The Shocking Militarization of America's Police Finally Catches the Interest of the US Senate

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/shocking-militarization-americas-police-finally-catches-interest-us-senate



he federal bureaucratic pipeline that has pumped billions in surplus military weapons and battle gear into thousands of police departments across America does not train cops to use them, does not track when the weaponry is used and does not screen police for history of civil rights abuses. It also does not want to decide whether it is even appropriate to be sending local police weapons as esoteric as rifle bayonettes and combat knives.

These were just some takeaways from a lengthy hearing in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday, where top officials from the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Justice described programs that funneled upwards of $50 billion in gear and grants in recent years to local police. The hearing is expected to prompt a major revamping of these programs, as almost every senator who spoke up, both Democrat and Republican, slammed militarized policing.

“How do they decide that an MRAP [mine-resistant ambush protected armored truck] is appropriate for my hometown of 35,000 people,” Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, asked Alan Estevez, an under-secretary of defense overseeing the Pentagon’s giveaways, who replied that governors' offices file the requests to get the free equipment. “But how do you decide that an MRAP is an appropriate vehicle for local police forces?” Coburn said, pressing on. “An MRAP is a truck, senator,” Estevez replied, at which point Coburn abruptly cut him off. “No, it’s not a truck. It’s a 48,000-pound offensive weapon.”

That exchange was not unique. Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, a former prosecutor, said she wasn’t buying the explanation given by St. Louis-area police for driving an armored truck into the protests in Ferguson, where a police sniper then aimed a laser-guided scope mounted atop an assault rifle at the crowd.

[Enthusiast]

1. Ferguson is just a little preview of what is coming?

After we are sufficiently abused by the corporate government.

[Heidi]

2. Kick, kick, kick!!!

And mornin', sunshine!

[xchrom]

4. bon jour!

[Sherman A1]

3. About time the Senate started asking these questions

in fact long over due. I believe that surplus military equipment should be in the hands of the Reserves or the National Guard. There may be times when it is needed to be used, but those times are very few and far between and it should not be at the discretion of local or county police departments. I do not believe they have any need for any military style equipment such as MRAP's and alike.

[glowing]

5. The crazy thing is that if you have enough money as a private

citizen, you can buy an MRAP as a private citizen. I watched that shipping wars show and one of the drivers had to deliver a MRAP to a customer. She drove the 48,000 lb vehicle on highways to get it down to the customer, had no clue what she was showing the customer regarding the bells and whistles (and this thing had all the bells and whistles-- the alarms, smoke, fires shooting out from it). And all I know is that she brought it to a rich guy living in Sarasota, FL. WTF does he need that for?

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. He doesn't "need" it.

He bought it because it makes his dick hard.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Is a 24 ton monster even legal to drive on most roads?

Wait till those towns figure out the road damage bills.

[glowing]

10. I wouldn't think so. But who in FL was going to stop it?

They would probably think it was another police force inside driving the thing or some such nonsense.

[blkmusclmachine]

6. Militarization/Drones/Cameras everywhere: "The 1% Protecting Its Assets From the 99%."

[Arkansas Granny]

7. k& r