Even the New York Times is running stories on the military ramp-up of local police forces. As armored cars, tanks, automatic weapons and very-high-capacity clips continue flowing into local police armories, it’s hard to deny that the lines between the local police and the military are blurring.
During the Obama administration, according to Pentagon data, police departments have received tens of thousands of machine guns; nearly 200,000 ammunition magazines; thousands of pieces of camouflage and night-vision equipment; and hundreds of silencers, armored cars and aircraft.
The equipment has been added to the armories of police departments that already look and act like military units. Police SWAT teams are now deployed tens of thousands of times each year, increasingly for routine jobs. Masked, heavily armed police officers in Louisiana raided a nightclubin 2006 as part of a liquor inspection. In Florida in 2010, officers in SWAT gear and with guns drawn carried out raids on barbershops that mostly led only to charges of “barbering without a license.”
Yeah. And all the while, the civil government keeps gunning for your guns. That way, you won’t have any guns at all, and your local SWAT police will have tanks. Because, you know, they have to protect you from all the bad guys wielding pitchforks and clubs and stuff. Yeah. No. I’m not buying it.
The purported reasons for this are varied. And stupid. Here are a few:
Capt. Chris Cowan, a department spokesman, said the vehicle [tank] “allows the department to stay in step with the criminals who are arming themselves more heavily every day.” He said police officers had taken it to schools and community events, where it was a conversation starter. “All of a sudden, we start relationships with people,” he said.
Yeah. That’s the way I like to start relationships with the community: shows of military dominance. Here’s another:
“When you explain that you’re preparing for something that may never happen, they get it,” said Capt. Tiger Parsons of the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office in northwest Missouri, which recently received a mine-resistant truck.
Yes. We know all about preparing for something that may never happen. That’s why we’re stockpiling guns. For the time when we’re going to have to ward off the civil government stooges rolling around in armored tanks.
Police Departments also mention that in most cases, the military would be destroying this extra equipment if local police didn’t pick it up. Well, that’s understandable. And the local police are just trying to keep up with heavily-armed gangs. Because gangs usually have armored cars (they’re the ones with the chrome rims). Whatever.
This is beyond a dangerous trend. We’re setting ourselves up for a time of extraordinary tyranny. And by the time we’re wise to it, it will already be too late.
The military can hide their crimes. Case in point – rape in the military. It can’t be tried in civilian court. The military can drag their feet for years in responding to public pressure. So far, thousands of men and women who’ve been raped have yet to see justice in a military court.
The point they want to drive home is we are the power oppose us and you will feel our wrath.
Grampa
The difference? Weapons and ‘authority’, as originally intended. Military weapons are kept out of civilian ownership because of unsuitability to civilian uses, including automatic weapons. BUT, not so much now. Authority used to mean the scope within which the organization was permitted to operate…police within municipal boundaries. Military, except State Guard, was not authorized to be used against US civilians, except under invasion or exceptional civil unrest, with the authority of Congress. Nowadays, these limitations are appearing to unravel, or be intentionally subverted by unauthorized authorities of the government.
There is no need for a SWAT team to show up at a domestic ‘raid’ in a residential neighborhood…park it somewhere within easy recall unless or until actually needed!
Not too long ago a swat team was used to assault the home of…are you ready for this? Someone who had defaulted on their school loan! I guess they have to justify their existence somehow. Makes me worry about people with overdue library books.
Lost, hiding the so called military weapons, is not the issue. The issue is our government using these weapons against the law abiding citizens. If you believe the drivel of your post, you do not understand the purpose of the 2nd amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which is the right of the people to bear arms against a tyrannical government, such as we have now.
One little aside. I would bet money that you believe, “Weapons and ‘authority’, as originally intended” by the 2nd amendment, had everything to do with the government, and had nothing to do with the citizens of the United States of America. I could be wrong? Show me!
Clint, you must have missed it. The government providing some of their military weapons to civilian LEO’s quietly brought them both together, like federal aid to your local school district has Uncle telling you what your schools ‘should do’ (in order to continue getting the aid). The ‘originally intended’ has nothing to do with the 2A. This sort of police action will continue as long as allowed by the present govt. Whose idea is it that every summons must be served by a SWAT team tank? That activity is still allowed, or not, by your local government… Government action still starts BEST at home. But, that works both directions, too!
The 2nd amendment is but one small part of a bigger control over a runaway government. The rest was the whole Constitution AND an informed and vigilant body of citizen voters working at home to control and LIMIT the power and scope of authority of the Federal Government. The gradual usurpation of its powers started with Teddy Roosevelt and really got rolling in the early ’30s, as the rest of the lazy voters were lulled to sleep.
I remember when the police use to make sure the drunk or the young kid needed to get home and they (police) did their honor to make the people feel good about them.
Now its a swat team will shoot first and then write a report.
And plant evidence to create guilt, destroy evidence to vindicate themselves, write a false report, and then lie on the witness stand.
Corruption always occurs where there is power. But the top (government) is now forcing Evil and Vice into our so-called “Justice” system—with unconstitutional laws (which ignore our Natural Rights) and let criminals free.
