House Democrat Unveils Bill To Demilitarize Local Police

[DonViejo]

Source: TPM

By SAHIL KAPUR Published AUGUST 14, 2014, 2:44 PM EDT

Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson proposed legislation on Thursday aimed at demilitarizing domestic police forces, amid national criticism of heavily armed cops going after protesters in Ferguson, Mo.

"Our main streets should be a place for business, families, and relaxation, not tanks and M16s," the Democratic congressman wrote in a "Dear Colleague" letter to members of Congress. "Unfortunately ... our local police are quickly beginning to resemble paramilitary forces."

The Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act would prevent the transfer of certain military-grade equipment from the Department of Defense to local law enforcement agencies. That includes some automatic weapons, armored vehicles, armored drones, silencers and flash-bang or stun grenades. Johnson boasted endorsements from the Friends Committee on National Legislation, American Civil Liberties Union and Defending Dissent Foundation.

"Before another small town's police force gets a $700,000 gift from the Defense Department that it can't maintain or manage, it behooves us to reign in the Pentagon's 1033 program and revisit the merits of a militarized America. I hope we can work together on this important issue," he wrote to colleagues.

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/hank-johnson-stop-militarizing-law-enforcement-act

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[another_liberal]

1. Hear! Hear!

Let it be so!

[billhicks76]

11. Make Him US Senator

Finally some real Americans stepping up.

[Rockyj]

26. This is so cool and I'm glad people are finally speaking out about...

the Militarization of our police, but where was the outcry when Occupy Movement was being brutalized by the police in most every city?

[calimary]

46. Truly. This is not downtown Baghdad.

There's a time and a place for those damn war toys. In a WAR ZONE. A little bedroom community in one corner of Missouri is NOT a war zone, at least it wasn't til the police willfully and recklessly turned it into one.

What a disgrace.

[liberalmike27]

52. Hard to Get Excited

About any legislation, as it will end up going nowhere.

Privatized prisons, and a well armed force have been the plan of Fascism all along. Even Reagan's forces way back in 1980, when all of this attack on the poor, and favoring the rich began, knew that eventually there would be throngs of the poor, that minorities would end up being pissed at their mistreatment. Hell it was the plan, to lock up people, and take away their 9/10 democratic voter rights for life.

Why would republicans allow this.

Unless enough people stop taking stupid in quantity, we're so screwed in this country.

[msongs]

2. and return all the war zone front line equipment they have already been given nt

[supercats]

3. I Agree 100%

But how do you get any support from the other side??? Sad to say, but it's dead in the water...They want people to die.

[rurallib]

39. maybe not die, but at least live in fear

[tjl148]

47. Grayson's bill (I think it was similar)

From what I read on another DU blog we don't need to worry about the "other side"... Grayson's bill was not supported by the Dem leadership. Maybe they want people to die? Point is why worry about the other side when we have enough problems with our side. To often there isn't much difference.
Once again, Grayson gets it right.

[BrotherIvan]

4. This needs to be part of the midterm conversation

Good lord, run on it.

[arcane1]

5. They will have to also stop buying tanks etc that the Pentagon doesn't want, but they buy anyway

[Tribalceltic]

6. I'd Suggest

Budgets for federal, state and local law enforcement cut at the same rate that social services such as snap and HUD budgets have been cut.

Elimination of all privatization of any law enforcement, corrections, or military.

End to all "wars", drug, racial, etc.

Assign 50% of federal law enforcement to investigating local law enforcement complaints.

Requiring any law enforcement involved in any injury or death to be investigated by Federal or State investigators separate from all other law enforcement.

Complete background checks, Extensive psychological examinations, and investigation of anyone in or applying for law enforcement.

That's a start

[obxhead]

16. Any law enforcement officer charged with any crime faces

5 times the penalty an ordinary citizen would. ie minimum 1 year for larceny would be minimum 5 years for any level of law enforcement.

[sendero]

19. Yes..

..... but only in the most egregious cases are LEOs ever even charged.

[Tribalceltic]

22. NY Sate has a law

A crime committed "under color of authority" is prosecuted more severely than other crimes.

Another problem is the expanding use of disguises and lack of identification of police. One line on a camouflage suit does not identify the agency, officer or their authority.

Our county in FL has gone to black cars (Dodge Chargers) and hidden flashing lights. This increases the intimidation factor, and implies that they are doing something wrong by trying to hide. Several incidents of people imitating police in order to rob, or rape have occurred locally.

