I’ve covered the militarization of the domestic police force on several occasions on this website. For those of you who need a refresher, I suggest reading the following:
There are Over 50,000 SWAT Team Raids Annually in America
Retired Marine Colonel to New Hampshire City Council: “We’re Building a Domestic Army”
Video of the Day – Thuggish Militarized Police Terrorize and SWAT Team Iowa Family.
Moving along to the subject of today’s absurdity, the tiny city of Washington, Iowa with a population of 7,000 and 11 police officers, will be receiving a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle. Yes, they will be employing one of these in the field:
These things normally cost $500,000, but will be given to Washington, Iowa for free under a Defense Department program that gives surplus military equipment to domestic law enforcement.
Matthew Byrd writes in the Daily Iowan that:
Sometimes the news is just so drearily awful that you have to sit back and almost appreciate the pure comedy induced by it.
Take this item from Washington, Iowa, where the local police have recently acquired an MRAP vehicle (short for Mine Resistance Ambush Protected) through a Defense Department program that donates excess vehicles originally produced for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to local police departments across the United States, including other Iowa towns such as Mason City and Storm Lake.
The MRAP weighs an impressive 49,000 pounds, stands 10-feet tall, and possesses a whopping six-wheel drive. Originally designed to resist landmines and IEDs, it sure seems like the MRAP will come in handy for the notorious war zone otherwise known as Washington County, Iowa.
If you’re having a bad day, I highly recommend watching a video produced by the Des Moines Register in which Washington police officials try to justify the possession of a vehicle it clearly has no use for. The excuses range from school shootings (which are an actual concern but an MRAP seems like overkill) to a terrorist attack happening in central Iowa (because if there’s any place that seems ripe for a high-profile terrorist attack it’s Washington, Iowa, population 7,000).
As Radley Balko, the author of the book The Rise of the Warrior Cop, an expose of the police militarization of the last decade, found, in 2006 alone the Pentagon, “distributed vehicles worth $15.4 million, aircraft worth $8.9 million, boats worth $6.7 million, weapons worth $1 million and “other” items worth $110.6 million to local police agencies.”
The effects of cops moving from handguns to assault rifles and being equipped with tanks, bazookas, and Kevlar has been twofold. First, civil liberties have absolutely been eroded, with police-brutality rates skyrocketing in last decade according to the Justice Department. Not only that, but, with the influx of military gear into local police forces, cops begin to view themselves as soldiers whose main job is combat rather than keeping the peace. How else can you explain the rise in police shootings since 9/11?
USA! USA! USA!
Keep chanting like idiots until one of these rolls up to your doorstep.
Full article here.
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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How much will it cost the taxpayers of Washington, Iowa to operate this armored vehicle, which probably comes with no guarantee? To insure the vehicle? To pay to have officers trained to operate it, most likely travel per diem? To hire more officers?
I grew up in a small town in SD The town fire truck used by volunteers is in an unlocked building. This town will probably keep it in an unlocked building next to their fire truck.
I only hope that the locals use this equipment to fight off the DHS in the future.
Boy that would piss off the federal government.
this all started after 9-11 by the GOP handing out expensive useless equipment to police and sheriffs from Timbutu to LA county and thus we have the modern police state, Thank the GOP
I don’t understand why small IA townS need these — can’t be used often — why not share one??
The article is leaving out that this vehicle is being shared by a population of around 400,000 (not just 7,000). But, they all live in a flyover state, so I am sure the author sees no real difference between those numbers. Probably also thinks Storm Lake and Mason City are 30 minutes away by tractor.
Brett, despite what you said can you honestly think of a situation in that area that requires a 29000 pound mine resistant armored carrier? Quit defending yer governments stupidity, no wonder yer country is falling to pieces. I cant even see a large city like Chicago really having a need for this, its ridiculous.
yer….. Kind of like arrr for a pirate, but for rightwinged nutjobs.
Well, let’s see. Person decides to walk into a plasma research facility and start shooting people (Gang Lu). Domestic terrorists start fire bombing campus buildings and throwing molotovs (Old Armory and adjacent buildings).
And of course, no one would ever think to attack one of the 20 largest college stadiums in the world. Big sporting events are immune from violence, right?
These sorts of vehicles have been in use in the 20 largest cities in the US since the early 90s with almost zero notice. But Iowa gets one and suddenly everyone goes nuts about it.
