5 ms·

Obama restricts 'military' gear going to police

16 points by rl3 11y ago

ColinWright 11y ago
https://hn.algolia.com/?query=military%20police&sort=byDate&prefix&page=0&dateRange=all&type=story https://hn.algolia.com/?query=military%20police&sort=byDate&... Nine months ago Obama ordered a review: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8217292 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8217292 Now we have several stories announcing the restriction.
dmfdmf 11y ago
Its not the military equipment but the military mentality that is the problem. The whole idea that the police are not "civilians" needs to be repudiated. The police are not above the law and are just citizens empowered to enforce the civil code and laws. The distinction between civilian and non-civilian is a military designation in combat and does not apply to the police.
rl3 11y ago
Seems MRAPs are still allowed. That's fair I suppose, depending on need. I just wish they'd attach a condition that recipients must not plaster "Special Operations" (or similar bullshit) on the vehicles. Fortunately surplus camouflage uniforms were restricted, though there's nothing stopping police from purchasing their own camouflage uniforms independently.
- Zigurd 11y ago
  Paint/dye everything pink before transferring it to the police, and require that it remain pink. Pink is known to reduce aggression.
meric 11y ago
It would be interesting to see how much of that military gear will be requisitioned last minute by the police in the days leading up to the ban.
tsotha 11y ago
This seems like nonsense from start to finish. The idea that somehow tracked vehicles are worse than wheeled vehicles is sort of silly. The army's newest brigades are comprised of Strykers, after all, which are wheeled. Police departments probably don't want tracks anyway, since they're expensive to maintain.
M8 11y ago
I thought the problem was failing to integrate some groups in society.
Andrewbass 11y ago
Reducing police brutality aside, this move scares me a little because it transfers a lot of power from local governments to the Feds.

16 points by rl3 11y ago

https://hn.algolia.com/?query=military%20police&sort=byDate&prefix&page=0&dateRange=all&type=story https://hn.algolia.com/?query=military%20police&sort=byDate&... Nine months ago Obama ordered a review: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8217292 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8217292 Now we have several stories announcing the restriction.

dmfdmf 11y ago

Its not the military equipment but the military mentality that is the problem. The whole idea that the police are not "civilians" needs to be repudiated. The police are not above the law and are just citizens empowered to enforce the civil code and laws. The distinction between civilian and non-civilian is a military designation in combat and does not apply to the police.

rl3 11y ago

Seems MRAPs are still allowed. That's fair I suppose, depending on need. I just wish they'd attach a condition that recipients must not plaster "Special Operations" (or similar bullshit) on the vehicles. Fortunately surplus camouflage uniforms were restricted, though there's nothing stopping police from purchasing their own camouflage uniforms independently.

Zigurd 11y ago
Paint/dye everything pink before transferring it to the police, and require that it remain pink. Pink is known to reduce aggression.

meric 11y ago

It would be interesting to see how much of that military gear will be requisitioned last minute by the police in the days leading up to the ban.

tsotha 11y ago

This seems like nonsense from start to finish. The idea that somehow tracked vehicles are worse than wheeled vehicles is sort of silly. The army's newest brigades are comprised of Strykers, after all, which are wheeled. Police departments probably don't want tracks anyway, since they're expensive to maintain.

M8 11y ago

I thought the problem was failing to integrate some groups in society.

Andrewbass 11y ago

Reducing police brutality aside, this move scares me a little because it transfers a lot of power from local governments to the Feds.