WiMax

[Thorn]

Re: WiMax

or, on the contrary it could be just the right size. instead of that, they could allow police to purchase any weapons they wish for their duty gun and make it a total tax write-off. couple that with shall-issue CCW valid anywhere for the citizenry and you have a pretty damn effective.

(NOTE... seems like AZ went from no CCW to "shall issue" in 1994 or something. at least they're partway there)

I might agree if the salaries were such that the officers could afford to buy what they want, but it a lot of places, it is not uncommon for for local officers to be at or merely above the local poverty levels. I've known some who have to be on food stamps.

Also, due to liability issues, many department heads would have a fit if officers were carrying what they wanted. Personally, I'm a big proponent of an officer carrying something they are comfortable with and works, instead of the department dictating "you'll carry the cheap crap that we buy."

As far as CCW permits go, I'm a big proponent of elimination of then entirely. Any citizen without a record can and should be armed at will. Of course, living in a state that doesn't abide such foolishness in the first place, my view may be skewed.

[xor]

Re: WiMax

My understanding was he helped purchase the more expensive tactical weapons like M16's. If any state needs good weapons it's Arizona and other states that border Mexico. Unless you are government how do you compete with drug cartel resources & money.

I think the police should be well funded with what they need. I think history has taught us that it doesn't work as there ends up being little incentive. Boston 1920's is a good example. Police had to purchase their own guns and ammo, service was terrible, and corruption rampant. Don't get me wrong risking ones life for what is right and true should be the ultimate incentive but each person has to be able to live.

xor

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: WiMax

My understanding was he helped purchase the more expensive tactical weapons like M16's. ... Boston 1920's is a good example. Police had to purchase their own guns and ammo, service was terrible, and corruption rampant.

i'll note again that i approach this with caution since we're sliding off-topic here... maybe subsequent replies should happen in a PM or in a new thread (possibly in the random forum if we veer too far from "security hardware" and into "politics and budgets") but i would caution anyone from making a comparison between big-city police forces trying to outgun organized gangsters in the 1920s and modern, often small-town, police units equipping themselves with paramilitary gear for use in warrant executions, etc.

Radley Balko published a pretty terrific work, Overkill, that researches and analyzes this subject extensively...

One of the big focus points in the piece is something that many of us encounter in our own sectors on a day-to-day basis... the trend of technological determinism. In other words... once some piece of technology (often an expensive item or system) has been funded, there is an almost innate push within any organization to maximize the use of this technology in order to justify its cost, upkeep, etc.

Small police departments began obtaining huge amounts of assault gear and paramilitary hardware (in some cases, surplus military hardware) in the 1980s. Ostensibly this was (as you point out) often tied to the War on Drugs™ but very quickly these departments started using their new toys to work smaller and smaller cases, even going so far as to handle non-violent crime arrest warrants and such with full-tactical raids.

As with all things technological... beware of how much hardware you build into your standard operating procedures. The result can often be something that spirals out of your control and winds up costing everyone in the end.