Do you believe Obama should be able to put restrictions on military gear for police officers?

SGT Jeremiah B. Ummm. I disagree with your last statement, "The militarization of police forces is a real problem." Gear isn't what makes a military a military. In structure, organization, customs and courtesy, Police Departments have always been paramilitary and have a hierarchy similar in fashion. I understand what the President meant, what you said completely mirrored my original post. The equipment the Police use is for defense and public safety, but more importantly is primarily for the prevention of loss of life which is something the anti-police conspiracy theorists dont take into account because they have never done the job and have no idea what they are talking about. Specifically regarding your post? Bayonets are knives and are 1. acceptable, 2. Not used by any Police department I am aware of. Just silly. Grenade launchers can be purchased by civilians as well, and since they are used to deliver non-lethal preventative measures by Police are more than acceptable. No Police Departments I am aware of utilize .50 cal machine guns either, but since civilians who are licensed can buy them and many criminals procure full-auto rifles and belt-fed machine guns I would say the Police having one is less worrisom. If you can find one though I would like to know because the residual risk is far too great for a Police Department to ever employ it. And finally, no Police Department has tanks either. Please provide an example of one that has a functional tank for use of force. What Police Departments do have is modern equipment that keeps them safe against a highly equipped, dangerous and ever growing criminality. Body armor, crowd dispersion tools and protective vehicles are not absurd given what we ask Police to face every day. What it sounds like you should be worried about is the militarization of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, who are far more likely to trample all over your individual rights one day at the barrel of a gun. And they do have all the scary items you are talking about. Allowing our Law Enforcement (especially Sheriff Departments sworn to the Constitution) to equip themselves according to their criminal opposition is just as necessary as civilians being armed sufficiently to defend themselves from tyrranical government.

LTC Paul Labrador Yes ^^^ exactly. Right on point, Sir. I love when people see the M113 with a crowd control mechanism and start crying, "Tank!" Not a tank. It is a tracked vehicle not unlike a bulldozer with protective walls. They made excellent CASEVAC vehicles in Iraq, and if they are good enough to protect casualties from assault over there I have no problem with them protecting Police from bullets, molotov coctails, bottles and rocks when they HAVE to respond to a riot or civil unrest. I wouldn't go into a gun fight without all the protection available to me, and I dont expect a Policeman to either. Every 80 hours a Police Officer is killed in our Country, making the job more dangerous than mine as an Infantryman.

Look at my MOS - I don't confuse the two.

LTC Paul Labrador I wasn't saying they had those things. I was saying they were what was being banned from the supply chain. Yes, M113's are considered "armored" (oh how I laugh), but the ban is more blanket than that. God only knows if M-60s were available or have been purchased (but thankfully unused).

SFC (Join to see) Holy wall of text, batman! I'm not sure we entirely disagree. I do disagree that equipment doesn't contribute. Our tools influence how we approach problems and when military equipment is available, it very well can contribute to an increasingly militaristic response. As the president noted, the problem isn't the equipment, it's the environment it creates when present.

Overall, the point of this was to stop the Federal government from contributing to an increasing trend. It was also only part of the announcement.

Who is going to respond when someone shoots up a school or a city with heavy firepower? You want to pay the national guard to have a QRF in every major city?