Spotters Guide to Police Military Gear

[oknow]

Point is... was this cop actually wearing full tactical gear ? Or, are some here dressing him in Ferguson riot gear after the fact. He could have been dressed regular Mayberry and still would have shot that dog...unless the point is cops shouldn't have guns?
We need to be careful here, when arguing that police use of "scary" weapons is wrong, we come awfully close to the gun controller's argument that civilians owning "scary" weapons is wrong.
It isn't the weapon/gear, it's how it's used. If "Military style" cops that are supposedly highly trained are evil by default what does that say about "military style" civilians?
I just saw on the news that Obama wants to re-visit the surplus weapon program to make sure police depts. aren't being over armed. Wanna bet he'll determine that cops don't need "military style"and neither, therefore, do civilians. His logic will always be that cops only need them because civilians got them...so civilians shouldn't have them...and he won't mean vehicles and clothing.

Using the Ferguson situation for example...Brown was shot by a patrol cop with a sidearm and in standard uniform. The following events initially brought a full dress response that some in the media decided to blame for the escalation (firebombs, rock throwing and looting) so they were withdrawn...result? Still more days of the same violent acts. Are some actually buying it ...that the only reason there was looting and burning is the cops were dressed wrong for the occasion? Anyone wonder why media were embedded with the demonstrators so would of course been affected by teargas...Anyone see media camped out with the cops to maybe receive a few bottles thrown their way? Has anyone asked whether the huge media presence and crowds playing for the camera perhaps caused things to escalate more than the police presence did? Intense national media coverage attracts organized agitators like a light bulb attracts bugs.

He was very possibly dressed in Mayberry but he put himself in the backyard without checking it out first, if he was in hot pursuit I could understand just jumping the fence but he was not in hot pursuit so he could have checked the situation out first, that would be like him kicking the door in because he was looking for a bg and shoots the homeowner because he came up on him with a gun.
----- You brought up the point about cops not having guns not me. ---Military style" cops vs military style" civilians = military style" civilians are held accountable for their actions whereas the Military style" cops very seldom are after paid time off.
-----without question they did.
On a side note don't think for a min. that I am anti cop (as it seems that is the way you are leaning) if you look back you will find I started the good cop thread.

albin25 I concur 100%

 

[albin25]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you directly said cops shouldn't have guns just that it follows the logic of ,"and what became of it? NOTHING!!!!! point being if they have it they are going to use it for what it is designed for even if it could be handled differently without it."
The last thing I'd think is that you're anti-cop, you seem genuinely concerned that unless there is a sea-change in the way they perform, a point will be reached where they become so image-damaged they are beyond resurrection in the public's view.

it's time to find ways to free actual good street cops from the mountains of constant admin/paperwork crap that eats up their time. Not all cops need to be all things, some could specialize in admin and free up limited resources for those few with the will, mindset and desire to deal with tough situations and not over react.

After "academy" rooky cops need to continue weapons training while still not allowed a weapon for the first year while on rotating duty with many different cops(sort of a year of grad school). If they pass they get paid at duty levels, a side arm and can apply for armor training and on and on... if not they push paper for a year and try again. We need to find a way to keep the "mall ninja Rambo wannabes" out of the system.

What the public/media can do...Stop the teenage drama queen theatrics.
Cop beats motorist ... he's possibly in the wrong and once the facts are in should be dealt with accordingly. The, "all cops are gun crazed incompetents" "criminals" mantra isn't helping them recruit the right people.

And to the general public and criminally oriented alike...why in heck would you think getting all mouthy and in your face, being uncooperative and violent with a cop (or anyone else) will get you anything but hurt or dead?? I know, you're stupid...but geeze.!


We know it was kids who broke in as they took the Jack Daniels but left the Irish Whiskey -the philistines, we need a better class of criminal!

 

[natef]

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it's time to find ways to free actual good street cops from the mountains of constant admin/paperwork crap that eats up their time. Not all cops need to be all things, some could specialize in admin and free up limited resources for those few with the will, mindset and desire to deal with tough situations and not over react.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. I have a few friends who are State Troopers and spend more time pushing paper than they do actually doing anything. Its a serous point of frustration for them.

another example in my nehbor. he is a city police officer in one of the suburbs here of portland. talking with him he has been almost completly pulled off of the street and put into a desk roll for nothing more than getting to the point of advancment. Its an odd thing when we take the good guys, oathkeeper types who are actually in it to make a difference and help people and put them behind a desk where they are effectivly inefective.

I know for some they view it as a promotion but to me and what i would think is alot of others opinion, taking a good guy with a solid level head off the direct interaction with the public side and putting a hot out of acadamy with everything to prove and no real honest guidence on how to prove it beside going to the extreame in his place is redicolus.