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Posted on 12/02/2013 12:15:00 PM PST by Rebelbase
CURRITUCK, N.C.
The Currituck County Sheriff’s Office now owns an 18-ton military armored truck able to take on high-powered rifle fire or roll through Outer Banks floodwaters.
The $412,000, mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle known as an MRAP comes free as surplus from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Currituck is one of five North Carolina and two Virginia law enforcement agencies to receive one of the armored trucks this year. The federal government has given out 165 nationally since August, said Michelle McCaskill, a spokeswoman for the Defense Logistics Agency.
“Some people might ask, ‘Why do we need something like this?’ ” said Capt. Sandy Casey of the Sheriff’s Office. “We don’t know what could be next. They say domestic terrorism is what local law enforcement will be dealing with.”
Casey cited mall shootings and the Sandy Hook, Conn., and Columbine, Colo., school shootings as examples of fatal calamities in smaller communities.
Currituck County has a population of about 25,000 and a low crime rate. The last five slayings stemmed from domestic disputes, with the most recent occurring more than two years ago.
But hunting with high-powered rifles is a popular pastime here. Deputies have responded to 120 domestic disputes this year, and in many cases those involved were armed and using drugs or alcohol.
Twelve bomb threats were reported in the past five years, though none were founded, according to Sheriff’s Office records.
The armored truck and eight military-surplus Humvees the county acquired earlier – also at no cost – would help with rescues during flooding on the unpaved roads of the northern Outer Banks.
The Department of Defense procured more than 27,000 mine-resistant armored vehicles for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a report in National Defense, a trade magazine. About 2,000 remained in the United States for training.
Currituck’s six-wheel-drive diesel truck carries as many as 10 people at speeds up to 67 mph, getting 5 to 10 miles per gallon. The county also received specialized tools and parts to reduce maintenance costs. Additional parts remain available through the surplus program, Casey said.
The new acquisition is not the perfect answer to every public-safety need, Casey acknowledged. The top-heavy truck tended to roll over in rough terrain in Afghanistan; Carova Beach roads abound in deep potholes. At least five of Currituck County’s 16 bridges are unable to handle heavy loads, according to a North Carolina Department of Transportation chart. The county would use lighter Humvees to get over older bridges, Casey said.
A study by the American Civil Liberties Union shows police agencies are stocking up on military arms and equipment, said Kara Dansky, senior counsel for the organization. The study’s not finished, but the group is concerned.
“We noted a trend in increasingly militaristic and aggressive tactics by local law enforcement,” Dansky said. “We’re seeing very little oversight.”
The armored truck will be used only for protecting residents, Casey said. The county began aggressively pursuing military equipment from the Department of Defense surplus program after facing a barricaded shooter, Casey said.
In June 2012, a Wedgewood Lakes man armed with a high-powered rifle locked himself in a shed. He threatened to kill anyone who approached and fired a shot through the shed’s metal door that struck an unoccupied mobile home. The shot missed deputies by about 15 feet, according to an incident report.
A Sheriff’s Office negotiator talked the man out of the shed after about three hours. Deputies found more weapons, ammunition and bulletproof vests inside.
“We would have used this vehicle in that case,” Casey said.
If not, maybe rouge sand castle builders?
I look forward to the coming budgets cuts and a recognition they can’t afford to maintain these beasts.
No, but it'll sure help the SWAT team pull off their no-knock warrants at incorrect addresses without having to worry about some innocent homeowner defending himself.
Pinging ya Greg! Are you still in the OBX?
Might want to keep a lookout for this!
Thank goodness they've been given the means to subdue all those rioting vacationers.
If they have this toy, they're going to use it. That's what cops do.
It appears they also picked up some Humvees as part of the deal...
.50 BMG?
Great for the budget too.
These leviathons eat fuel and tires at a prodigious rate.
POTD!
“Some people might ask, ‘Why do we need something like this?’ ” said Capt. Sandy Casey of the Sheriff’s Office. “We don’t know what could be next. They say domestic terrorism is what local law enforcement will be dealing with.”
Let's not forget about all the vicious dogs these guys have to routinely shoot to protect themselves. These vehicles will save the lives of untold family pets.
Oh, good. I'm glad they're *concerned*. How about moving that concern up a notch to outraged? And then tell us why these military arms are being bought by so many agencies, across the country. That's the study I want to see.
...Who is telling them to be prepared for “domestic terrorism”?
The Regime, of course. Anyone who dares oppose the Regime is a domestic terrorist.
1-800-555-THEY
1. “We’ll have it for just in case..”
Later:
2. “Hey we have thus thing anyway, so we might as well PUT IT TO USE.”
In all seriousness, I wonder how much it costs to [properly] operate and maintain one of these behemoths - not to mention O&M costs on the eight Humvees.
A single TIRE for that truck probably costs at least $1,500.
When the study is released, the conclusion will be as follows: But they're OUR guys doing it, so it's OK!
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