Ohio State Gets Armored Fighting Vehicle: “Specifically Designed for Asymmetric Warfare”
So let’s get this straight.
University students and teachers are forbidden from bringing a licensed handgun onto school property for personal protection in case of a hostage situation or active killer being loose, but it makes complete sense, because of the terroristic threats we face, to put a military fighting vehicle on campus?
From the Daily Caller:
The Ohio State University Department of Public Safety has acquired an armored military vehicle that looks like it belongs in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Gary Lewis, a senior director of media relations at OSU, told The Daily Caller via email that the “unique, special-purpose vehicle is a replacement” for the “police fleet.” He called the armored jalopy “an all-hazard, all-purpose, public safety-response vehicle” with “obviously enhanced capabilities.”
He noted that the vehicle was “acquired at no cost from Military Surplus.” He also bragged that it has “extremely low miles and is in nearly new condition” but elaborated no further concerning the acquisition.
“We are in the process of making it usable for our needs in an urban campus environment,” Lewis explained. “Specifically we are removing the top turret and repainting.”
As a recent transplant from Columbus, Ohio to the foothills of NC this hits close to home. Thanks for sharing this and giving me a local source for news from a like minded lover of liberty.
Can anyone think of a legitimate use for a MRAP in the hands of law enforcement other than to intimidate the citizenry? If the terror threat is so high at OSU that they need one of these, then obviously the school needs to be shut down until further notice. Dallas PD just got one as well, same question why? Better start asking your local army vet where the weak points are on these, that info may very well come in handy in the not to distant future.
Suspect the turrets will go back on when the SHTF. Looks like they are forward staging this stuff. Not a good idea unless they plan on killing a lot of people.
How is the militarizing of the police working out now?
Tiger pits, dragon’s teeth, paint to obscure optics/windows, feeding gasoline fumes into engine intakes, etc all work pretty good at disabling the MRAPS. All are legal.
So let me ask a question, as these wars come to an end, and we have thousands of these MRAPs at $1.3 million each, should we just leave them in the war zones, or maybe scrap them for their metal? What are your suggestions? And if ever we have more mass shooting, or mass bombings, should we have our law enforcement officers respond in vehicles, knowing well these MRAPs are available to police agencies for free?
Ed, so using your argument, the police should be able to use:
Battleships
Fighters
Bombers
Tanks
Unfortunately the police have a tendency to use the equipment provided to them, even when they have no need to do so.
Run the MRAPs into the bone yard, prep them for storage and check up on them once in a while. The cops don’t need vehicles like this in 99.99% of their dealings with citizens.
Marx-
With all due respect, you probably have never had to dodge bullets to save US citizens, and maybe you have, but not in recent times I bet. I have done so as a career LEO in riots torn cities. My comment is that MRAPs are best utilized when being offered to those agencies that want them for SWAT teams. Being a veteran LEO, SWAT team, task force and combat operator in IRAQ, I will support any tools necessary to protect American lives. SWAT teams can utilized them when necessary, not regular everyday LEOs. I support drones too, but that is another subject.
If you had to serve in the modern battle field, you would not be making these assertions that MRAPs should be placed in the bone yards. Just wait till a bunch of LEO’s get killed trying to stop a mass shooter, and the media and population will ask, why did they not have proper protection. The MRAPs became a necessity in IRAQ from the hummers not having enough protection, thus the MRAP was born. America is evolving too like the modern battle field because of crazy mentally ill people.
My response to your argument that you say I think police should have anything they want, i.e. battleships, etc….NO they should not because its not logical nor practical, but they should have whatever is necessary to protect themselves and their citizenry. I am very sorry the many here feel different about the way this country and our global world is evolving, but it is what it has become and you all need to get with the program, or be left behind with much anxiety; and taking prosaic for the rest of your lives. Life does evolve forward and is not a static environment/world. I know I will get slammed for my thoughts and do not expect anyone on this blog to come to my defense, for it only serves the like minded people hell bent on bringing down our government at any cost. There is a label, or name for this type of irrational behavior, but I rather not express it at this time. You all can have the last word as you always do, for you control the blog. Many of my previous posts, or people who have attempted to come to my defense were censored. These defenders tell me its not worth trying to help those the refuse help. No different than taking a stubborn thirsty horse to water, refusing to drink for its own good.
I apologize I ranted longer than necessary because of my expectations of getting flamed after this gets posted, and my subsequent unwillingness to respond afterwards, for you will have the last word. So for those that decide to flame me, If this is the way you want to treat your veteran LEOs and people who have served our country in combat zones, regardless of what you think of me personally, and my thoughts I’m sorry and sadden. Although, I am not surprised, for this in part is why our country is falling apart today. No opposing points of view allowed, and no respect for each other. Simply, people are devolving in their evolutionary process, thus MRAPs will be a necessity to protect the innocent from the barbarians of the future.
Regard,
Ed
Ed,
The problem is that the police use them when they aren’t justified to use them. Look at some of the recent (high profile) police/civilian shootings and honestly tell me that many (not all) could have been handled differently with all parties remaining alive had the police acted differently.
I remember living in Dallas and the news had an article on a police raid gone wrong. They broke into this guy’s apartment (no knock) guns drawn and this guy started shooting thinking it was druggies. The police were running on very outdated information when they raided this guy’s apartment as the guy they were after had moved out of there eight months before. As far as that goes, the guy was the wrong color too. Guy gets charged for assaulting police officers, attempted murder, etc then the facts come out and the case against him quietly goes away. Too bad he had major medical issues due to the police shooting back and hitting him. IIRC he won a rather large settlement against the Dallas PD.
Would you justify the police making a raid on the wrong house, injuring or killing the occupants and then telling the survivors “too bad, so sad, we were at the wrong place” and expecting to be absolved of the shooting? No, the police, and everyone who took part in the raid should face legal consequences up to and including serious prison time. We are still a nation of laws.
Like I said before 99.99% of the calls the police go on they don’t need MRAPs to do their job. If they practiced better judgement on deployment of the heavy equipment then, yes they could have one when needed.
The militarization of the police forces started when SWAT was on television and indeed it did look cool, but that is Hollywood, not reality. As far as that goes Clint Eastwood’s portrayal of Dirty Harry was right where it belonged, on the silver screen. Having rogue, vigilante cops out there does nothing to serve the community and probably does more harm than good. For police forces to be reacting to Hollywood scripts says much about the leadership for allowing it and it says much about the police who think that it would be cool emulating what is in the mass media rather than reality.
I was at an overpass demonstration in the Raleigh area last weekend. Two police cars pulled up and told us to move on. The organizer had permission to be there and a contact number. We also had a LEO there demonstrating with us (not in uniform). After words were exchanged, one of the officers called the contact number and was told “to leave those people alone as they are doing nothing illegal.” We were peaceful in our message. Our message may not have been what some wanted to hear (5 middle fingers and one loon screaming something about loving obummer) but the vast majority of the people supported us. We even had an elderly Korean go and buy some food & drinks for us, because he remembered what we did for his country and was proud to be able to be here in USA. Where did the police have the authority to tell us to move along if we weren’t breaking any laws? Their badges? “”Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ badges!”” We pretty much agreed that it was a bluff intended to get us to go away and we didn’t have any trouble after they left. Might be nice if those who choose a career in law enforcement actually knew the laws they were tasked to enforce.
As to flaming you? Why? We are obviously at an impasse and the best we could do would be to agree to disagree.
Harpo,
I have had to block Ed from further comments:
https://ncrenegade.com//editorial/a-message-from-ed-figueroa/
Sorry. I understand.