That is the biggest driver of this whole concept. You give them toys.
Talk of agencies getting MRAPS. Well, at some point agencies will have them, if they don’t already. And one day the chief will wonder why in the hell that thing is taking up space and resources, when it isn’t used very often. Guess what, that thing will be used for anything and everything they can think of from that point on.
Having been a cop and having worked narcotics and on a fugitive unit, I’ve learned one thing. There is a time and place for all that stuff. But, a very very large majority of it can be accomplished with a simple knock on the door or a traffic stop.
3 months ago the Yuma County Az Sherrif’s Department recieved an MRAP. It was bought with funds from Homeland Security. There is no need for it. YCSO already has 3 up-armored HMMWVs that never get used.