The Empire Turns Its Guns On The Citizenry

[♦ nivek ♦]

The empire turns its guns on the citizenry

CounterPunch

by Paul Craig Roberts

 

"In recent years American police forces have called out SWAT teams 40,000 or more times annually. Last year did you read in your newspaper or hear on TV news of 110 hostage or terrorist events each day? No. What then were the SWAT teams doing? They were serving routine warrants to people who posed no danger to the police or to the public. Occasionally Washington think tanks produce reports that are not special pleading for donors. One such report is Radley Balko's 'Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America' (Cato Institute, 2006)." (01/24/07)

 

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts01242007.html

Here in dusty rural Eastern Oregon there is a State Prison, Man's medium security, inmates number right at 2000 incarcerated.

State of Oregon has "measure 40" which mandated that prisoners who are physically able to work 40 hours weekly to pay for their stay in the System.

There are various activities for them to do, all are hard labor, or outside work like cleaning roadsides, or being rented out for paying users to do manual labor.

 

My City hires them as an inexpensive road and City-wide trash and blown garbage cleaning service.

Armed Guards accompany the men, who are attired with prison garb, and in most cases ankle braced with the GPS tracking device. Getting away might be easier than staying away...

 

Anyway, at recent City Council meeting the Chief of Police gives her monthly report, and in additionmentions briefly this:

 

Oregon Department of Corrections and Department of Justice wants to issue UPD with up to one dozen M-16 rifles and gear. Cost is borne by Federal Grant Monies, no expenditure is needed by the City to accept.

 

City Council talks about the report and then asks to vote on accepting the offer from ODC/DPJ of the *rifles*. Not *machineguns*, which all the DOJ guns are, Military spec, purpose built machineguns, but *rifles* as though they are simply semi-auto guntoys like most citizens have.

They are seemingly ignorant of the difference, and seem not to be knowledgeable of the use and purpose of the machinegun.

 

When it is time for we mere mortals to speak to the Council, my original thoughts had been shelved, and I talked to the Council on why *machineguns* and cops being mixed was not a great idea for our City.

 

Was questioned for most of an hour by the Council, I had my binder with the Oregon State Statutes and the Federal Laws pertaining to fireams and use. With a bit of time and education let the folks know the various issues with training and liability that have come up with Municipalities that have had *bad shoots* and Officers use their duty arms for other than work related "dumb fucking actions".

 

Being a machinegunner and shooter, Instructor for all the same, was able to present off the cuff a decent contra-proposal to the acceptance of the arms.

Training, budget, additional ammunitions, and the increase in liability for any MG *on the road* creates more problems that it may solve.

(FBI recently AGAIN had an Agent have his Agency vehicle ripped off, lost five guns, three are full auto, and the allied gear including loaded mags.. THE FBI!!)

Police Chief glared at me, and I'm sure she will try and make me *pay* for this little lump I dropped in her professional road.. She was told that this was a "slam dunk", get approval, and TAA DAAA!, instant FREE guns..

 

Point ending up here. I don't want the Kopz in the streets of my little City having firearms which there is no demonstrated need, an answer that no question has been asked yet. Prison and possible excapes are a possibility, however I don't know that anyone excaping wants to hang around the area in which he is running away from..

 

SWAT teams make horrible mistakes, kill and maim folks every damn year with bad information, worse shoots, lying informants, horribly executed warrants. Adding in the power of fullauto does nothing to make our streets here safer.

 

I don't want to be protected, that duty is taken care of by a multilayered defence of haciendaFatman. Untrained, or worse, partially trained and unseasonsed Law Enforcment Officers running loose with machineguns is something that won't happen here..

 

kFL

[Vigile]

Nice report Niv, hope they don't get the slam dunk approval just because of you.

[D Laurier]

thats it, if i ever visit oregon, i'm bringing a tank division.

[chefranden]

My Little City just got an Armored car for the nice policemans. WTF?

 

Superior Wisconsin 26,000 and dieing, but hey it has an armored car.

[Vixentrox]

I think a lot of police forces started looking at getting more firepower after that big North Hollywood shootout a few years back. The bank robbers were wearing some specialized body armor that the cop rounds could not penetrate and the crooks also had AK-47s (or some sort of a AK-47 knockoff) firing AP ammo. Of course, begs the question why in this hail of bullet the cops fired they couldnt take the guys in the face but I guess they couldnt get close enough to really do much with thier pistols and shotguns.

[neverclear5]

I think a lot of police forces started looking at getting more firepower after that big North Hollywood shootout a few years back. The bank robbers were wearing some specialized body armor that the cop rounds could not penetrate and the crooks also had AK-47s (or some sort of a AK-47 knockoff) firing AP ammo. Of course, begs the question why in this hail of bullet the cops fired they couldnt take the guys in the face but I guess they couldnt get close enough to really do much with thier pistols and shotguns.

 

I think the guys had helmets with face shields too. But the thing is, firing 30 rounds in a second or two into a bullet proof vest is no better than a single shot. It would be better to concentrate on the weak points in the suit with accurate fire. Anyway, I've never been a big fan of advanced weaponry in the hands of average people (which, remember, is what cops are), but full auto is rediculous. Even with it, a well trained operator keeps to short bursts to minimise drift. Unless your dug in and the weapon is mounted, you'll never be accurate firing full auto. And I would think, for operations in built up areas, semi-auto provides a good balance of accuracy and rate of fire. In facft, emptying your mag in one burst just leaves you reloading and vulnerable. If firearms must be used, then they should be used carefully, with forethought, by skilled operators who have been well trained, not given an afternoon course.

[bob]

Nevik, in my little community, we are wondering if we can trust any of our law enforcement officials. Just a few months a ago, our county sheriff and 12 of his deputies were indicted on numerous charges including racketeering conspiracy, weapons charges, drug distribution and obstruction of justice. Even a scheme to sell drugs and firearms seized from criminals back to the criminals.

Here's the story

[♦ nivek ♦]

bob:

 

"Who watches the Watchers?"

 

"We do!"

 

"Officals" seem to have lost sight that they are "employees" and 'work at the Peoples Will' and not because they are *special* or are "better brands of pigs".

 

Corruption like your areas Poletzei is nothing new, mankind, even uniformed, sworn members of the Korts make greedy unlawful mistakes and do outright thievery...

 

Problem is? They by the lay of officaldom on their shoulders as protectors and Peace Officers are much_more_responsible for their actions than the 'citizen'.

When the kopZ are found to be corrupt, the money train usually heads upwards until the whole municpality, territory, county or even in a few stellar cases, State is involved somehow.

 

The best we 'mere mortals' can do is be dilligent, know your Rights, and NEVER, EVER say SHIT to a Cop unless it is life threatening... Sounds 'mean' at first blush, but a corrupt Kop is as bad as any thief taking your gear and goods.

 

kFL