Homeland Security Showering Millions In Unnecessary Spending On Local Law Enforcement

• February 7, 2010

This article, relating to a half a million dollars in federal deficit spending going to an armored car and bomb robot in my hometown, blows my mind.

MINOT, N.D. (AP) The Minot Police Department is getting an armored vehicle and a robot for its SWAT and bomb teams.
The force is getting two State Homeland Security grants totaling more than half a million dollars to buy the equipment and two fast-response vehicles, and to train officers to use them.
Chief Jeff Balentine says each of the state’s four largest cities will have an armored vehicle. He says Bismarck and Fargo already have the vehicles, and Grand Forks and Minot have been offered grants.

First of all, the idea that the federal government is offering this money at a time when we’re running huge budget deficits is beyond lunacy.
Second, the idea that these communities need bomb robots, let alone SWAT teams, is also a dubious notion. My little town of Minot is certainly no stranger to crime. We have our share of drug deals, and even a murder now and then. And historically speaking, Minot was once a key stop in the illegal flow of bootlegged booze from Canada down to Chicago.
But I hardly think we need a SWAT team. Or specialized armored vehicles. Or a bomb robot, for crying out loud.
This smacks of spending money for no other reason than to spend the money. Except that said spending is of money our federal government doesn’t have.

Tags: Asshats, Domestic Issues, North Dakota News, Politics

http://Array sayanything-45016

I don’t think to use money on such armed vehicles, rather they should use money in education sector and to creat employement opportunities which definitly reduces crime ratio.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

I’m 200 miles away from Minot (on the right side of the state). So they
don’t need to fire up the swat team more than a coupla times a year.
sayanything-2

Crying in multiple threads, all because some one wrote Sarah Palin. Too f**king funny.

Republicans are big time law&order against porn, drugs, and murder. Democrats are big time law&order against free speech, private property, and individual liberties. Oop, there it is.
sayanything-43

This’ll be perfect for picking up babes at the SWAT bars.
sayanything-45016

Yes conundrum I agree with you there are certian difficult areas where robot vehicles may not patrol.
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

Might need to keep them Canadians at bay, eh?
sayanything-5371

Do you ever go walleye fishing in Lake Sakakawea?
cedarbend

My son is in law enforcement and they are working overtime watching the unmanned (during nighttime hours) Canadian points of entry here in N Minnesota. He’s working 6 hours after putting in his regular shift…14 hour days…overtime pay for the 6 paid by Homeland Security (I’m pretty sure). It’s great for him and his family-wife and 4 kids-he’s a hard working conservative man we’re very proud of and they could use the money, but it seems like what you said…spending money for no other reason than to spend money. Apparently they have had “incidents”, so maybe it’s been worthwhile….
sayanything-43

I don’t do a lot of fishing, but we go to a lake in Minnesota when we go.
i don’t like today’s GOP

The grant was written on a DEM form G from December 2003.

Hmm, hypocrites, who created the homeland security monster? BOOoosh!

And dumass Zig, ya f’n moron whiney biatch lying c&nt, the Republicans are the police state perpetrators. Gosh dam yer an arsehole.
i don’t like today’s GOP

Nuh uh! ya f’n moron whiney biatch lying c&nt, the Republicans are the police state perpetrators. So there.
sayanything-2

Really? Democrats are, and have been for decades, the police state Party. Try again, whiny lying c*nt.

And this is old, Democrats in Congress and in USG bureaucracies have been pushing for the Federalization of local law enforcement since the 1920s.
sayanything-5371

You might need a SWAT team to subdue the mosquitoes.
Brent

I’m sure they’ll find an excuse to use it. Give them tanks and fighter jets and they’d find a reason to use them, too.
sayanything-15427

First step: Making sure that the police (that you control anyway) have the best armaments etc possible.

Second Step: Civilian National Security Force or Service Organization with mandatory service.

Third Step: Outfit the civilians with the same armament as the police and the military.

Fourth step: . . .

Fifth Step: PROFIT!
http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/ proof_positive

Deploy S.W.A.T. a lot up in Minot, do you? Or just when Whistler’s on a bender?
sayanything-1321

Do you suppose we might need a SWAT team, armored vehicles and bomb robots to fend off the impending invasion by terrorists you conservatives keep talking about? If we didn’t have them, guess who will be blamed. The government.
bikebubba

Rob, are you saying that my hometown might not need that Abrams that just arrived to deal with Whistler and Pilgrim when they visit every once in a while?

Cripes. And I thought I was safer.
sayanything-7406

I’ve lived in the Ward County area for 16 years. it makes me wonder if they’re going to use the bomb robot to pull people over because one of their brake lights are out.
sayanything-316

Clinton did this too.

Militarizing law enforcement. National hair-trigger training. Providing automatic weapons, armored scout cars, APC’s and helicopters, to even the smallest po-dunk departments, while doing their level best to disarm the American Citizen.

Both Clinton and Obama want a Police State.

Charming.
sayanything-50

For gun collection
sayanything-4808

It’s ‘populace’ and JR is probably drawing on an old Internet meme that is practically the property of Slashdot.

Sorry to grammar cop, but the number of heterographs lately is astounding and actually putting my classes to shame which is kind of bizarre given how much the profs let them get away with.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

Or maybe just let the people keep more of their own wealth?

Because the government doesn’t create prosperity. The people do.
sayanything-1317

Third step is wrong. Third step is to DISARM the populous.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

I think we can have adequate national security without militarizing Mayberry, USA.
sayanything-7134

I grew up on the border and smuggling was the way of life for some families. Some of the grandparents from some of the best families in town were bootleggers during prohibition. A few years back they finally caught up with some 50-60 year old men that were bringing pot across by snowmobile. I had heard that they had put up some motion censers along the border but that could be hype. You have almost 200 miles of open water between Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods, very tough to patrol although it is amazing how quick the Ontario boys would find you and check out your license, registration and live bait.
sayanything-4642

this is great. who fixes it when it breaks?

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Homeland Security Showering Millions In Unnecessary Spending On Local Law Enforcement

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