It is habituating evil into our policemen, who have to do what they are told or lose their jobs, or go to reeducation camps.
Justice Systems have to ALWAY promote “Public Virtue”. But we now are promoting and habituating Vice 24/7—and it is intentional Marxism to collapse America (Freedom) as we know it and create evil overlords like the Bolsheviks or Brownshirts who kill mutilate and kill little children and women without blinking an eye.
The government doesn’t control the borders (intentionally) and arms the Cartels and Triads intentionally, so that our police are full of fear, also—or are killed. Holder is trying to create SA Jackboots by driving out the Good and having the Evil rise up in power, for they will eventually turn against the citizenry to disarm us and kill whomever insults The One. There is the Smoke of Satan flowing rapidly out of the chimney of the White House.
Russ – Don’t get discouraged. The vast majority of Police Officers are still working hard to Serve and Protect the People. However, in the larger cities, and increasingly in small towns, they are over-matched and outgunned by organized gangs. Don’t be fooled by Obama. Unlike so many American politicians, Obama never talks about getting guns out of the hands of kids, gangs, or criminals. Instead his Administration runs Fast & Furious gun programs to provide weapons to be used against Law Enforcement of American and our Allies. Yet our elected Senators and Representatives turn a blind eye, or worse hold their party loyalty above their oath of office! You can bet the Ammo the Federal Government is stockpiling will be used against our local police if Obama has his perverted dream.
Sonar612, Russ is talking about a time when the people respected the police because the police were part of the community. They knew the families in the communities and many by their first names. Unfortunately, those days are long gone in most of the United States of America. How could you or I ever trust a man or men who breaks down our door at 2 in the morning, with weapons drawn, which are pointing at our loved ones, while screaming obscenities, and demanding that we fully comply with whatever they say? I would venture to say that, that is exactly what a rapist, burglar and or thief would demand. All of the men I know would not comply, and our forefathers would congratulate that choice. The only place your majority of police are working toward that honorable goal is in Mayberry, U.S.A.. that feel good, imaginary city that doesn’t exist in real life.
Holder-types are forcing unconstitutional laws onto our policemen to dehumanize the citizens and the policemen themselves, whom habitually do such (evil) things. It is what Hitler did with the SA–which destroys Virtue–especially in the police, who habitually do dehumanizing things to people.
Desensitizing people to Evil is crucial to creating a Slave state.
This is all part of the Dialectical Materialism—the easing us to do more and more evil to one another ___AND ALLOW IT!!!! It will ease us all into Tyranny (willingly, to make us “happy” slaves of the State.)
Fear is necessary for Tyrannies to succeed. Police—if they don’t do these unconstitutional things–will lose their jobs and go to sensitivity training, or whatever. It is Fascism what is forced on these policeman now. The evil ones will rise and the good will be forced to quit. Jackboots are being formed right now to kill and control their own citizens.
We need to return to the Constitution–yesterday and local control of police forces. Maybe unions have to go and our Federal government needs to be tried for Treason in supporting cartels and gangs, etc. and for not securing our Borders which they could do in a nanosecond.
Years ago, a friend of mine was out partying. He was walking down the street with his friends. One guy was very drunk and he was drinking yet another bottle of beer. A cop was driving by. He got out of his car, walked over to the guy with the beer, emptied it and went back to his car.
Friend to drinker – Do you realize what just happened???
Beer drinker – Yeah, that’s the last time a cab driver will ever take my beer away.
The short answer is that the military’s primary function is to kill people and break things. Police are supposed to serve and protect.
Unfortunately the roles are no longer operational. The military is forced to nation-build and serve as meals-on-wheels. The LEOs think that they are an occupation force.
Al, you nailed it! Especially the last line.
The UN and other countries have no forces that go in and keep the peace. That’s why extracting the military from a war zone can get ugly. If there’s no constructive plan to leave a country, then why commit in the first place?
In childhood, fairy tales begin with:” Once upon a time…”; In our young adulthood, and military the lies and tales begin with: ” This is no s#!t…”; In politics and religion the lies and false promises begin with their mouths moving! My sister works for FEMA. She’ll need a billion bullets if she is ever going to hit the broadside of that old barn. FEMA is the single worse run Federal Agency in the Government. As far as all the bullets. Obummer has finally figured out the U.S. Military is a long way from the Waffen SS. No soldier, sailor or airman has taken an oath to Barack Hussein Obama. He has been cashiering Generals who refuse to assure him they will give orders to fire upon American Citizens! Obama, like most people raised in a totalitarian county or in his case: religion; cannot grasp the concept of the “little people” thinking for themselves. Actually making Right and Wrong decisions without higher authority telling them what is Right or Wrong! This failure to grasp America was a key part of the defeat of Fascism in the Second World War. It will be the key component in the defeat of global terrorism and Radical Islam. Muslims in America over coming generations will become Americans. And as Americans they will soon abandon the false teachings of violence propagated by the Ayatollahs, Kings, Sheiks, and Imans desperate to hold on to their, not Allah’s, power over the Muslim people. In America, a person is free to worship, or not worship, in accordance with his/her own beliefs, provided said beliefs neither infringe upon or cause harm to their fellow human being. This is guaranteed by the First Amendment and protected by the Second Amendment!
