Ohio State University Police get armored MRAP

[AZRedhawk44]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/ohio-state-university-armored-truck_n_3949750.html

"We pride ourselves on being self-sufficient from local authorities," Denton said, noting that Columbus' local police force does not have a bomb squad. "Frankly, we have to be. We are the primary responder."

Next time they need 4 dead in Ohio they don't have to wait for the National Guard.

[RevDisk]

Meh, military surplus the cops got for the price of the gas to drive it away. I'm not overly worried. No reason to not park it somewhere, drive it around the block once a month to keep everything running. Maybe the ROTC cadets could be given the task of maintaining it or the monthly spin, good practice for officers. People got all tin foil when we (the ROTC detachment) did air assault training using the campus stadium. "zOMG, soldiers in two Chinooks are coming for my weed!" Now if they start USING it like the campus was Iraq, folks would have a reason to be upset.


The campus cops were too lazy to do anything besides catch people for going 1 mph over the speed limit (no joke) and busting parties.

Admittedly, it WOULD be useful in any natural disaster or emergency. Be handy for dragging a tree or whatnot.

[vaskidmark]

Fact-check, please.

While police departments across the country have been acquiring MRAP's at an alarming pace, colleges have had less success. Last year, when University of California-Berkeley campus police tried to buy an 8-ton armored truck, university officials canceled the order, saying such a vehicle was "not the best choice for a university setting."

Berkley?  As in UC-Berkley?  Hippie central?

I can understand the Kampus Kops wanting any new toy they can get their hands on, but an MRAP for UC-Berkley just about disproves the contact high defense.

stay safe.

[Ben]

The story I read on this had the University MRAP as a side note. It focused on the Dallas Sheriff's dept. getting one to act as a "safety arch" while serving warrants.

I prefer to see the "We've got the place surrounded. Come out with your hands up!" method used myself. But that's just me.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/30/us-police-obtaining-military-vehicles-to-aid-hunt-for-criminals/

[Scout26]

When you are given a hammer, then every problem becomes a nail.

Also there is the "Hey!!  We have this neat piece of equipment, we need to use it, a lot, to justify it's existence."


I predict they'll be using it to run radar or some other damn fool thing within six months.

[Triphammer]

Didn't the Bolshevics come up with a cheap & easy way to deal with the occasional armored vehicle, should someone decide to "use it like the campus was Iraq"?

[TechMan]

They will use it to break up the keggers.....

[MillCreek]

I wonder what the operating cost per hour of something like that is.  You may get it for 'free' from the Feds, but can you afford to run it?

[AZRedhawk44]

Meh, military surplus the cops got for the price of the gas to drive it away. I'm not overly worried. No reason to not park it somewhere, drive it around the block once a month to keep everything running. Maybe the ROTC cadets could be given the task of maintaining it or the monthly spin, good practice for officers. People got all tin foil when we (the ROTC detachment) did air assault training using the campus stadium. "zOMG, soldiers in two Chinooks are coming for my weed!" Now if they start USING it like the campus was Iraq, folks would have a reason to be upset.


The campus cops were too lazy to do anything besides catch people for going 1 mph over the speed limit (no joke) and busting parties.

Admittedly, it WOULD be useful in any natural disaster or emergency. Be handy for dragging a tree or whatnot.

University facility services department should already have any number of tools suitable for that ranging from one ton class pickups, flatbed utility trucks, possibly even tractor-trailer rigs, to light/medium duty industrial equipment like backhoes, tractors, bobcats and such.

[HankB]

University facility services department should already have any number of tools suitable for that ranging from one ton class pickups, flatbed utility trucks, possibly even tractor-trailer rigs, to light/medium duty industrial equipment like backhoes, tractors, bobcats and such.

Can't they just have their mechanical engineering class put together a killdozer as their assigned senior project?

[RevDisk]

University facility services department should already have any number of tools suitable for that ranging from one ton class pickups, flatbed utility trucks, possibly even tractor-trailer rigs, to light/medium duty industrial equipment like backhoes, tractors, bobcats and such.

I'd actually transfer it to the facilities department. Stencil it and everything. THEM I trust with a killdozer.

[grampster]

Dallas PD says they're gonna use their new MRAP toy to serve warrants according to their spokesman. It's for officer safety he says.
 

[Battle Monkey of Zardoz]

The "Standing Army". Nothing to see here.....Move along.

[dogmush]

These tools obviously don't understand the world's history of armor and weapons.

Get thicker armor and your enemy will make (or start to use) weapons that defeat it.  Then you will get (or make) better armor. Rinse. Repeat. For thousands of years.

If an MRAP proves effective for high risk warrants, folks that are likely to be targets of those warrants will employ anti-MRAP tactics or weapons. 


Alternatively we could just say "These weapons of war belong on the battlefields of Iraq, not the streets of America."

[Sergeant Bob]

When you are given a hammer, then every problem becomes a nail.

This right here. Look what has happened with SWAT units.

[Tallpine]

These tools obviously don't understand the world's history of armor and weapons.

Get thicker armor and your enemy will make (or start to use) weapons that defeat it.  Then you will get (or make) better armor. Rinse. Repeat. For thousands of years.

If an MRAP proves effective for high risk warrants, folks that are likely to be targets of those warrants will employ anti-MRAP tactics or weapons. 

Cops can't live inside those MRAPs 24/7

[fifth_column]

Dallas PD says they're gonna use their new MRAP toy to serve warrants according to their spokesman. It's for officer safety he says.
 

Of course they are.  It's perfectly reasonable, acceptable, and constitutional to break down the door, throw in a few flash-bangs, and threaten to shoot someone who is merely suspected of illegal behavior . . .

/sarcasm

[RevDisk]

Of course they are.  It's perfectly reasonable, acceptable, and constitutional to break down the door, throw in a few flash-bangs, and threaten to shoot someone who is merely suspected of illegal behavior . . .

/sarcasm

Yea, and then they lose a couple law suits, then likely their toys will go bye-bye.

[Tallpine]

Yea, and then they lose a couple law suits, then likely their toys will go bye-bye.

But the dead people in the "wrong house" don't come back 

[RevDisk]

But the dead people in the "wrong house" don't come back 

*shrug* Until you put a huge dent in qualified immunity, there's not much alternatives. Cops just don't face the same justice system.

[zxcvbob]

When you are given a hammer, then every problem becomes a nail.

In fact, you start going around looking for nails so you can use your shiny new hammer.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Maybe i missed it but the only time i recall a dept screwing up with something like this was when saint arrapio ran amuck. And that was certainly ok

damn phone

[Tallpine]

*shrug* Until you put a huge dent in qualified immunity, there's not much alternatives. Cops just don't face the same justice system.

Yeah, we live in a police state 

[Jamie B]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/ohio-state-university-armored-truck_n_3949750.html

Next time they need 4 dead in Ohio they don't have to wait for the National Guard.

Our small OH county Sheriff picked up 5 Humvees from the FED (1 is armored) for next to nothing.

Never needed them and never will.

[charby]

Our small OH county Sheriff picked up 5 Humvees from the FED (1 is armored) for next to nothing.

Never needed them and never will.

Might come in handy during a blizzard and having the rescue idiots on the highways. Well the non armored ones anyways.