Posted on Jul 3, 2015
Should military surplus be given to school districts?
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San Diego School District Gets MRAP and the Los Angeles School District Gets Grenade Launchers. What?? This was my thought as I was searching for something about the militarization of our schools. Further investigation revealed that the Los Angeles School District returned the grenade launchers but kept the rifles. What is you opinion on this?
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-la-school-district-has-grenade-launchers-because-w [login to see]
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-la-school-district-has-grenade-launchers-because-w [login to see]
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 9
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I think community based policing, police living within the neighborhoods they serve, and higher minority officer representation in the community served make more sense than armored vehicles and assault weapons. Granted LA is a huge city compared to Boston, but what I mentioned is working in Boston.
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SSG (Join to see)
One rebuttal, a Law Enforcement Agency can't attempt to hire someone who doesn't apply. Regardless of race.
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LTC Gavin Heater
Excellent retort. Opportunities must include decent salary and benefits packages, and come from organizations that want change.
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Before we get on the Paranoia bandwagon, let me point out that some school districts actually have "police departments." The High School which I graduated from was part of Northside Independent School District, and they had a Police Department, as in actual uniformed police.
Second "grenade launcher" includes things like Tear Gas launchers (M79), and M203. A "patrol rifle" in a squad car with one of these on it would not necessarily be out of place.
Although I despise the concept of militarizing our police as much as the next person, we need to look at what is actually happening, and whether the reporting is misleading.
Second "grenade launcher" includes things like Tear Gas launchers (M79), and M203. A "patrol rifle" in a squad car with one of these on it would not necessarily be out of place.
Although I despise the concept of militarizing our police as much as the next person, we need to look at what is actually happening, and whether the reporting is misleading.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
SGT Richard H. Concur.
My post above is meant only to show the issue is not as black & white as it seems at first glance, and in some way it points to a completely different issue entirely, as PO1 John Miller, your, and my dialog implies.
I don't think we disagree on most of this, we're just looking at it from two different angles, to likely the same actual conclusion. Neither of us want militarized Police (or Schools).
My post above is meant only to show the issue is not as black & white as it seems at first glance, and in some way it points to a completely different issue entirely, as PO1 John Miller, your, and my dialog implies.
I don't think we disagree on most of this, we're just looking at it from two different angles, to likely the same actual conclusion. Neither of us want militarized Police (or Schools).
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PO1 John Miller
SGT Richard H. and Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS, I agree with both of you! Cops definitely don't need to be conducting routine patrols in an MRAP!
Are either of you familiar with the Navy vet from Alachua County Florida who recently "flipped off" a couple of sheriff's deputies who were driving either an APC or MRAP (different articles state both types of vehicles) and got pulled over for it? Ultimately he was let go with a warning for "improper hand signals" even though the SCOTUS has repeatedly stated that it is perfectly legal to give police officers the middle finger?
Are either of you familiar with the Navy vet from Alachua County Florida who recently "flipped off" a couple of sheriff's deputies who were driving either an APC or MRAP (different articles state both types of vehicles) and got pulled over for it? Ultimately he was let go with a warning for "improper hand signals" even though the SCOTUS has repeatedly stated that it is perfectly legal to give police officers the middle finger?
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
PO1 John Miller I followed it when it came out. At its core, there were two issues there "abuse of Power" (and the Public trust), and the "militarization of Police."
It's cases like that which drive my healthy paranoia.
It's cases like that which drive my healthy paranoia.
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PO1 John Miller
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS, even though I personally don't have any issues with police (though I do follow all the cases of both alleged and actual abuse of power and think that police should be held accountable and to a higher standard) I have tried this out myself. That is, flipping off cops.
One day on my way home from work, I was on my motorcycle and passed by 2 motorcycle cops going the other way. Instead of giving the standard "biker greeting" I flipped them off. Nothing happened.
Last week I was driving through California and saw a CHP officer doing a traffic stop. I also flipped him off (though he probably didn't even see me, LOL).
One day on my way home from work, I was on my motorcycle and passed by 2 motorcycle cops going the other way. Instead of giving the standard "biker greeting" I flipped them off. Nothing happened.
Last week I was driving through California and saw a CHP officer doing a traffic stop. I also flipped him off (though he probably didn't even see me, LOL).
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I vote yes, CPT (Join to see). There's an LA Unified School District Police Department, and the first time they can't respond to an active shooter or a terrorist, they'll be raked over the coals in the media. I'd say they're damned if the do and (potentially, at least) damned if they don't.
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CPT (Join to see)
I read about the LA School District Police Dept., when looking further into what was going on. I did look further than this one article.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
This parallels my experiences from high school. Our school district had an actual Police Department, back before we called the Campus Cop the "Resource Officer."
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