On Monday, the White House announced a plan to set new restrictions on local police departments from obtaining military-style equipment from the federal government. The limitation on military gear is part of an ongoing effort to rebuild trust between community members and law enforcement officials following the unrest seen in Ferguson, Missouri, particularly the police response to protesters there.
The announcement is in response to a report put forth by a task force created by the president in December to address broken police relations, especially in minority communities, across the country. Banned items include wheeled-armored vehicles, battering rams, grenade launchers, and more.
Many believe that much of the increase in police brutality has to do with cops being outfitted and trained as if they are going into a war zone, when in fact these are American neighborhoods, populated by American citizens.
After all who could forget the police snipers atop armored vehicles who rolled into Ferguson apparently ready to open fire on mostly peaceful protesters?
Thanks to our 2nd Amendment there are certainly times when the cops need to be outfitted with powerful weaponry and protective clothing and armored vehicles, but those times are statistically few and far between.
I have to wonder how some police departments will feel about giving up their shiny GI Joe paraphernalia but ultimately it will undoubtedly help the police to connect better with the communities they serve, and reduce the incidence of inhumane treatment.
I think it's going to be ugly for a while. I don't want to guess how high is the percentage of premature ejaculators who only signed up because of the great weapons, body armor and supply of moving targets.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be at all surprised to see more killings and murders throughout our country as sad as that is to say.
DeleteThere is so much anger, racism and religion pushing by/from the white population and the majority of them are Republicans that are elderly men! Plus, they want us in wars in the middle east. Sick bunch!
Reminded me of Kent State. How soon we forget.
ReplyDelete♫ "Four Dead In Ohio" ♫
DeleteI was in junior high and mortified that the National Guard would do that. They were the good guys, or so I was led to believe.
I was getting ready to graduate from college (not Kent State) when that happened. All during my childhood ('50s-60s, cold war, mushroom clouds, parents who lived through WWII, Khrushchev threatening to bury us), there was a public service announcement on TV "You can sleep well tonight; your National Guard is awake." And then, there they were killing college students on their own campus. I had participated in peaceful anti-war demonstrations so I was stunned. Every May, I remember those 4 dead in Ohio.
DeleteTo paraphrase another TV saying from a little later on: We've come a long, ugly way, baby.
Here you go courtesy of Rocky Mountain Mike:
ReplyDeletehttps://soundcloud.com/rockymountainmike/gi-cop
Now what will Sarah say about this?
ReplyDeletePolice forces without military equipment -- great for second amendment citizens!
Police forces without military equipment -- terrible when ISIS arrives in Oklahoma!
We're waiting, Sarah.
You GO, Mr. President! Of course, the nut jobs will say he wants them all back for the government roundup of God-fearin,' gun-totin,' Murika-lovin,' citizens to fill those empty Walmarts.
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of President Obama and the steps he is taking in his second term. He can do them because he isn't running for anything again and worry about getting votes! It allows him so much more freedom and truly does help our population.
ReplyDeleteI detest Republicans and don't like what we've seen police forces become in the last couple of years. They are suppose to work 'for' us and our communities and not 'against' us.
Plus, their members are not suppose to be racists! We need folks in the cop services throughout the nation that are brown, black, Asian and white. The city forces need to be mixed and should not lean toward one specific race.
I do believe the prevalence of this military equipment is in large part responsible for the wrong people being attracted to police departments.
ReplyDeleteHe visited Camden, whose police department was dismantled and re done from the bottom up. Crimes like burglaries, rapes, murders plunged, and people started taking pride in their neighborhoods because the cops had to walk around (constables on patrol) and formed real relationships with those they vow to protect and serve. Before, it looked like a military supply station with humvees, tanks, camo, etc.
ReplyDeleteIt can be done because they did it and it worked.
In Minnesota, there is a lot of foot dragging happening.
ReplyDeletehttp://kstp.com/news/stories/S3801444.shtml?cat=1
I like the part where they say that people have weapons that can shoot through cars so we must protect our police.