Should Police still be banned from having Military Style equipment?

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   Old Poolmanposted 8 years ago

   If one does a search on information regarding banning Police Departments from having Military Type equipment and weapons, You will come up with pages of info on this topic.
   
   https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=co … +equipment
   
   With the terrorist attacks in Paris, and most recently San Bernardino, Ca., is banning Military Type equipment from our Police still a wise thing to do?  It is obvious that ISIS and other Terrorist organizations are well armed and our local Police will always be the first responders to these type of attacks.  I also believe that we will be seeing more of these type incidents in the near future.
   
   It is my opinion that our Police should be armed and trained as well as, or better than, the enemy they must deal with.  Terrorist activity on our own soil is not something we are accustomed to but we need to be prepared.
   
   I would be interested in your own opinions on this subject.

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      Kylyssaposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      It really depends on the police department and whether or not the particular cops are trustworthy and very well trained. I say this as someone whose dad was a cop and a Cold-War survivalist.
      
      No matter how well you are trained, there's a greater danger of having an accident with a fully-automatic assault rifle. You can't just hand one to an average cop and expect his previous training with regular rifles and handguns to keep him and innocent bystanders safe.
      
      Actual soldiers generally use automatic weapons in war zones, places where innocent civilians and soldiers who die due to "friendly" fire don't matter much to those in charge. If you've fired one, you know it isn't easy to be accurate with it, even if you use tightly controlled bursts. Professional soldiers almost never use their assault rifles on full auto. It's what you give people who'll never be sharp-shooters to point in a general direction and hope they hit something due to rate of fire.
      
      People highly trained in the use of handguns and sniper rifles are more useful than fully-automatic assault weapons in situations where you've got civilians and members of law enforcement all mixed up with spree killers. That is, unless you prefer higher police and civilian casualties.
      
      It's not like the good guys' assault weapons fire somehow magically blocks the bad guys' assault weapons fire.

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         Old Poolmanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

         Kylyssa - In answer to one of your questions, yes, as a proud Army Vet I have fired thousands of rounds with full auto weapons.
         
         I wasn't necessarily talking about automatic weapons when I asked the question.  I'm not even sure that any Police Departments even issue weapons capable of full auto fire.
         
         I was referring more to the armored vehicles that will allow them to get to the scene without being killed before they get there.  Those were one of the things on the proposed ban list.
         
         Thanks for the interesting comment and taking the time to stop by.

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            colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

            Obama is a mad man for limiting military style equipment for the police forces.

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               Old Poolmanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

               Or could this be just part of a greater plan of his?

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                  colorfuloneposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                  I think it is a part of the great Jihad because Obama is intent on protecting the reputation of Islam. As president he doesn't seem to care about protecting American people judging by his words but mostly by his actions. 
                  
                  Hell, if Bruce Jenner can keep his wiener and be a woman under the Obama administration, then the police can have military-style equipment and be unprotected while engaging in force.  Yeah, that's about the mentality!  So! Maybe the first lady has a wiener and Obama doesn't have an army protecting him after all.  I think I'm starting to get it!
                  
                  Pardon me, please, sometimes my humor is dry.

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                     Old Poolmanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

                     I think I like you and your sense of humor.  You made me laugh.

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   innerspinposted 8 years ago

   There are already way too many people with guns they don't handle correctly. No doubt you are a responsible guy. The same cannot be said for all gun owners/users, police included. I fail to see how giving police more powerful weapons can be a good thing. In my opinion, gun ownership should be scaled down.

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      Old Poolmanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I have no doubt there are guns in the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others.  I would be completely in favor of requiring safety and proficiency training for those who have never owned a gun.  Many states require this training  for youth that want a hunting license and I am also in favor of that.
      
      But in this case we are talking about local law enforcement having to face trained terrorists as first responders.  They should be armed better than the bad guys.

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   Bronwyn Joy Ellioposted 8 years ago

   No. They should not.

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      Old Poolmanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you.

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   Bronwyn Joy Ellioposted 8 years ago

   To clarify, Poolman, I mean law enforcement should not be banned from carrying military weapons.

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      Old Poolmanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      That is the way I took it.

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   Bronwyn Joy Ellioposted 8 years ago

   

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   RJ Schwartzposted 8 years ago

   The Police Departments of this nation are first responders in the war on terror, the gang battles, hunts for fugitives, and other heinous acts committed against the American public.  They certainly deserve to be equipped to handle these situations quickly and concisely - now I'm not advocating for a .50 cal to be mounted on a squad car, but certainly tactical body armor, communications, and vehicles are a must.

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      Old Poolmanposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks R J, I feel the same way as you.

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