Comment

FBI Will Now Oversee Ferguson Protests, Operations - Update: FBI Says KSDK Report is Wrong

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lawhawk8/14/2014 12:10:14 pm PDT

The DHS and federal grants to buy military gear goes back well before the Obama Administration, and there are good reasons to have the program, particularly for big cities that have repeatedly been the focus/target of terror threats (like, say NYC). It makes a lot less sense for rural communities to have this kind of gear, but Congress wrote the law to allow for these sales - because they all wanted a piece of the pie.

How to fix this situation? Resolve clear rules of engagement for their use. Civil public demonstrations is an invalid use. Aiming weapons at unarmed civilians. Improper and should result in investigations of the officers who ordered those actions.

No, this gear can serve a just and proper need. Like addressing hostage situations, active shooter situations, mass casualty events, disaster relief, terrorism response. Demonstrate need (number of incidents that would have required use but for its absence).

Tighten the rules. Reduce the size of the program. Reform the program and make sure that the agency making the request has met qualifications for need.

It shouldn’t be a roundabout way to update gear/equipment for a department that would end up seeing the gear sit in a garage except for parades.