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[Hex]

I hardly think this "tank" being singly manufactured and distributed to metropolitan police forces is any kind of solution to this problem, though.

I agree, not even close.
Hopefully it never gets to the point where it really is needed.

 

[Manos: The Hans of Fate]

High risk drug warrants on barricaded labs. It allows the officers to get close without being put at risk. Makes sense to me for certain jurisdictions, based on needs and threats.

Let's not also forget a Mumbai like situation.

 

[Canova]

America needs Robocop, let alone armored tank

 

[JackEtc]

 

[KtSlime]

High risk drug warrants on barricaded labs. It allows the officers to get close without being put at risk. Makes sense to me for certain jurisdictions, based on needs and threats.

Let's not also forget a Mumbai like situation.

Seems it would be easier and cheaper if we legalized drugs and restricted gun ownership...

 

[Manos: The Hans of Fate]

Seems it would be easier and cheaper if we legalized drugs and restricted gun ownership...

Do you legalize Mumbai too?

That aside there are certain drugs you can't legalize like meth or crack.

 

[KtSlime]

Do you legalize Mumbai too?

That aside there are certain drugs you can't legalize like meth or crack.

Yeah, I wouldn't consider legalizing those, that would be really silly.

Is Mumbai some code name/slang term? Cause I don't think the US government has any sort of jurisdiction over India, nor should it.

 

[Manos: The Hans of Fate]

Yeah, I wouldn't consider legalizing those, that would be really silly.

Is Mumbai some code name/slang term? Cause I don't think the US government has any sort of jurisdiction over India, nor should it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mumbai_attacks

NYPD Trains for New Type of Attack
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704138604576029860668093114.html

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

High risk drug warrants on barricaded labs. It allows the officers to get close without being put at risk. Makes sense to me for certain jurisdictions, based on needs and threats.

Let's not also forget a Mumbai like situation.

Yeah I have no idea if the amount being manufactured is only to support "legitimate" needs but I can definitely see police officers preferring to have this car if they are trying to arrest people involved in drugs or who are just heavily armed. Outside of metropolitan areas, I don't think this would get a lot of use.

As for the intimidation factor, it's not like they'll patrol random areas with this car. Mounted police have the same effect, effectively making a 10 foot tall police officer, but they at least can be used in pedestrian heavy areas like parks where cars and bikes can't really go.

So I can see the justification for sending this vehicle to officers dealing with high risk cases but I don't see any reason to just randomly hand them out. Since they say that the vast majority of these are given to SWAT teams, I don't think there would be a lot of room for it to be abused like serving traffic tickets or whatever.

 

[leroidys]

Don't worry we'll think of a reason. Better keep buying them until we do though.

 

[Lucky Forward]

5 words


Where can I buy one?

http://www.swattrucks.com/index.aspx

 

[Unknown One]

So an armored vehicle is a tank now?

 

[Bad_Boy]

That thing is a failed design imo. Those tires are way too exposed. A a high caliber bullet would disable the thing. It looks like armored plates bolted on top of a Ford F-550. The car should be made of that metal, not "shielded" by it. It would probably save weight that way. The headlights should be protected by bulletproof glass, a couple shots would leave the driver blind on a night run. the government could of gotten better quality for $300,000.


just sayin. :x

 

[Buckethead]

Maybe they don't but America is helping fight a legitimate drug war in Mexico.

 

[KtSlime]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Mumbai_attacks

NYPD Trains for New Type of Attack
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704138604576029860668093114.html

Oooh, okay, I understand now.

Yeah, religious fanatics, what can you do?

The US is easier, we just need better education, but how do we educate the people that didn't grow up here.

I guess we do need things like this for certain situations, however I think cutting down on the available number of weaponry here would be a start at least.

