State should have stepped in to help sooner...as far as PR goes, if the initial lie about what happened hadn't been proliferated there wouldn't have a need for any response.

 

Was bound to happen. In most major cities, the distrust of and unease about the police force is very real and runs VERY deep. And when the police react the way they did, it only serves to sow those seeds of doubt even deeper.

No police departments have tanks with mounted .50 cal. If you can show me one I'll agree they need to lose it.

 

In fact no police department probably has a tank. They have armored vehicles. Big difference.

 

Fair enough. Not a tank... armored vehicles. My apologies.

This is a case study in how to properly put kerosene on a fire. Whoever is in charge of PR at the Ferguson P.D. is incompetent' date=' or wasn't listened to. Going out and accosting journalists in a McDonalds wins you no favors. My feeling on this is that the National Guard needs to train in riot control and crowd restraint. They should be called in right away. Municipalities should not handle this beyond the time it takes to mobilize the guard. They are not adequately trained for it.[/quote']

 

To be fair we now know one of the "journalists" was a complete idiot and thought ear plugs were rubber bullets. :lol2:

 

Not excusing the police if they were wrong but I've read different accounts of what happened there.

Rand in 2016!

Everyone mentions deescalation techniques by police regarding the riots. They tried deescalating things...without the tear gas and without the swat gear. It didn't work. They were caught "flat footed" according to the mayor and several business owners had to start protecting their own property.

 

Also...many didn't show up in riot gear and they still had riots from the early on. So the riot gear isn't what turned peaceful protests into riots imo.

To be fair we now know one of the "journalists" was a complete idiot and thought ear plugs were rubber bullets. :lol2:

 

How does that warrant arrest?

Rand in 2016!

 

I've always been kind of skeptical about Rand Paul but I really liked what he had to say in the article. I'll definitely be keeping a closer eye on him from now on.

Fair enough. Not a tank... armored vehicles. My apologies.

 

Apparently one agency in SC had one in 08, so maybe Im wrong. Id be curious to see if they still have it & if they have used it. I will agree they should not have the .50 cal. No issues w/the vehicle. Whats a big slow vehicle going to do besides protect them?

How does that warrant arrest?

When did I say it did?

I've always been kind of skeptical about Rand Paul but I really liked what he had to say in the article. I'll definitely be keeping a closer eye on him from now on.

 

It seems he is actually making an effort to appeal to constituencies outside of his "base." He's also getting better at it.

It seems he is actually making an effort to appeal to constituencies outside of his "base." He's also getting better at it.

 

Yes he is. It's so refreshing to see someone who is branded a republican make that effort.

Everyone mentions deescalation techniques by police regarding the riots.

 

De-escalation should begin in every day policing, not once something bad has already happened.

Every question in the world comes down to this now: all or nothing. I have no problem with police being armed, being prepared. I don't really even have a problem with police having some military vehicles. But I do have a problem with police that dress in camouflage, that storm houses to serve warrants, that seize money (often illegally) from criminals (or supposed criminals) and use that money to buy even more toys to drive through town on the Independence Day parade. I have a problem with police viewing people as guilty first. I have a problem with police who anticipate violence and initiate conflict. I have a problem with police who harass, beat, and arrest those who break trivial laws, only to see police do the exact same things in their squad car, claiming it was necessary. I have a problem with police officers who want "to play army" with their job, when in fact the army doesn't handle things the way most city police do. But as much as anything, I have a problem with people who are so fascinated by authority, so taken by force, so scared of "bad guys" that they are willing to go along with every questionable action by every police force, using statements like this

 

 

 

assuming that unless the police go in like the Normandy Invasion then drug dealers and terrorists will completely take over the word. Well drug dealers and terror groups exist, and always have existed, from the time of Andy Griffith to today's Iraq-lite policing method. And maybe I'm going to be labeled a liberal. Perhaps I'll be told I have no clue what I'm talking about. Someone will likely tell me to make sure and call that bobby-wielding policeman when a gun-toting house invader shows up after midnight and see how that goes. And all that's fine. I just wish that one side would be strong enough to deescalate, to try and work with the other side, rather than just constantly ratcheting up the stakes to see who blinks first. But maybe that's just me.

 

So how should LEO respond to rioters, looters, and those that are armed better than them?

Every question in the world comes down to this now: all or nothing. I have no problem with police being armed, being prepared. I don't really even have a problem with police having some military vehicles. But I do have a problem with police that dress in camouflage, that storm houses to serve warrants, that seize money (often illegally) from criminals (or supposed criminals) and use that money to buy even more toys to drive through town on the Independence Day parade. I have a problem with police viewing people as guilty first. I have a problem with police who anticipate violence and initiate conflict. I have a problem with police who harass, beat, and arrest those who break trivial laws, only to see police do the exact same things in their squad car, claiming it was necessary. I have a problem with police officers who want "to play army" with their job, when in fact the army doesn't handle things the way most city police do. But as much as anything, I have a problem with people who are so fascinated by authority, so taken by force, so scared of "bad guys" that they are willing to go along with every questionable action by every police force, using statements like this

 

assuming that unless the police go in like the Normandy Invasion then drug dealers and terrorists will completely take over the word. Well drug dealers and terror groups exist, and always have existed, from the time of Andy Griffith to today's Iraq-lite policing method. And maybe I'm going to be labeled a liberal. Perhaps I'll be told I have no clue what I'm talking about. Someone will likely tell me to make sure and call that bobby-wielding policeman when a gun-toting house invader shows up after midnight and see how that goes. And all that's fine. I just wish that one side would be strong enough to deescalate, to try and work with the other side, rather than just constantly ratcheting up the stakes to see who blinks first. But maybe that's just me.

 

One reason police SWAT/CRT type teams dress in camo (most dress in olive or black not camo) is to help identify who is who during a raid or entry into a building. If you see them wearing actual camo there is a better chance than not they are out in the woods looking for pot, not part of a SWAT type team. But even if they are wearing camo patterned uniforms what does that hurt? That's like anti-gun proponents wanting to ban some guns because they look "mean" or "scary"

 

Any money seized is held in escrow until a judgement is made by the courts. Many times seized funds are returned, the funds that are kept are due to a judges order and are split between agencies involved with the case and the prosecutors office. As far as using that money to buy "New Toys", the law stipulates that seized funds can only be used for equipment, it can not be used for payroll or other needs. It can only be used for equipment. Not sure what you mean by "often seized illegally"...if that has happened to you or someone you know, you need to contact the KSP or FBI and report the agency that did it.

 

I think everyone has an issue with those that overstep their authority, but a guy stopped for jaywalking, having a joint in his pocket, being drunk walking down the street or other trivial charge is the one 99% of the time that escalates a minor offense into much more. Are some cops jerks? Yes, but most are good guys doing a job most won't do. They are putting their life on the line each day, so if they ask someone to take their hands out of their pocket or drop something and they refuse their training says to take control of that situation ASAP.

 

If your neighborhood/city was being ran through by looters from another city, what would you have the police do? Stand by and watch you city burn? The police used non-lethal sound waves to try to drive off looters and others, they fired non-lethal rubber bullets, used non-lethal tear gas all of which is 180 degrees away from what the Military would have done if they were coming under fire or having fire bombs hurled at them.

 

You need some time with your local police and see just how far off base your claims and what upsets you are 99.99% of the time.

Apparently one agency in SC had one in 08, so maybe Im wrong. Id be curious to see if they still have it & if they have used it. I will agree they should not have the .50 cal. No issues w/the vehicle. Whats a big slow vehicle going to do besides protect them?

 

From the Richland County Sheriff's Department Website:

 

RCSD Tactical Team