MRAPs across America

[Skidmore]

http://news.yahoo.com/as-wars-wind-down--small-town-cops-inherit-armored-vehicles-233505138.html

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/GzDvlnXhzj.KoDeexINUWg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/

Hundreds of counties have MRAPs — and more are on their way
By Liz Goodwin
June 24, 2014 5:06 AM
Yahoo News

Robert Shellmyer was relieved to see last week at his hometown’s 175th anniversary celebration that the local police department’s new prized possession was not driving alongside the tractors and floats in the parade.
That’s because a 45,000-pound, explosion-resistant vehicle from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan might spoil the mood.

Shellmyer, a 78-year-old city councilman for the small town of Washington, Iowa, was the sole local politician to vote against the department of 12 police officers getting the free MRAP — short for mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle — from the Defense Department three months ago. Washington is one of hundreds of towns and cities to get a recycled MRAP from the Pentagon over the past year and a half. more..

“Here’s the thing,” Shellmyer says. “Washington, Iowa, has 8,000 people. We have an MRAP now. We have a SWAT team. We have [police] dogs, and we have a SWAT team transportation vehicle that’s not armored.”

The city councilman began to think: “Goodness, this is overkill.”

more...

[GP6971]

1. Trying to maintain

these beasts will break town budgets......and quickly.

[Live and Learn]

2. Crap, why does CA have so many? nt

[GP6971]

4. Same question with Texas & Florida n/t

[Live and Learn]

5. And 11 for tiny CT? nt

[NightWatcher]

3. How many mines have cop cars hit in the US, EVER?

They do not need Mine Resistant Ambush Protect(ion). When citizens start using IED's, I'll reconsider my position.

[atreides1]

6. It's a lease program

The Defense Logistics Agency is in charge of off-loading 13,000 MRAPs to 780 domestic law enforcement agencies on waiting lists for vehicles. The DLA does not transfer property to the agencies, so the vehicles are allocated to the agencies with costs picked up by them or the state, while the vehicles still remain property of the Defense Department. To receive an armored vehicle, a requesting agency has to meet certain criteria including justification for use like for shooting incidents, SWAT operations, and drug interdiction, geographical area and multi-jurisdiction use, ability to pay for repairs and maintenance, and security and restricted access to the vehicle. The goal is to keep citizens in their jurisdiction safe from terrorist and criminal drug activity.

[Live and Learn]

7. What pray-tell is drug interdiction? nt

[Skidmore]

9. The local news reported that these were given free of charge to the

community, which was only required to come up with funds to transport it. It cost the community quite a bit to bring it.

I live not far from Washington, IA. That sleepy little berg does not need equipment like this, nor does any community for hundreds of miles any direction.

[bhikkhu]

11. Its a cheap way of getting vehicle maintenance

and probably a bit of a white elephant for most police forces. I suppose the defense department had to do something with them, and its kind of nice that they can't think of anything better (wars, for instance).

[Savannahmann]

8. Does anyone else remember this?

The LAPD Armored Battering Ram.



We went downhill pretty fast didn't we?

They took an armored car with cannon, pulled the cannon, and put a huge steel bar on the front to smash their way into armored rock houses. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Gage_Commando

Anyone want to bet that they're going to be putting the cannons back on in the next ten years or so?

Oh they'll explain that the bad guys have rocket launching jump jets and they need the firepower to stay current with the new standard. They might even say new normal.

Because it went from two battering ram armored cars, single purpose vehicles that were just used to breach the perimeter of the reinforced structure to allow entry to hundreds of armored vehicles around the nation. These have firing ports so the cops can safely stay inside the tank and shoot people outside. They have turrets set up for rifles, or machine guns. But hey, they're cops, and they're going to protect us or something.

[Live and Learn]

13. I do. That was awful. nt

[Dawson Leery]

10. Really, Connecticut has 11?

We should have none.

[Glassunion]

12. What's the big deal?

You never know when you'll have to open a can of "rescue".
Or "rescue" some unarmed kid with his hands up.
Or "rescue" a peaceful crowd of folks
Or "rescue" some dude even when he is screaming don't "rescue" me bro.
Or "rescue" a man in the back while he is laying on his stomach handcuffed on a train platform.
The list of "rescue" opportunities goes on and on...

Rescue... Rescue... Rescue...