Time to go back to the good old days in which the uniforms showed pride in the job, such as white shirts, khaki, or light blue. Highly visible cars are also important, so that citizens can recognize and wave them down in an emergency.

Another thing that should be outlawed are car chases. Stopping a car in traffic is dangerous under any circumstances. Minor traffic violations should be recorded on dash cams, and ticket or warning to the registered owner. Any chase that is initiated based on a non-violent crime should be abandoned immediately.

[JackRiddler]

54. That's the law, when is it ever enforced?

[47of74]

31. Also anyone covering for their fellow officers needs to be accounted for too.

I was thinking along the lines of "Regulations are quite harsh, but they're also quite clear, Captain. If you do not act, you will be considered equally guilty."

[salib]

7. If this is serious and not just mid-term theatre

Someone needs to introduce this in the Senate, where it has a chance to pass or at least force a filibuster.

In the House, it will go nowhere as long as Boehner is in charge. Thus, political theater.

[mark67]

45. Why not just propose a bill ending racism...

I agree. If this is serious and not more political theater introduce it in the Senate.

[Chan790]

53. Other way around.

This probably has a better chance in the House. This kind of proposal has more legs with liberal Democrats and the Tea Party than with the mainstreams of either party. (While tea-nuts and libertarians may not be thrilled about Ferguson, they're more concerned about police overreach and suppression of liberty than the mainstream Democrats or mainstream GOP. Posit police armament and the push to disarm the populous as two sides of the same coin in forming an oppressive surveillance police state. It only helps us thus if the mainstreams or WH come out against this proposal.)

If it passes in either chamber, it's likely to occur in the House, with the tacit support of the Speaker as "an insurrection against the middle"; the bone Boehner throws the tea-party wing of his own party as a negotiation-chip to keep them from backing him into any more unwinnable conflicts with the Senate or White House.

[Psephos]

8. K&R n/t

[abakan]

9. This is the way it starts and stops...

Everyone should get behind laws like this if we want to feel safe in our homes. Sometime it feels like living in 1940s Germany on the streets of USA. A jackbooted man with a weapon in his hand is a thug in most countries.

[Johnyawl]

10. Give all the surplus military gear in LE hands to the National Guard, where it belongs

If there's a "disturbance" or riot that LE can't handle with normal police weapons and equipment, the National Guard should handle it. Cops should NOT be dressed or equipped like soldiers.

And we also need to take the automatic pistols away from the cops, especially the high capacity magazine autos like the Glocks. Fucking cops NEVER fire once anymore, it's shoot and keep pulling the trigger until the body is hamburger. Whatever the excuse the cop had for shooting Michael Brown once, there was absolutely NO FUCKING reason to shoot him four times (as the police claim) or eight times (as the witness claim).

Give them back the six shot revolvers.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

55. yeah, I witnessed how those weapons were used

against people by the National Guard in Watts, while we were being told lies on live TV about what was going on, the Guard and police were using automatic weapons on the citizens right in front of me, I was there, it gets ugly real fast.
Sadly it seems like nothing has changed.

[rhett o rick]

12. It's a great idea, but the Jackbooted Repubs won't buy it. nm

[FarPoint]

28. You got that right!

This Bill will end up becoming toilet paper in the House GOP restrooms.

[Dems to Win]

13. Thank you Rep. Johnson

[Comrade Grumpy]

14. That's what we want to see. Don't leave this issue to Rand Paul.

[joeybee12]

15. KNR

[hedgehog]

17. How much of the equipment transfer was justified on the grounds it was needed for

the War on Drugs?

It's way past time to call that war over.

Legalize it all, control it the way we "control' alcohol and spend some money on re-hab and mental illness care.

[truedelphi]

34. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^This! n/t

[IronLionZion]

36. There was a lot of surplus military equipment from the war on fear

so lots of defense contractor type companies were churning stuff out and there was a national fear of terrorism after 9/11 that exacerbated the demand for such stuff locally. After all, terrorists could be lurking anywhere and the white people on Fox News and Hollywood movies told us what terorists look like so we would know.

Then once the police forces have all this great stuff that they didn't need before, they start itching to use it and look for any excuse.

A sizable chunk of the US population looks at the events unfolding in Ferguson and draws a completely opposite conclusion. They will use this to justify arming their local police forces even more (because of the rioters) and will of course purchase more dangerous weapons for their own defense (before Obama takes your guns!).

