ive hundred of the city's police officers will receive new, high- powered weapons once reserved for elite units but increasingly regarded as necessary for a police department with a sharper focus on fighting terrorism, officials said yesterday.Posted on 12/17/2001 9:27:16 AM PST by Sir Gawain
ive hundred of the city's police officers will receive new, high- powered weapons once reserved for elite units but increasingly regarded as necessary for a police department with a sharper focus on fighting terrorism, officials said yesterday.
Under the plan, first reported yesterday in The New York Post, the officers will be equipped with assault rifles and submachine guns in addition to their standard-issue handguns. The allocation will double the number of officers with high- powered weapons.
Although the proposal was in the works long before Sept. 11, it gained momentum in the weeks after the terrorist attacks, officials said.
"To be effective, law enforcement agencies must provide their personnel with the tools they need to respond to all possible situations," Police Commissioner Bernard B. Kerik said yesterday.
"Equipping specific officers with these weapons will enhance the N.Y.P.D.'s ability to respond quickly and effectively to an even wider range of contingencies," he said.
Those include the department's daily duties staffing security checkpoints around the city and ensuring an effective response to emergencies. Officials said the checkpoints largely reinforced the new weaponry proposal.
Department officials said that when they began placing officers at bridges, tunnels and other important security posts around the city — assignments that typically require greater firepower than those given to most of the rank and file — they were forced to choose from a relatively small pool of officers trained in the use of heavy-duty weapons.
High-powered weapons have traditionally been the almost exclusive province of the department's elite Emergency Service Unit, which is made up of about 500 officers. Department officials hope to have the new plan in place over the next few weeks. Of the total 40,000 officers in the city, as many as 8 in each of the 76 precincts will be issued the new weapons and trained in their use under the plan.
Many of the weapons to be issued are already in stock. The weapons include MP5 submachine guns, Mini- 14 assault rifles and more commonplace firearms like shotguns. Specially trained officers are already using many of those weapons at posts around the city.
For instance, the Mini-14 — a variation on the M-14 rifle that was favored for years by the military — is among the weapons issued to officers assigned to security checkpoints at police headquarters.
More disinformation. The Ruger mini-14 fires a .223 round and is closer to the M-16 than the M-14.
The purpose of an armed citizenry is NOT personal protection, but the protection of liberty against tryanny.
The people MUST have a means to revolt.
While several have/will comment on the Mini-14's accuracy (or lack thereof), it is totally adequate for a close-in urban firefight with, say, terrorists or gangbangers. While many here might prefer a Bushmaster or other AR clone, for its intended purpose, a Mini works fine. This isn't intended to equip the police sharpshooter detachment.
Doubtlessly, this is part of a propaganda campaign to press for their ultimate ban. If mini-14's are "high-powered" "military style" weapons used only by "elite" police forces in "special circumstances," how many sheeple will then press for their prohibition from citizens? I mean, if ordinary police don't need them, why should any citizen?
That's my guuss.
1. You're right: The Mini doesn't look as militaristic, which is why the NYPD is choosing them. The NYPD has used Mini-14s for almost 30 years. That department was one of the first adopters of the Ruger.
2. You're right: The 'scare factor' is a huge benefit. Ever seen the muzzle flash on a Mini using cheap ammo with dirty powder?
3. Um, no: Let's not arm the average cop with a 'Urban tactical rifle'. Most cops on the average (particularly the NYPD above all) can't shoot straight to begin with. Why waste money? The Mini's inaccuracy fits the NYPD cop that's shooting it, which is good enough as an investment. In this case, two negatives equal a positive.
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