You sir are dreaming. Islam is based on submission, not on acceptance.
When your pinned down by sniper fire it’s nice to know there is a vehicle that can rescue you.. I’ve been there and the only way we escaped is the sniper got bored with us cowering behind a bulldozer. We couldn’t get to our radio nor could we maneuver against the shooter who never exposed his position…
A few months ago I got called for jury duty. It was a DUI
case and 8 of 12 witnesses for the prosecutor were cops. All through the jury
selection process the prosecutor kept mentioning over and over credibility. When
I got selected and the questioning began the prosecutor got to question 9
asking if there was any reason I shouldn’t serve on this jury and I replied I have
a problem with the credibility issue that you keep bringing up. The judge asked
for the answers the rest of the questions and then he went back to question 9
and asked what credibility problem I had. I told him with 8 cops as witnesses
against this guy he doesn’t stand a chance as they will lie and cover for each
other to ensure they prevail. He immediately dismissed me. Bye bye.
I don’t trust cops at all!!! I have no idea how the case ended?
*LOL* They have to cover for each other. It’s a corrupt code. If you snitch then they won’t have your back anymore. That’s a death sentence and a good cop will have to quit the job in order to stay alive.
Has anyone here seen “Training Day?” The majority of police in this country want to protect us without infringing on our rights. It’s the minority of corrupt policemen who rot the whole system. One positive outcome has to do with traffic cops. Those cameras watch what they’re doing.
When corruption takes over law enforcement, we will become like Mexico. Law enforcement is a joke down there.
Basing an argument on a movie is not a good idea. And the plain and simple fact is that the “minority” of police that you talk about are actually the ones who don’t want to infringe on our rights. The vast majority cannot *WAIT* until they can impose total domination upon us simple plebeians.
Corruption in the police population happened long before this movie. This movie illustrates on how you can get sucked into compromising your oath as an officer of the law. In police partnerships, loyalty matters. If you get in with the wrong partner, that partner might not have your back in risky situations.
“Training Day” is a MOVIE. I understand that. If you don’t believe me, I don’t care.
You make a very good point.
Not all… I might even say not most… cops are bad.
Unfortunately, you know what one bad apple does…
Yep, better get real friendly with your local yocals, or they will blast you and yours to oblivion! Now doesnt that paint a lovely picture for America?
Locals are more like thugs and the military is more trained
thank the fake war on drugs for causing this whole problem. the fake war has not slowed drug use at all and only created a black market which created an 85% increase in violent and non-violent crime. the fake war on drugs has been used to destroy several constitutional rights and created the militarization of the police and several other government agencies. the fake war on drugs is nothing more than a scam against we the people and our constitution. prevention education is much more effective today then it was before, it’s working on the highly addictive substance tobacco and it’s not even being used anywhere near it’s full capability. mandatory graded prevention education from 1st – 12th grade plus college general studies and much more public service announcements on radio/tv is the best solution to the problem. don’t be afraid of legalization, as long as we put up a fight we can get control of drug use and even alcohol abuse too. the fake war is also unconstitutional and illegal at the federal level.
Not much anymore since many local police departments are being armed, trained and advised by the Department of Homeland Security.
Have you ever seen the Rockwell pictures of the Policeman, and the Golden story books with the policeman and a whistle and baton only, or helping Ducklings cross the street in Boston (in the 50s or so).
The PERCEPTIONS of police are now “SWAT/masks/rifles/helicopters/dog killers/door smashers” and this change in “perceptions” is the result of Marxism. The government is forcing cartels into this country and arming them to kill our police—so they have an excuse to beef up our police also—Mexican Cartels or Asian Triads—or whatever are allowed in to create chaos and fear and destroy unity in cities. The Government makes this possible–the Holder-types, to create chaos for the Marxist take-over and destruction of towns/cities for the NWO.
Controlling the perceptions of the masses is important and the Marxists in charge are trying to create hate and division between all groups–because Fear is necessary for Tyrannies (Montesquieu). Public Virtue is essential for Free Republics.
Our Legal System is corrupting our cops because they issue unconstitutional laws which are dehumanizing to the citizens (desensitizes the cops) so they can habituate dehumanization in the cops…..same was done with the Jackboots in Hitler’s Germany. Unjust Laws—to dehumanize people….to destroy Virtue in the military/police force.
To destroy Freedom–the Marxists are destroying Public Virtue in the masses and police, and creating hate and divisions by their grouping of kids by race and sex, and making “victims”, etc.
The police are no longer the servants of the public; they are the enforcement arm of the politicians – city, county and state. To them, the second amendment does not apply unless you wear a SWAT uniform.
OK Why does you local police force need suppressors? (Silencers)
While we worried about the military becoming the police, the police became the military!
have never seen a police tank here. my town has a police force of 12 cop cars usaly there is not much violience here. at least here where i live police still play there roles.
i don’t like thuggy da cops