 

[spermatic cord]

Never forget

 

[BobTheFork]

The main reason they need one: Escalation
The main reason it's a bad idea: Escalation

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

That thing is a failed design imo. Those tires are way too exposed. A a high caliber bullet would disable the thing. It looks like armored plates bolted on top of a Ford F-550. The car should be made of that metal, not "shielded" by it. It would probably save weight that way. The headlights should be protected by bulletproof glass, a couple shots would leave the driver blind on a night run. the government could of gotten better quality for $300,000.


just sayin. :x

There have been armored vehicles with exposed wheels like the stryker. They probably put run flat tires on the lenco bearcat like the stryker has.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stryker

I'd imagine it's easier and less expensive to use an existing chassis rather than build the car from the ground up and have it approved as road legal. For comparison, this truck weighs about as much as the presidential limousine.

 

[Bad_Boy]

You may be right about the tires, I've heard of those strykers keep moving with flat tires (like IED hits).

But still, for 200-300k, I think it's a waste of a lot of money.

 

[ZAK]

Before I read the article, I thought, "I dunno, why do civilians need AK's?"

 

[kehs]

The police need armored tanks to protecte themselves from all the bears' arms

 

[TheKaeptain]

190k-300k is a lot cheaper than I would have imagined for a vehicle like that...

I figured with government bloat it'd be easily a million a piece.

When it comes to the police and military they usually go cheapest route.

 

[racooon]

Why not give police better protection? Especially in areas where gangs and drug cartels are armed to the teeth?

Because we don't really have any of those. Preventation > cure.
The few gangs we do have fight amongst themselves, not the police.

 

[notsol337]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout

Plus, that's not a tank. It's an armored car. My local police have an old M113. It's not a tank either, it's an APC.

There's nothing wrong with spending money to keep police officers alive.

 

[KtSlime]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout

Plus, that's not a tank. It's an armored car. My local police have an old M113. It's not a tank either, it's an APC.

There's nothing wrong with spending money to keep police officers alive.

Yeah, but the US likes to spend money on the wrong end of the situation. Education, and prevention is going to save more lives, and keep more police officers alive than arming them and putting them in expensive vehicles.

 

[notsol337]

Yeah, but the US likes to spend money on the wrong end of the situation. Education, and prevention is going to save more lives, and keep more police officers alive than arming them and putting them in expensive vehicles.

Education and prevention take time, armored car works right now. Plus, any money being spent by anyone to manufacture anything in America is a good thing. If we really want to start fixing our money situation, we need to stop importing things and start manufacturing things again.

To be clear, I support education and prevention. I just support armored cars, too. You can't prevent everything.

 

[Devolution]

Found a legit reason for tanks:

 

[siddx]

I see nothing wrong with a vehicle that can be used to protect our police officers from harm.

 

[KJTB]

the militarization of police forces is one of the greatest setbacks in civil liberties we've had in this country. No knock raids in full combat gear on the wrong house are awesome....

Especially when they kill innocent animals in front of children!

 

[Bad_Boy]

I see nothing wrong with a vehicle that can be used to protect our police officers from harm.

I agree. I'm just saying it probably could of done better and possibly for cheaper.

 

[BobTheFork]

the militarization of police forces is one of the greatest setbacks in civil liberties we've had in this country.

Either that or we use that actual military to make raids. I'm not sure that's preferable.

 

[Snuggles]

you never know when the Cloverfield monster might show up

 

[G-Fex]

I take it they never saw the Green Hornet?

I"m hoping criminal gangs don't actually have armored SUV's with pop up turret guns.

 

[Something Wicked]

For 300K, you could get that... or you could get something like:

 

[BobTheFork]

For 300K, you could get that... or you could get something like:

phhhss let's see that tin piece of shit take street sweeper fire.

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

phhhss let's see that tin piece of shit take street sweeper fire.

wow, even street sweepers are armed in america? crazy.

 

[Pollux]

Before I read the article, I thought, "I dunno, why do civilians need AK's?"

To protect ourselves from an oppressive government in case they ever try to invade us....

