resistant ambush protected vehicle—from the Defense Department two months ago. Washington is one of hundreds of towns and cities to get a recycled MRAP from the Pentagon over the past year and a half.
“Here’s the thing,” Shellmyer says. “Washington, Iowa has 8,000 people. We have an MRAP now. We have a SWAT team. We have [police] dogs, and we have a SWAT team transportation vehicle that’s not armored.”
The city councilman began to think: “Goodness, this is overkill.”
--SNIP--
Because the Pentagon just started handing out the MRAPs in 2013, it’s unclear how they’re being used. Some SWAT teams just use them for transportation to a raid, but at least one department has used the vehicle to bust through a door. The ACLU wasn’t able to determine how often the vehicles were used by SWAT teams, according to the report’s author Kara Dansky.
Many of the armored vehicles end up in hamlets like Washington, which may seem surprising, except that SWAT teams have grown exponentially in small towns over the past 20 years. Kraska found that 80 percent of small towns had SWAT teams by the mid 2000s, up from just 20 percent in 1980. More than 90 percent of city departments have the special units.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Sometimes I think this is all part of a pre-positioning effort.
On the other hand, perhaps the Defense Department gets too much money to spend? Just like all the other departments of the FedGov.
This crap is out of control.
Why does the MCSD need this sort of hardware?
To answer the first question, it is the result of 40+ years of liberal policy. America used to be a free country. Now it is a war zone, where the criminals have taken control.
Obama told us,"A civilian army as well armed and funded as the military". IOW Obama's (Hitler's)Brownshirts. Agenda 21.
my sheriff was bragging to me that he received on of these from the dod to help preserve my second amendment rights... he knows i am a vocal advocate... he may have been pushing my buttons, but he has no clue as to why i might protest the militarization of our law enforcement.
now, where might i acquire one of these.
t
Washington, Iowa has 8,000 people. We have an MRAP now. We have a SWAT team. We have [police] dogs, and we have a SWAT team transportation vehicle that’s not armored.”
And you prolly can’t afford the upkeep much less training for this war wagon....
This strikes me as one of those, “Be careful what you ask for” moments. Do small towns have the money to maintain one of these beasts? Is not like they are brand spankin’ new and have a warranty.
...islamism winds up.
Nothing to worry about.
Now go back to watching DWTS.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures
don’t need IEDs...a few Firebombs will cook the poor souls alive.
besides, Its a good bet that when push comes to shove, most of these will be destroyed by local yocal cops who haven’t been trained driving them into ditches or into rivers.
And yet in the middle east the opposition found that SFPs were the most effective method of dealing with MRAPS. I think I'd go with the tried and true solution.
Don't underestimate the opposition
Recently Christian County Missouri took possession of one MRAP. Population 70K. Ostensibly for “hostage rescue.” No mention of need for “crowd control....” LOL!
Conservative, rural towns should be trying to get these. They will be very useful when the liberal CITIDIOTS send the Feds into our towns when we cut off their food supply.
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