Federal Influence on Local Police - Liberty.me

Federal Influence on Local Police

Mike Trapp June 21, 2014 at 9:39 am

http://libertasutah.org/blog/exclusive-utah-county-sheriffs-office-acquires-military-vehicle/#more-2831

Our county sheriff received an MRAP vehicle from the federal government and then stated in a public forum that the police are not becoming militarized. He also proposed that the police had always been militarized, that in the early days of the country, there were few distinctions of merit between policemen and soldiers; i.e., that they used much the same weaponry and tactics. I of course hold this to be a ridiculous, ludicrous idea.

Furthermore, when you accept federal handouts, it comes with federal strings, if nothing else, it buys your opinion. Not a good thing for a public official to be bought by other branches of government.

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Toni Sopocko June 21, 2014 at 10:22 am

Yup. Last Christmas I saw our town police’s new MRAP for the first time; all decked out in pretty lights for the Christmas parade. ‘Don’t worry kiddies! We’re Santa Claus!’

I was horrified. We’re a town of about 20K. The only thing I KNOW they’ve used it for so far was to serve a search warrant on a paroled felon. REALLY? They couldn’t knock on the door first and do a little actual police work? They had to send in the MRAP and the SWAT first, right off the bat. They’ve probably used it quite a few more times, but our P.D. is very hush hush about their activities.

Last semester, at a local high school, someone THOUGHT they might have seen somebody with a rifle NEARBY. It was phenomenal. Within minutes there were a dozen black SUVs , all unmarked, but with cop-lights behind their grilles, and sirens converging on the place. Where did they come from? They were for sure Federal vehicles. We don’t have any Federal facilities within 50 miles, that I’m aware of. How did so many unmarked vehicles get there so quickly? It’s scary as hell.

Oh, and they found no gunman, no evidence there ever was one.

In recent months, I’ve learned that every S.O. and P.D. in the area has at least one MRAP now. . . They love their new toys.

Everybody back into your hovels. Nothing to see here.

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Mike Vroman June 22, 2014 at 1:20 am

Here’s one piece of encouraging news, at least until the next election. Shortly after he gained the office, our Sheriff was the recipient of a donated armored car, vintage WW2 or Korea. he decided that the place for it to be was at a body shop nearly as far from town as possible, and that it should remain there until he released the funds to repaint it. It is still sitting there. I hope he gets reelected, so it can sit there for another four years.

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