Fear makes people do horrible things. And that includes heavily armed people who "fear for their life" over anything.

[Uncle Joe]

40. If anything militarization of the police is more like a 'War on Trust."

If they truly wanted to wage a "war on fear," all weapons of the police would be removed except maybe billy clubs.

[hedgehog]

49. I forgot we are fighting a war on terror - I worry more about how to keep

the deer from eating my tulips than I do about terrorists.

[Blue Idaho]

18. It's about damn time.

While they are at it - take those Schutzstaffel uniforms and sunglasses away from them.

[mountain grammy]

20. I completely support such legislation and will let my representatives know today.

[E-Z-B]

21. I wonder if the militarization happened because of the expiration of the assault weapons ban

The police had to counter the deadlier weapons. That ban should also go back into effect.

[olddad56]

23. good luck with that one.

[47of74]

29. Yeah, I don't see the teabaggers cooperating here.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

24. K&R n/t

[hopemountain]

25. perhaps then, fewer military arms will not so easily land in the

hands of criminals and/or the black market - because we must ask - how do they get there?

[maindawg]

27. That goes nowhere fast again...

and soon forgotten like all the anti gun bills. You arent going to get the military gear back either because the cops just wont have to. No one will make them.
Our problem isnt the gear. Its the training. Too little training and too many knuckle heads. All cops should wear cams too. That is a realistic goal for this crisis.

[47of74]

30. Make them undergo a whole battery of psychological testing

Weed out the psychopaths.

[truedelphi]

35. Oh but the cops are getting plenty of training - only it takes place

At nearby military bases, and is handled through the Department of Homeland Security!

[Cha]

33. Thank you, Rep Hank Johnson! mahalo DV

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

37. Let's first get rid of ....

The Patriot Act. IMHO it is used to "justify" all the weapons and training the LEOs receive. Then move on from there.

[Uncle Joe]

38. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, DonViejo.

[Overseas]

41. K&R. Yes please!

[marble falls]

42. And get rid of their SS/Gestapo looking uniforms with all the braiding and medals.

[1Greensix]

43. Why black like the Nazi SS?

Cops wear black to intimidate the general public, just like the Nazi SS did to terrorize Their citizens. If black Isn't being used for intimidation then there is no reason to wear it. The average citizen in the US doesn't trust the cops and are afraid of them and their unrestricted power to inflict pain, suffering and imprisonment, almost on a whim. Cops should be dressed in white with pink polka dots so they don't frighten children and the rest of us. Police have an "us or them" attitude toward all non-cops and that's why they think they can hurt, imprison and kill anyone that stands in their way, for even the most innocent behavior, such as a peaceful protest march.

When police department claim that all that military gear is Just to protect themselves maybe we need to find a different way to hire cops that will bar applicants that are obviously racist, violent and unbalanced. If they are afraid of a ten year old with a cap pistol then their mental health needs to be evaluated by professionals and then removed from any police service.

[valerief]

44. The Pentagon will never allow this, sadly. nt

[freshwest]

48. Que y Rrrrr!

[geretogo]

50. That bill is going no place . We are well on the way to a Fascist Police State and I don't think

the few Oligarchs who own and rule this land is going to let any thing stand in the way .

[leftyohiolib]

51. gotv

[chrisa]

56. Local police should not have APCs, Sonic Weapons, Army Camo, and .50 cal MGs.

It doesn't matter if this crap is Iraq surplus - melt it down or sell it off to other nations, then. The local police should not be trained and equipped like an army.

It's the "Homeland Security" crap that ruined police forces. Now everybody is ready to fight a war.

[duhbyas pet goat]

57. In AZ a-hole Arpaio has a tank he likes to roll out to threaten Mexicans

[link:http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/arizona-sheriff-arpaio-and-steven-segal|

and chickens. In this case with America's biggest douche-bag, steven seagal inside of it. They stormed a guys house with a SWAT team, armored vehicles, and broke through the guy's front wall with Sheriff Joe's tank, because he was suspected of cock fighting. They then killed over 100 chickens in order to protect them.

Their justification for such idiotic over-kill was "we're going to err on the side of caution". Arpaio is fool enough to be willing to do something this stupid just for this has-been-fat-bastard-seagal's lame-ass so called reality show. Unfortunately he's fool enough to do far worse. People like this we allow to have military grade equipment.

I heard boss-hog arpaio wants a drone now.