Obama to set new limits on police use of military equipment

[Jazzy]

President Barack Obama plans to put in place new restrictions on the use of military equipment by police departments, following unrest in U.S. cities over the deaths of black men at the hands of police officers, the White House said on Monday.

Obama will ban police use of equipment such as explosive-resistant vehicles with tracked wheels like those seen on army tanks, the White House said in a fact sheet. For other types of equipment, such as MRAP (mine-resistant ambush protected) vehicles and riot shields, departments will have to provide added justification for their use.

Obama will announce the steps, which are the result of an executive order, during a visit later on Monday to Camden, New Jersey, where he plans to push efforts to encourage trust-building between police and the communities they serve.

Full article

Here Obummer goes again trying to control things that are clearly none of his business. It is up to the state and local governments to determine how their police forces should be protected. That military equipment used by police departments is designed to protect the wearer. If the destructors, thieves, and rioters find it harder to harm the police, to damn bad.

Your thoughts?

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

I can't believe I am going to say these words. This really, really, really hurts. I mean really hurts! But I agree with him. Military equipment should not be going to our local police through the federal government. If things get that out of control thats why states have there own national guard to handle such problems with all the military equipment they need. But we can't have our police looking like military personal if the public is going to trust them.

 

[Webster]

I'm of two minds here....on the one hand, I can understand a lot of the concerns people have over some of the military-style equipment police departments get from Washington (I mean...seriously, folks: armored vehicles & light MGs'?) OTOH, this ain't Mayberry and we don't live in that world anymore; better the police be armed as they are and not need it than to not be armed as they are and need it.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Now some of the equipment obama picked to not send I don't agree with. No riot shields for the police??? I don't get that one.

 

[DrLeftover]

article for last picture
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/nation...core-700000-military-armored-vehicle-for-2000

 

[Webster]

*looks over towards Doc* I could understand a big-city PD getting one of those MRAPs' (or whatever the armored vehicle is above)...but a small town or municipality? What are they gonna' do with it, bust delinquent utility bill accounts?

 

[Jazzy]

Maybe the police can protect themselves with flowers? Maybe if they ask really really nice they will stop burning buildings. This will only last until something horrible happens and the police don't have the tools they need to get the job done. When the police need the tools, they won't be available but the president and his people don't care. They couldn't give a hoot about whether an officer lives or dies.

 

[DrLeftover]

"What are they gonna' do with it....", indeed.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Why would police need grenade launchers?

Why would police need a heavily armored tank with a mounted machine gun on top?

Why would police need a 50 caliber sniper rifle designed to take people out up to 3 miles awAy?

Why would police need a helicopter with weaponary mounted on it.

It is the whole reason stated have a national guard with these very weapons. If this is how we are going to arm police who are peacekeepers then we need to just dismantle the police and have the military rolling around in fatigues and armored vehicles.

Also just because Obama is not allowing the Federal government to give out these items it does not mean the state or city can'the buy this equipment straight from the makers of this equipment. Then when they spend the money the people of the community have more of a day of what the tax payers money is being spent on.

 

[Jazzy]

Don't you remember that Obama and his gang of Socialist goons were the one's that insisted on distributing military hardware to police departments? Many of which did not even have the budget to maintain the stuff. After which some cities actually requested the equipment. Local politicians could never pass up a bargain. So the whole thing was Obama's idea. Now he comes in on his white horse to save the country from militarized police departments. The only thing funnier is how easily Americans are manipulated by this sinister group of thugs that run the White House right now. This is part of a continuing plot by Obama to undermine the nations police departments so that he can eventually take them over without complaint.

Armored vehicles used to rescue injured people in hostile places, or protect first responders in dangerous situations. These are defensive. These are designed to protect law enforcement in situations you couldn't even imagine going anywhere near in your wildest nightmares.

“Grenade launchers” are used for tear gas to disperse violent crowds. They are not the explosive, shrapnel causing grenades Obama wants you to think they are. They are used to break up violent and hostile groups when all else fails to work. They fire canisters of tear gas launched only into violent crowds that refuse to disperse and are causing damage and injury.

Taking away this gear is literally as absurd as not allowing police to wear bullet proof vests.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Don't you remember that Obama and his gang of Socialist goons were the one's that insisted on distributing military hardware to police departments? Many of which did not even have the budget to maintain the stuff. After which some cities actually requested the equipment. Local politicians could never pass up a bargain. So the whole thing was Obama's idea. Now he comes in on his white horse to save the country from militarized police departments. The only thing funnier is how easily Americans are manipulated by this sinister group of thugs that run the White House right now. This is part of a continuing plot by Obama to undermine the nations police departments so that he can eventually take them over without complaint.

Armored vehicles used to rescue injured people in hostile places, or protect first responders in dangerous situations. These are defensive. These are designed to protect law enforcement in situations you couldn't even imagine going anywhere near in your wildest nightmares.

“Grenade launchers” are used for tear gas to disperse violent crowds. They are not the explosive, shrapnel causing grenades Obama wants you to think they are. They are used to break up violent and hostile groups when all else fails to work. They fire canisters of tear gas launched only into violent crowds that refuse to disperse and are causing damage and injury.

Taking away this gear is literally as absurd as not allowing police to wear bullet proof vests.

Well as hard as it is for me to say this it all started under Reagan. I imagine if he had any idea the monstrosity this would become he would have never started giving out the equipment to our police that they did not use anymore to help out local law enforcement.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Don't you remember that Obama and his gang of Socialist goons were the one's that insisted on distributing military hardware to police departments? Many of which did not even have the budget to maintain the stuff. After which some cities actually requested the equipment. Local politicians could never pass up a bargain. So the whole thing was Obama's idea. Now he comes in on his white horse to save the country from militarized police departments. The only thing funnier is how easily Americans are manipulated by this sinister group of thugs that run the White House right now. This is part of a continuing plot by Obama to undermine the nations police departments so that he can eventually take them over without complaint.

I do agree he would love to see the police under one rule.

Armored vehicles used to rescue injured people in hostile places, or protect first responders in dangerous situations. These are defensive. These are designed to protect law enforcement in situations you couldn't even imagine going anywhere near in your wildest nightmares.

And yet when seen rolling down the streets like Ferguson they have machine guns mounted on top. And some of these cities have several of them. My small town has a armored vehicle because Oviedo is so well known for needing to rescue people in hostile places.

“Grenade launchers” are used for tear gas to disperse violent crowds. They are not the explosive, shrapnel causing grenades Obama wants you to think they are. They are used to break up violent and hostile groups when all else fails to work. They fire canisters of tear gas launched only into violent crowds that refuse to disperse and are causing damage and injury.

Ok that is a good one and forgot that is also what they use it for.

Taking away this gear is literally as absurd as not allowing police to wear bullet proof vests.

They are not going to take away what they have. But I disagree this should be the states providing what they really might need not the federal government. Part of the reason we are here now and discussing this is because the federal government was giving this stuff out to small towns to big cities like a person on a crack cocaine binge. The other reason we are here is because we are weak on crime and weak on keeping these repeat offenders behind bars. We have let the bleeding heart liberals infect our justice system and now are paying the price for it. So because we are not fixing the system we have police force wanting to militarize to compensate for it. I say fix the heart of the problem before we change America drastically with our police looking like a invading force on our streets.