Discussion: John Oliver Blasts Ferguson Police: Let's Take Their 'F*cking Toys' Back (VIDEO)

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Discussion for article #226537

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While the 1033 program’s intent may have been to equip specialized units for extreme, dangerous situations, fighting al-Qaeda sleeper cells or powerful drug cartels, the effect has been to incorporate SWAT-style raids into ordinary police operations. That includes, but is certainly not limited to, the serving of search warrants. This may partly be because the program requires that all equipment issued through the 1033 program be used within one year of the date it is granted. That means that if police departments want to keep their new gear, they can’t wait for a rare emergency like an active shooter or hostage situation in order to use it.

The 1033 program has been expanded under Obama. The trajectory of the security and surveillance state has been consistent. Who is going to stop it? What politician wants to be seen as “soft on crime” and a “terrorist coddler”?

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What I don’t like about the 1033 program is a lot of departments are getting useless big boy toys instead the money needed to ensure their officers have better training and day to day equipment.

This stuff is sort of like replacing mom’s SUV with a monster truck. You can drive a monster truck to the supermarket, but you look like an ass and spend way too much money on gasoline. You are always tempted to run over the Prius parked next to you.

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With all this evidence, I’ve yet to hear any local official disavow the use of this equipment. They all say “you only use it appropriately”. The only time it would be appropriate is in the event we are invaded by a foreign force…which is pretty much never going to happen

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And even if we were invaded by a foreign force, isn’t it the job of the National Guard to respond, not the local police?

Unless the National Guard is over in Afghanistan of course, or preventing looting in Ferguson…

Local police have no business with any of this stuff, and what kind of training for it have they received from the Pentagon? Is that free too?

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If John Oliver sees a red light in his rearview, time to hit the gas.