The Police can't wait for SWAT to get there ... but you civilians can!
Posted on 01/25/2013 6:31:43 AM PST by Zakeet
Police in one Iowa city could soon be buying their own assault rifles to carry in squad cars to ensure they aren't outgunned by criminals in the wake of several high-profile shootings involving semi-automatic AR-15s, FoxNews.com has learned.
Half of the 50-member force in Marion, Iowa, will take part in the upgrade, paying for the $2,000 guns in installments deducted from their paychecks, according to Police Chief Harry Daugherty. He said the proposal, expected to be approved by the city’s seven-member City Council late Thursday, will mean initial responders will have enough firepower to deal with heavily armed suspects. Currently, only members of Marion’s 12-member SWAT team carry AR-15s.
“We can’t wait for SWAT to get there,” Daugherty told FoxNews.com. “We have to do something and, at this point, the chances of the assailant having more firepower [than responding officers] is greater than vice versa. I want them to at least be on the same playing field when we’re going into these types of situations.”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The Police can't wait for SWAT to get there ... but you civilians can!
I’d rather have an AAC Honey Badger.
Ridiculous that they have to pay for them instead of Town.
We’ve all been on the edge of our seats with worry about Marion Iowa having to deal with foreign and domestic terrorists. Thank God they can now hold their own against the forces of evil.
Since they don't hump their ammo, they should be looking for something in .308. I'm partial to the M1A. I had a cop buddy that carried one in his car with a bipod, it turns cover into concealment.
Not to mention the Iowa City hippies...
This is the same Chief Daugherty who, shortly after Iowa went shall-issue on CCW, sent “NO WEAPONS ALLOWED” stickers to every business in town, along with his letter urging the businesses to ban weapons from their property to “make both our (business and police) jobs easier.”
It’s just one of the ways Marion is a screwed-up town.
“I’d rather have an AAC Honey Badger.”
That’s a cute little badger! Another reason I regret missing the SHOT show this year and visiting with the folks at AAC.
Don’t know where they get the $2000 figure. They are running $3500 here in Texas with any gear on them. $2500 might get a used stripped down one.
And yet, we are supposed to wait for the police "to get there" to our homes, right?
Really. If the cops are worried about this, shouldn’t I be concerned enough also to have one of these $2000 (!) rifles?
Just last week, I saw a brand new Del-ton DT Sport AR-15 in a Cedar Rapids gun shop (about 3 miles from Marion) for $989 (MSRP $699). All it needed was a rear sight or scope to be ready to use.
Of course, it was sold within 4 hours of landing in the store.
LEO's can get them direct from the manufacturers for less than $800.00 even now or simply get them from DHS for free. They don't acquire them from the open market. Sounds like the boss is trying to pick up a little extra change from his police force!
Hey they better run this by underfuhrer feinswine... and make sure she is onboard with this!
A squad car is your one stop shopping for arsenals. Each car has a riot shotgun and a full auto or semi AR 15/M16. Just pop the trunk and presto. The car has to sit empty of officers at some point.
Marion is probably the most corrupt town in Iowa, and the police force is the center of that corruption. Have a very healthy tax base, the cops basically get what they want, when they want, and do pretty much whatever they want.
About a year ago I was talking with a friend of mine who is a deputy in a neighboring county. The SD was in the process of negotiating a contract with Sig to equip the department with new rifles. One night on patrol recently he came across a guy on the side of the road in a broke down vehicle. This is a very remote county which in many places would require walking many miles to get to a phone or find cell service. Turns out the broke down man had just finished up a hunt and was the VP of an even larger competitor of Sig. For my deputy friend’s kindness the VP equipped the the entire department with new M4’s and my friend with a top of the line 1911. Who says kindness doesn’t pay?
In many places, policy would prohibit receiving some or all of those gifts.
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