Sheriff Gayer and his MRAP

[chevyguy]

Pulaski Co Sheriff Gayer justifies his MRAP County Sheriff?s Chilling Justification for Bringing Former Military Vehicles to Local Police Forces | Video | TheBlaze.com

 

[drillsgt]

It's almost amusing watching them try to come up with justification for this nonsense.

 

[Bunnykid68]

Just saw that on FB, sadly, I expect nothing less from the folks running these departments nowadays

 

[Henry]

"The United States if America has become a war zone"
-Sheriff Gayer

It is true...the state has declared war on limited government and individual liberty... Many just have not yet recognized it.
If one pays attention to folks like Gayer, they will tell exactly what their mindset is and what they are up to.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

I submitted the following letter to the Star in response to this asshat's remarks:

To The Editor;
As a retired law enforcement command officer I was dismayed to read the remarks of Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer, who said, “The United States of America has become a war zone. There’s violence in the workplace, there’s violence in schools and there’s violence in the streets.”

During my tenure in law enforcement there was violence in those places too. But it did not motivate us to transform from public servants and peacekeepers into warriors, taking weapons that were designed for foreign battlefields and turning them on the American people.

We were reluctant to deploy SWAT teams, fully realizing the violent response that such a display could provoke and employing such tactics only in the most extreme circumstances. Law enforcement agencies are now eager to deploy such teams even in a total absence of demonstrated need.

Here in my own city of Carmel, an incident occurred, reported in these pages, wherein a SWAT team deployed and terrorized a local family, jamming guns in their faces and dragging them away in handcuffs, based on nothing more than a single, unverified, uncorroborated phone call that a shooting had taken place. The report proved to be false.

This would have been simply impossible in my day. When we received such a phone call we sent officers to the location, and we knocked on the door! Wow! What a revolutionary concept!

No, Sheriff Gayer…The United States of America is NOT a war zone. It is the place where Americans work, live and play. Law enforcement officers who are trained that America is a war zone do not regard citizens as individuals with rights to be protected, but as an enemy to be subjugated. And if the law enforcement profession does not wake up and change this attitude, we, the people, will be forced to call on our legislators to rein you in.

Lieutenant Harry Thomas

 

[Trigger Time]

I submitted the following letter to the Star in response to this asshat's remarks:

To The Editor;
As a retired law enforcement command officer I was dismayed to read the remarks of Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer, who said, “The United States of America has become a war zone. There’s violence in the workplace, there’s violence in schools and there’s violence in the streets.”

During my tenure in law enforcement there was violence in those places too. But it did not motivate us to transform from public servants and peacekeepers into warriors, taking weapons that were designed for foreign battlefields and turning them on the American people.

We were reluctant to deploy SWAT teams, fully realizing the violent response that such a display could provoke and employing such tactics only in the most extreme circumstances. Law enforcement agencies are now eager to deploy such teams even in a total absence of demonstrated need.

Here in my own city of Carmel, an incident occurred, reported in these pages, wherein a SWAT team deployed and terrorized a local family, jamming guns in their faces and dragging them away in handcuffs, based on nothing more than a single, unverified, uncorroborated phone call that a shooting had taken place. The report proved to be false.

This would have been simply impossible in my day. When we received such a phone call we sent officers to the location, and we knocked on the door! Wow! What a revolutionary concept!

No, Sheriff Gayer…The United States of America is NOT a war zone. It is the place where Americans work, live and play. Law enforcement officers who are trained that America is a war zone do not regard citizens as individuals with rights to be protected, but as an enemy to be subjugated. And if the law enforcement profession does not wake up and change this attitude, we, the people, will be forced to call on our legislators to rein you in.

Lieutenant Harry Thomas

Liberty, you are brilliant! Exactly my thoughts. The mindset must change or else

 

[Sylvain]

I submitted the following letter to the Star in response to this asshat's remarks:

To The Editor;
As a retired law enforcement command officer I was dismayed to read the remarks of Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer, who said, “The United States of America has become a war zone. There’s violence in the workplace, there’s violence in schools and there’s violence in the streets.”

During my tenure in law enforcement there was violence in those places too. But it did not motivate us to transform from public servants and peacekeepers into warriors, taking weapons that were designed for foreign battlefields and turning them on the American people.

We were reluctant to deploy SWAT teams, fully realizing the violent response that such a display could provoke and employing such tactics only in the most extreme circumstances. Law enforcement agencies are now eager to deploy such teams even in a total absence of demonstrated need.

Here in my own city of Carmel, an incident occurred, reported in these pages, wherein a SWAT team deployed and terrorized a local family, jamming guns in their faces and dragging them away in handcuffs, based on nothing more than a single, unverified, uncorroborated phone call that a shooting had taken place. The report proved to be false.

This would have been simply impossible in my day. When we received such a phone call we sent officers to the location, and we knocked on the door! Wow! What a revolutionary concept!

No, Sheriff Gayer…The United States of America is NOT a war zone. It is the place where Americans work, live and play. Law enforcement officers who are trained that America is a war zone do not regard citizens as individuals with rights to be protected, but as an enemy to be subjugated. And if the law enforcement profession does not wake up and change this attitude, we, the people, will be forced to call on our legislators to rein you in.

Lieutenant Harry Thomas

 

[jblomenberg16]

Honest questions to the LEO's on the forum. Is it typical for a SWAT team to be attacked en route to a call where they are deployed? I realize SWAT is a very broad term these days, but from what I've read in the many news articles about SWAT raids, the dangers seem to be typically highest when the team has deployed into the structure they are trying to enter, not on the road from the police station to the call. Sure, I guess there is a remote chance of someone setting up a deliberate ambush, complete with IED's, heavy caliber weapons, and other means of attacking them en route, but if the Sheriff is that concerned with safety, I guess I'm failing to see how spending that money on MRAP vs. some additional body armor for the officers offers more protection.

