ACLU Has Concerns Over Military Weapons Used By Local Police

KMOX ^ | 07Mar13 | CBS St Louis

[qaz123]

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The American Civil Liberties Union wants to know what kind of military weaponry and tactics are being turned over to local police by the Department of Defense and Homeland Security.

The ACLU feels the surplus equipment, things like flash-bang grenades, shock cuffs, and tracking devices that are being handed down, are leading to more aggressive policing, especially in poor neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color.

[ladyjane]

Hey - I’m on the side of those Koreans with the hankerchiefs tied around their heads. Any problems arise and those guys are ready. A bunch of other citizens are too.

[familyop]

"...the real threat from domestic drones isn’t a Hellfire down your chimney, but their ability to collect/transmit vast amounts of information...Within a few years, there will be dozens of daily drone missions across the U.S., run by local, state and federal law enforcement...The perfect tools for a police state. Yet no one, not even Rand Paul, is talking about the real threat from drones."

Thank you. Agreed. Most readers do miss more relevant considerations because of the way "news" is sponsored by favored constituents of politicians. Hysteria and panic propaganda. Drones, operators and other services for them cost big bucks. That's one thing missing from the discussion.

"BTW, I can almost predict one tactic that will be used. Law enforcement will stage some sort of event to stimuate cell phone and internet activity in a selected area."

Hysteria and panic propaganda. It's a type of distraction/diversion propaganda. It looks like waves of conspiracy tales, insults readers and viewers, and before we know it, the whole dumbed down bandwagon is rolling with it. Quite a diversion, yes? Take news about something true, and slap gobs of exaggerations and lies on it for further consumption and rejection.

It's easy to notice from my age and perspective. Our forefathers in leadership went out of their way during spooky times, to avoid panicking a population.

There's something else missing from the news, opinions and hysterics about drones. Where's are the information, services and products for maintaining privacy against such surveillance?

Privacy can be done. [See soldiers' training, studies in technologies including various transducers, radio, optics, pretty camouflage, etc.] America hasn't lost all of its pool of ingenuity, even though leaders in business, politics and academia have done quite a job for over three decades of trying to eradicate real American ingenuity (real as in collaborations between low-techs. designing home energy systems and many other useful projects). ;-)

But for now, it's obvious, that many in leadership are involved in many efforts to produce panic and hysteria...or that many in leadership are panicking and hysterical, themselves (hags, their SNAGs: sensitive New Age guys,...). Anyway, it's quite a freak show. I'll stock up on popcorn to watch more of it.

So much focus on fear of little folks, who can adjust to any kind of government, fix anything, build anything, etc. Meanwhile, big manufacturing on our own soil isn't happening much. What will so many big-shot crooks (who produce nothing of value) do, when they lose all that they have in the great repudiation of debt?

How will the social pathologies pushed by so many business, academic and political leaders survive the economy of a de-industrialized, de-developed country? Have fun. Enjoy the slide.

[Georgia Girl 2]

“The ACLU feels the surplus equipment, things like flash-bang grenades, shock cuffs, and tracking devices that are being handed down, are leading to more aggressive policing, especially in poor neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color.”

So I guess that means its OK in middle class white neighborhoods.

[qaz123]

I urge folks to take a look at the following, if they haven’t already:

http://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/bracken-when-the-music-stops-how-americas-cities-may-explode-in-violence/

http://www.redstate.com/goppolitx/2013/03/06/youre-on-your-own-okeefes-project-veritas-uncovers-truth-about-police-response-time/

As a cop, I have worked with guys that truly thought that they were invincible. It’s true that most, more than most I’ll say, think that they’re smarter than everyone else. Why? Because all they see are people who are criminals, people who are in unfortunate situations that could have been avoided or just downright stupid people. People don’t call the cops when good things happen. So, they tend to get an attitude.

However, I started shooting USPSA matches a few years ago. Showed up thinking, “hey, i’m the police. No one can outshoot me”. ha ha ha ROFLMAO. I got schooled. I stayed with it and became halfway decent. Met a ton of great folks in the process.

My point, most cops don’t meet that type of person. They don’t meet the law abidiing, good hearted, compassionate citizen who is there to help, not harm. Ergo, most don’t have any idea what the people they walk by and drive by everyday are capable of. Its that whole, “you don’t know what I deal with”. Well, I’ve been a cop, soldier and security contractor. I can tell you firsthand, and we on FR know this, the very large majority of cops will never, ever experience what some 19 yr old GRUNT from the 82nd, 10th Mtn, 101st, 2nd MarDiv experienced while he was sleeping on rocks in the Hindu Kush.

But now, we have guys like the Sheriff in Milwaukee County. Someone who truly knows that there should be a partnership between the regular folks and the police.

As for the arming law enforcement to the teeth. They say its because of terror threats, etc. BullSh*t. Maybe police in the major target areas, IE NYC, etc, should get ‘some’ stuff, but when you see an M113 or something similar riding down Main St, USA, that’s cause for some serious concern. I highly doubt that Al Queda is gonna come to my little spot in the country and stage an attack.

Lots of these agencies get all these ridiculous grants from DHS, get all that crazy equipment and then have to figure out a way to show that they needed it. So, what do they do? Dress up like CAG, ST6 to serve a warrant for someone who defaulted on their student loans.

[rudabaga]

You did miss it because they spoke out about it on numerous occasions. Here’s one from 1995:

The American Civil Liberties Union joined with gun-rights groups and defense lawyers today to accuse federal law officers of ignoring constitutional rights and using unjustified deadly force.

“We don’t want just a piecemeal effort,” said Laura Murphy, director of the ACLU’s national office. Federal officers are increasingly adopting militaristic mindsets and tactics, she said. “We want change before there are more Wacos and Ruby Ridges.”