Let’s cover the damned nation in MRAP’s even if they shouldn’t be allowed bb guns:
A Pentagon program that distributes military surplus gear to local law enforcement allows even departments that the Justice Department has censured for civil rights violations to apply for and get lethal weaponry.
That lack of communication between two Cabinet agencies adds to questions about a program under review in the aftermath of the militarized police response to protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.
The Pentagon, which provides the free surplus military equipment, says its consultation with the Justice Department will be looked at as the government reviews how to prevent high-powered weaponry from flowing to the untrustworthy.
The Justice Department has opened civil rights investigations into the practices of some 20 police departments in the past five years, with the Ferguson force the latest. The investigations sometimes end in negotiated settlements known as consent decrees that mandate reforms. Yet being flagged as problematic by Washington does not bar a police department from participating in the program.
“Given the fact that they’re under a consent decree it would make sense that the Department of Defense and Department of Justice coordinate on any such requests, (but) that is currently not the state,” said Jim Bueermann, who heads the nonprofit Police Foundation.
Of course, if the Justice Department does try to do something, Congress will pass a bill keeping the arms a flowing. Just like when the military wanted to do something about climate change, Congress stepped in and made it illegal. That would be my congressman who sponsored the amendment, because he is looking out for the citizens of West Virginia.
Baud
From what I can tell, it looks like that passed the House, but not the Senate.
srv
Why not bring back a coal-fired Navy?
i never got the whole pipeline thing in Afghanistan. Need to start with trains first. Put all those coolies to work. Then we could have a whole new series of modern Westerns. Bring back the Cavalry.
Violet
Turned on the TV a little bit ago and “Entertainment Tonight” was on. Apparently the Clinton Global Initiative is meeting.The blonde lady interviewed President Clinton who mentioned that Leonardo DiCaprio interviewed him in 1999 for something about climate change. They showed a clip of it. Leo asked Clinton if he thought the US would eventually become a role model in climate change. Then-President Clinton replied, “Absolutely!”
Uh huh.
Baud
@Violet:
But it’s true. Everyone is following the U.S. example of doing very little.
Keith G
Maybe so, but that is no reason why the White House can not get going on this ASAFP and interrupt the flow. Maybe even a moratorium as the issue gets carefully reviewed.
Leadership please.
Baud
@Keith G:
Is that a joke?
Sayne
Look this is appalling in retrospect, but as someone who has worked around the government his entire professional life, it doesn’t surprise me at all the DOD and DOJ didn’t communicate on this.
It almost certainly didn’t cross the minds of the people working on the program at DOD to check these police forces against DOJ investigations. In fact, I bet no such organized list existed until this all hit the fan. I can guarantee you, the DOD’s mandate was “We have too many surplus MRAPS and M-4s and whatever that are being life-cycled out. Get rid of as many as you can to as many police forces as you can. Because Turrorism and Military-Industrial Complex.” And the DOD people did just that.
It probably should have come to the attention at someone at DOJ, but I can easily understand how it didn’t.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: I just finished watching Hardball, and the most important things in the world are ISIS or ISIL, cause they behead people and are coming to get us in our beds; and the dude who managed to get to the entry hall of the White House.
Baud
@BillinGlendaleCA:
We shall drown ISIL in the rising sea!!!
scav
@Sayne: Not just PDs. Schools. Don’t forget the schools. May not have instructional materials, but golly! they can enforce discipline — so long everyone shows up in the correct bathroom. If not, well, are there ex-mil shredders about as well?
maya
Well, ya know, the DOD used to be called the War Dept. It’s what they do. Make war.
Keith G
@Baud: That is a fantastic start. I am hoping that the much needed moratorium has been unreported.
Pogonip
Where are the promised Steve pictures?
Congrats on your continued sobriety.
ronin122
@Baud: Doesn’t really matter whether or not it passed (I know…), the point is that’s the kind of Congress we have. Something works? Make it illegal! Something’s broken and needs fixing? Break it more!
RubberCrutch
I do not think it is fiscally conservative to have so many surplus MRAPs. Maybe Congress could reduce the order next year.
agorabum
@Violet: we will totally be a great leader in climate change issues in 2026, after the loss of parts of Miami and Tampa Bay. Course it will be too late…
gene108
When sea levels rise, all them hills and hollers in West “By God” Virginia will become prime real estate; so he is thinking in the best interest of his constituents.
stibbert
Think there’s some good stuff that local first-responders need. Robust comm gear, search & rescue stuff, generators & lights, water & fuel tankers. Stuff that’d be useful in an emergency. Funding for new ambulances, firetrucks, & river-rescue boats. Funding for training local volunteers. More funding for training local gov’t officials in disaster-response.
What localities don’t need is military ordnance that can only increase the body-count.
WaterGirl
@stibbert: Well said.