Spoiler

like north korea.

Spoiler

or at least thats what my crazy uncle tells me

 

[BobTheFork]

wow, even street sweepers are armed in america? crazy.

They're union too, so they get you coming and going.

 

[mkenyon]

To better oppress. As executors of sanctioned governmental force, this allows them to be more efficient.

I don't think they should, but there's a good reason from their perspective.

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

Defense contactors have the country bent over and giving it to us raw for the past few decades. The militarization of the police force is a natural occurrence as is the erosion of civil liberties. Anything to keep the coffers full. That and most people don't want to appear soft on crime so they willingly go along with buying armored vehicles for the police. Anything to keep the streets safe!

 

[Thetallywacker]

Where I live the police are a big part of the community. They stop and play hockey or basketball with the children. Have tons of information events. Stop by the elderly homes to see if they need anything before winter storms. They keep track of medical information on people who find themselves going to the ER a lot. They live here and have the same desire to keep the neighborhood safe. I'd love them to get a couple of these. In the end they will be the ones protecting me from an out of control government.

 

[Puddles]

Defense contactors have the country bent over and giving it to us raw for the past few decades. The militarization of the police force is a natural occurrence as is the erosion of civil liberties. Anything to keep the coffers full. That and most people don't want to appear soft on crime so they willingly go along with buying armored vehicles for the police. Anything to keep the streets safe!

No more dead cops!

 

[BobTheFork]

Defense contactors have the country bent over and giving it to us raw for the past few decades. The militarization of the police force is a natural occurrence as is the erosion of civil liberties. Anything to keep the coffers full. That and most people don't want to appear soft on crime so they willingly go along with buying armored vehicles for the police. Anything to keep the streets safe!

Well, I don't think a militarized police force was created before they needed one 'just because'. As I said, it's a problem of escalation IMO, so they are both to be blamed and blameless.

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

Defense contactors have the country bent over and giving it to us raw for the past few decades. The militarization of the police force is a natural occurrence as is the erosion of civil liberties. Anything to keep the coffers full. That and most people don't want to appear soft on crime so they willingly go along with buying armored vehicles for the police. Anything to keep the streets safe!

Read the article. The vast majority go to SWAT teams. Whether they need it or not is up to debate but it's clear that if a SWAT team is called in to help with what is probably a dangerous situation, then this would serve a defensive role.

I don't know if it is as necessary as something like kevlar vests but I highly doubt it's going to make anybody be intimidated into surrendering their civil liberties to the military industrial complex.

 

[MetalAlien]

The option would be a wait and see approach. Wait until we need them and then commission them to be built. That plan sucks.

 

[Hex]

I take it they never saw the Green Hornet?

In that way they are like most of the human population

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

You looking at this, House?

Coming from a country where cops don't even have guns, this is fairly... intriguing.

It's going to a county (Warren Va) that is low crime too.

 

[Vilix]

Because we don't really have any of those. Preventation > cure.
The few gangs we do have fight amongst themselves, not the police.

And when they fight amongst themselves people caught in the crossfire get hit. So, again, should the police not better protect themselves when going up againsnt gangs armed to the teeth?

 

[mkenyon]

And when they fight amongst themselves people caught in the crossfire get hit. So, again, should the police not better protect themselves when going up againsnt gangs armed to the teeth?

At the expense of what? Where does this justification end? Your logic here is "Police should have access to any amount of lethal and protective equipment if it helps prevent them from dying." Humanity isn't judged on a case-by-case basis.

One needs to examine the ethics of each step, not just the ends.

 

[Al-ibn Kermit]

At the expense of what? Where does this justification end? Your logic here is "Police should have access to any amount of lethal and protective equipment if it helps prevent them from dying." Humanity isn't judged on a case-by-case basis.

One needs to examine the ethics of each step, not just the ends.

You're saying that police officers shouldn't have things like "protective equipment" since they may abuse their force?