The Martha’s Vineyard Law Enforcement Council are the proud new owners of an Oshkosh Defense LLC MRAP all-terrain vehicle, according to a release from the council. The vehicle was acquired on Sunday, and will be used as a tactical response, public safety, and rescue vehicle through a grant with the Law Enforcement Support Office’s 1033 Program.
The grant covered the entire $767,000 cost of the vehicle.
Oshkosh is a Wisconsin-based company that builds specialty trucks and access equipment.
The vehicle’s maneuverability and durable drivetrain make it a solid rescue option in mud, snow, sand, and deep water situations. The vehicle will be garaged on the Island for immediate use.
My first thought upon seeing this article was to check the calendar to see if we were near April Fools Day. Then I realized you were not kidding. This entire acquisition of the three quarters of a million dollars “land warfare platform”, as the manufacturers proudly call it, is so wrong for so many reasons.
Will our Shellfish Constables be able to enforce scallop ring limits, X-tra Mart coffee breaks for school safety officers, or residential sidewalk snow clearing requirements (it has 4wd)?
This militarization of our local police forces, by virtue of one of the most corrupt paths around, the 1033 program (used military equipment to police depts), is the same one used so effectively by the Ferguson Police Dept to cause the deaths of protesters over the police killing of Michael Brown.
From Wikipedia, “On August 23, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a review of the distribution of military hardware to state and local police, questioning the use of such equipment during the racial unrest in Ferguson.“ and from Attorney General Eric Holder, “it makes sense to take a look at whether military-style equipment is being acquired for the right purposes and whether there is proper training on when and how to deploy it” and that “[d]isplays of force in response to mostly peaceful demonstrations can be counterproductive.”
Do the citizens of Martha’s Vineyard get a say in whether our local law enforcement get to cruise around in the “urban warfare platform” ?
Martha’s Vineyard is an island. Islands are relatively easy to secure against land, sea, and air attack. Hence the reason MV is the hidey hole for presidents, past presidents, and their families/friends. If the police become militarized by the aquisition of the Land Warfare Platform, look on it as another step toward being collateral damage in the MV combat zone.
Rejoice citizens!
The price of chocolate has gone down!
Chivers, no it hasn’t.
https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/cocoa-price
Can we use it to get out 4 wheel drive vehicles stuck in the sand?
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