Fort Pierce Police Department unveils new armored vehicle

WPTV ^ | Elliott Jones

[managusta]

FORT PIERCE, Fla. - Police in Fort Pierce are now armed with a U.S. military surplus battle wagon: a six wheel, 30-ton armored vehicle worth $700,000 — that the agency got for $2,000.

“If you see my SWAT team roll up in this, it’s over, so just give up,” said Police Chief Sam Baldwin.

However Baldwin hopes the mine-resistant, ambush protection vehicle just stays parked. If used, it would be for transporting the SWAT team and for a mobile command and rescue vehicle.

Officer Keith Holmes got the vehicle in October through the auspices of the National Defense Authorization Act. That allows the military to transfer excess military vehicles to law enforcement agencies. The city got a little-used model with 5,000 miles on it.

“If you see my SWAT team roll up in this, it’s over, so just give up,” said Police Chief Sam Baldwin.

[doorgunner69]

Too bad they have to crawl out from in there now and then, in case someone is zeroed in from 300-400 yards out...................

[Talisker]

Hey Chief Baldwin, you wanted to scare people?

You did it. Everyone is scared.

Not just criminals - everybody. Young people, old people, children, mothers, fathers, workers, businessmen, students - everyone. You’ve got the whole American population afraid of you. All of them.

Happy? Is that what you wanted to do? Look at that armoured military vehicle - did you really think that wouldn’t be the effect it would have on the entire civilian population?

Good job, Chief.

One last question - what country is this?

[RC one]

The police are for enforcing the rule of law on the citizenry. The military is for killing enemies of the state, occupying invaded countries, and imposing the will of the government on the occupied territories. So what does it mean when a police force become militarized?

[doorgunner69]

According to Wiki, Ft. Peirce is a city of 43k, with a falling crime rate.

Yep, I can see the driving need for their SWAT Gestapo to have such a toy.

This stinks like Obunghole after a night with Reggie.

DHS is setting the stage, no doubt in my mind.

[MasterGunner01]

You could render the 30-ton APC so much static junk with a suitable application of Thermate-TH3 — iron oxide and aluminum chips. Thermate-TH3 is a mixture of thermite and pyrotechnic additives. Its composition by weight is generally about 68.7% thermite, 29.0% barium nitrate, 2.0% sulfur, and 0.3% of a binder [such as polybutadiene acrylonitrile (PBAN)]. The addition of barium nitrate to thermite increases its thermal effect, produces a larger flame, and significantly reduces the ignition temperature. The primary purpose of Thermate-TH3 by the armed forces is as an incendiary anti-material weapon.

[realcleanguy]

Are they going to arrest unlawful seagulls or Pelicans?

[Veggie Todd]

Well, hopefully all the cops will go home safe.

[laplata]

......but the overwhelming number of them are paramilitary insane carabineri wannabes.

---

Bingo! And they go out of their way to recruit that type.

[doorgunner69]

The ONLY way to stop this is to ELIMINATE Police Chiefs, replace them with CIVILIAN Public Safety Directors, REQUIRE cops to LIVE where they work, establish Civilian Review boards with the authority to fire cops, and require civilian observers and reporters at ALL Police Academy classes to see exactly WHAT they are teaching these idiots.

You left off your list: Elimination of Police/Civil service unions...........

Take away their lack of fear of incarceration for things that certainly would imprison us peasants.

[laplata]

Yep.

[cloudmountain]

Hahaha, I can see one of those pulling me over for having, say a rear brake light out.
I would be SPEECHLESS, no easy task.

Wow!

[ZULU]

You are right - THAT TOO!

[ThunderSleeps]

30 ton. I could stop it with a little clever planning and a few hundred gallons of water. What do you think the local service station would charge to tow that beast out?

[Army Air Corps]

One last question - what country is this?

Soviet America.

[DemforBush]

Police in Fort Pierce are now armed with a U.S. military surplus battle wagon: a six wheel, 30-ton armored vehicle worth $700,000 — that the agency got for $2,000.

Yeesh. I find that "discount" almost as disturbing as the perceived "need" of the PD of a medium-sized town to have one of these things in the first place. Don't we have some overseas ally we could sell it to for at least a couple hundred grand?

[ThunderSleeps]

Yeah, if it ever comes to that... I won’t be in the building you pull up to. I won’t even be within sight of it. I will have figured out where you’re going to stage from nearby though, and you’ll be in range... As long as you obey and defend the Constitution - as I have sworn an oath to do - we won’t have any problems. Break that oath, and it’s on.

[Southern Magnolia]

Got some morning show tapes from a friend in south Florida. One of them includes a fella talking about a vicious animal attack in his home. “I got a coon in my living room!”—the Fort Pierce police response was “Is he armed?”

Granted, those tapes were from the 90’s, but giving those yahoos that kind of vehicle leaves me speechless. Thank goodness I’m a few hours north.

[Boogieman]

On the upside, the article says these departments are getting the vehicles for $2,000, so I bet a whole lot of them would never get the vehicles if they had to actually pay for them. How long do you think these things will last in all these podunk police departments, without a budget for parts and maintenance of $700,000 military vehicles?

[Carry_Okie]

Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America's Police Forces

Altogether, there are over 2 million LEOs in the United States today. The author argues that they have effectively become a domestic standing army. The book contains an excellent history of domestic policing and is scrupulously documented.

[Dagnabitt]

DOD probably doesn't want to compete with the manufacturer-contractor who is trying to sell brand-new models to our allies.

"Everybody Wins"