Wait what?? Just heard Fox news do an article on the fact that it costs too much to be worth it to return equipment from the sand boxes of war over there and these will be destroyed there, on site. so who is lying to us?? Hmmm you think Obama is having these made at 500,000 a piece here and now and given to these cities and towns? Scratching some lobbyist back, perks for donations more likely!
It was made clear in the article that the U.S over-manufactured. They likely made too many, sent a lot of them overseas, then kept the rest here. Now it’s pointlessly expensive to ship their junk back over here, and they have nothing to do with the excess here. Don’t know why they don’t just keep it in some bunker instead of donating it to local police forces who wouldn’t have a use for it, much less the knowledge to operate and upkeep them.
I actually grew up in the area and still reside nearby… this area is the last place on earth needing one of these things…alot of cows there maybe they fear a cowvolution
I live appx 60 miles from Washington , IA. The vehicle they received was once used by IA. National Guard ! Why Washington ? Des Moines , Davenport , & Cedar Rapids Iowa’s 3 largest cities none of which have over 500,000 population but do have pretty serious gang problems as do all larger cities across the U.S. WHY wouldnt a larger city get this? Absolutely absurd makes ya wonder if Des Moines had it would it have used in Ames last weekend during the Veesha celebration that resulted in some property damaged , overturned cars , rocks thrown at cop thugs & 1 serious injury & several minor injuries! Could have been talking about DEAD college students if Des Moines had this! Everyone knows if the cops have the latest in weapons they are pissin all over over themselves to use it! Wouldn’t it have made more sense to part the military vehicles out & save the tax payers a lil money? Jus my thought!!!! I will be 20 miles from Washington IA. this weekend & on Sunday will make a trip up to Washington to see if I can speak with a cop or 2 as to why they need this , oh don’t worry I will have at least 1 person with me & at least 2 smart phones recording ! This is simply unbelieveable , is the next thing internment or holding camps? STORM IS BREWING……… PREPARE NOW!
Nice job demeaning and belittling Iowa.
Washington, IA, is the county seat of Washington County in the Cedar Rapids metro, which does have very significant soft targets in it (e.g. Kinnick stadium).
It is also the home of the massive TrekFest and the largest casino in eastern Iowa (which I am sure _you_ think is a two table card room and would never believe has a major golf course and resort hotel, after all, “It’s in Iowa!”). The region has definitely had domestic terrorist bombings in its history (e.g. the arson bombing of the Old Armory in Iowa City). And just _yesterday_ the entire downtown of Hills, less than 10 minutes away from Washington, was shut down due to a bomb threat against the headquarters for a major bank headquarters that is located there. Then there was the serial bombing in 2007, the bomb threat series in 2007, 2012, and 2013 (which seems to be resuming this year).
Yeah, sure, no one would care enough about insignificant Iowans to do anything really dangerous. And who cares if they do, right? Iowans are just a bunch of farmer who don’t need anywhere close to the same protection as someone in an important state on the coast.
Oh give yer head a shake Brett, like a terrorist is gonna attack anything in Iowa. You americans are so friggin paranoid. And I mean a real terrorist, not some disgruntled punk calling in a bomb threat, you guys use the T word like I smoke cigarettes! I remember the good ol days when cops werent total pussies, no tasers just a nightstick, and now its giant armored bomb proof terrorist destroyers in the cowfields of Iowa, hahahaaaa
Did you even bother to do a little research on the bombings I mentioned? Any at all? Did you notice the part about buildings burned to the ground and shot to death. Did you?
“like a terrorist is gonna attack anything in Iowa”
I am sure people say that about Oklahoma too.
Just like I said. This is about marginalizing the importance of people in flyover states. We are not even _worth_ being attacked by terrorists, so of course we are not _worth_ protecting from terrorists.
So which great big coastal metropolitan city do you come from? Because I am guessing you have never touched land within 400 miles of Washington, IA.
I have lived in Washington Iowa all my life…and let me say as a citizen (and I probably speak for more than half the town) this thing is going to sit and rust wherever they park it. 1st they have no use for it, and if they EVER do use it, what are they going to do? roll up there and crash a house? They still have to get out of the thing, so they are in even more danger, because now they are in the middle of the danger…duh. 2nd taxpayers are NOT going to agree to let them raise taxes to afford the training needed and insurance required to use it. 3rd who is going to fix it when it breaks down? And rest assured, it will break down…many many service men and women will tell you it is a piece of crap. Trust me, in Washington Iowa this thing is a joke…we are however, happy to have something cool in the next parade
Pasco County, Fl changed their motto from “protect and serve” to “we fight as one”. Their uniforms also changed to BDU style rather than you’re average police uniform.