Don't get me wrong, if I had the means, I think having my own MRAP would be friggin awesome! But I'm failing to see the link between officer safety and the MRAP unless the potential threats to officer safety has significantly shifted here on the home front.

 

[eatsnopaste]

for safety I would think a mounted .50 caliber and a grenade launcher would be in order, you know so everyone gets home at the end of the day. (purple as you think necessary)

 

[Fred78]

And you think that sheriff won't take away your guns get real people

 

[Cldedhnds]

Great response LS!

 

[Kirk Freeman]

“The United States of America has become a war zone,” Sheriff Gayer said when justifying the purchase. “There’s violence in the workplace, there’s violence in schools and there’s violence in the streets. You are seeing police departments going to a semi-military format because of the threats we have to counteract. If driving a military vehicle is going to protect officers, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

Well, this should make the next election very interesting! Nothing like an open declaration of war on the citizenry to attract votes, Sheriff.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Would one of our Pulaski County members tell the good Sheriff that violent crime is dropping like a stone: Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) - Violent Crime

Why can't cops just tell the truth and say "all the other cool kids at the Indiana Sheriffs Association had an MRAP and I wanted one too. I mean it's going to be sooo cool when we intimidate the cows and then we can all pose by it while wearing sunglasses for the baseball cards and calendar"?

 

[Disposable Heart]

Why can't cops just tell the truth and say "all the other cool kids at the Indiana Sheriffs Association had an MRAP and I wanted one too. I mean it's going to be sooo cool when we intimidate the cows and then we can all pose by it while wearing sunglasses for the baseball cards and calendar"?

I have a rookie gold bordered Rick Hite card I'll trade you for a Chief Gayer card (and the crummy gum that comes in the pack)?

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

I don't know what you guys are making a fuss about , according to plenty folks on here the police aren't becoming militarized , it's just your imaginations.

 

[bradmedic04]

I thought "Sheriff Gayer" was a homophobic slur of some kind, not a name.

 

[gunworks321]

I submitted the following letter to the Star in response to this asshat's remarks:

To The Editor;
As a retired law enforcement command officer I was dismayed to read the remarks of Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer, who said, “The United States of America has become a war zone. There’s violence in the workplace, there’s violence in schools and there’s violence in the streets.”

During my tenure in law enforcement there was violence in those places too. But it did not motivate us to transform from public servants and peacekeepers into warriors, taking weapons that were designed for foreign battlefields and turning them on the American people.

We were reluctant to deploy SWAT teams, fully realizing the violent response that such a display could provoke and employing such tactics only in the most extreme circumstances. Law enforcement agencies are now eager to deploy such teams even in a total absence of demonstrated need.

Here in my own city of Carmel, an incident occurred, reported in these pages, wherein a SWAT team deployed and terrorized a local family, jamming guns in their faces and dragging them away in handcuffs, based on nothing more than a single, unverified, uncorroborated phone call that a shooting had taken place. The report proved to be false.

This would have been simply impossible in my day. When we received such a phone call we sent officers to the location, and we knocked on the door! Wow! What a revolutionary concept!

No, Sheriff Gayer…The United States of America is NOT a war zone. It is the place where Americans work, live and play. Law enforcement officers who are trained that America is a war zone do not regard citizens as individuals with rights to be protected, but as an enemy to be subjugated. And if the law enforcement profession does not wake up and change this attitude, we, the people, will be forced to call on our legislators to rein you in.

Lieutenant Harry Thomas

Well stated Liberty!

 

[mk2ja]

Here's another article about, this time in the Marine Corps Times:

Sheriff: Local cops need MRAPs because America has turned into 'war zone' | Marine Corps Times | marinecorpstimes.com

A gem of a quote…

The MRAP has an added benefit, said Pulaski County Sheriff Michael Gayer, whose department also acquired one: “It’s a lot more intimidating than a Dodge.”

It's all about the intimidation.

America is a "war zone" but "weapons of war have no place on our streets." Sigh.

 

[IN_Sheepdog]

This is exactly my current Read... Should be on the shelf of every Police Chief and "SWAT Commander"
"The Rise of the Warrior Cop, Radley Balko
http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Warrior-...8&sr=8-1&keywords=the+rise+of+the+warrior+cop

As a counselor at Hoosier Burn Camp our Visitors Day was covered with this type of LE militarization. In addition to a DHS Command and Surveillance Vehicle, Swat Teams, and HRT groups, there were also TWO Full decked out Military Hummers from, you guessed it, Pulaski County... I asked about this with the officers there (since I was reading the book currently) and received NO answers, other than if you think those are impressive, you should see the MRAP back at HQ which we didnt bring because it uses too much Gas...

The Symbolism of the Third Amendment of not having soldiers on the street (and quartering of soldiers....) is now becoming a reality...

As one who was personally in the center of the "domestic Lockdown" in the Boston area following the Marathon Bombing and Manhunt, I can tell you that the idea of individual liberty, Castle Doctrine, the 4th Amendment against search and seizure, etc. go right out the door, when it seems expedient and in the interest of the general public safety... (It was a very VERY weird experience...)

 

[wabashman]

So just how long until the county cannot afford to keep it running? It's not like you can go down to Autozone and buy a part for the MRAP. Not to mention the money wasted on training/fuel, regular maintenance. Perhaps if we were in central LA or Detroit, it would be understandable. But after living just south of Winamac for my entire life I cannot recall any single instance when a MRAP would have been needed. What a waste of funds.