A lot of police departments are just... gifted this shit by the military industrial complex.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militarization_of_police
They don't have a need for it, but it looks cool parked at the county fair.
The problem is, once they have it, they reach for reasons to use it.
Let's say you're a cop and you get a call: there's a hispanic gay crossdresser armed with a .50BMG sniper rifle with explosive rounds reported on the roof of the KwikeeMart, and they're threatening to shoot the Walmart across the street unless they're called by their proper pronouns, black lives/matter. This situation calls for an immediate response with at least a MRAP, and that's only because they don't have the funding for an airstrike from an A-10.
Looks like they are ready to violently suppress the rioting MAGAts when they riot after their criminal leader is imprisoned. What's that? Those that work forces are the same that burn crosses? I guess they're ready for any counter-protestors.
Prosper, Texas.
Population: 37,746
Crime rate per 1000 residents: 9.54
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/tx/prosper
Nearby Dallas' crime rate? 46.06 per 1000 residents.
Is it me or is this not exactly justified?
POV your local police department turns into an occupying military force. This is beyond dystopian. 2024 ❌ 1984 ✅
Police don't but they often want a vehicle for SWAT related reasons, but SWAT trucks costs hundreds of thousands. Meanwhile MRAPs are "free".
Prosper, Texas is home to 40,000 people. In 2010 their population was under 10k. They have quadrupled in size and are near the DFW area, so it's not really a surprise they took the 1033 offer for an MRAP. That said most of these decom'd heaps of shit are loathesomely expensive. "High Cost of Free MRAPs" by Strongtowns. Most MRAPs being given out are first and second gen versions. And for those first gens, they got sent to the front lines of the GWOT and got beat to shit while newer ones were tested and approved. These old models they're "giving out for free" have tire drum parts never used on later versions, transmissions like that of an F650 with half the reliability, and are ticking time bombs of use. Most cities often estimate maintenance costs at $5k per year, until something actually breaks and they have to get a second MRAP to cannibalize to fix the first. (Hint - that's why you often see them picked up in pairs or more)
That's before the optics. Petaluma, California has one and the police chief has even said "yeah it kinda has some bad optics sending police around in a former war machine".
If your city is wanting to pick one up, it's because someone who has zero experience with them really likes the idea of a big scary diesel monster rolling up on drug houses, and hasn't actually considered that if they can't pony up thousands of tax dollars every 6 months to keep the moneymonster fed, the only place it's gonna drive is into a storage shed.
Edit: I should add that these vehicles are incredibly versatile and aren't necessarily a bad thing for municipalities. With their ride height, sheer bulk, and high torque engines, Fire and rescue could probably make great use them in several cities. They make fantastic road clearing vehicles in the event of large accidents needing to move to the side of the road, or pushing debris out of the way. Additionally in flood prone areas they make very good rescue vehicles due to their ride height and "crew space" inside. They DO have value outside of terrorizing civilian populations, just that that's all PDs will use them for.
The Pedestrian & Protester Pulverizer 9000™️
.. to hide in while your children are being shot at.
Someone spent their civil forfeiture money at the military surplus store.
I love how they are displaying their parking skills
If you need this type of vehicle as police, you're the issue, not the people around.
Mobile oppression palace?
To counter those vicious abortists
The fun thing is a lot of smaller departments find out after they get something like this, they can't afford to actually use or maintain them. Shit be expensive yo.
My extremely rural county of 60k population has one for some reason. The best part is, the one time there was actually an armed and dangerous individual on the run, they called in aid from a major city an hour away. They did however parade around with it and strongly consider actually pulling at the tractor pull with it
Slaps hood. "You can kill so many dogs with this baby"
NO PARKING
I mean, in any revolution within the US, it would be cops trying to play soldier vs the citizens in the initial moves.
Folks like to think the army, or the marines are what we would be fighting. Maybe eventually, after things get far enough along, but the first steps in seizing control is removing the police because they're the ones that will be guarding property and responding to attacks against politicians and/or oligarchs.
Of course the cops want to play soldier. There's enough of them in place because they're infiltrators from extremist groups. Often the most rabid racist groups. It's no secret at all that their plan is to be in place to seize control themselves.
I don't buy into the literal acab bullshit, only the systemic version. But that system is bad, and part of what's making it worse is this kind of thing. Those assholes right there? Those are the guys you'll want to be watching if shit gets real.
...parking policy enforcement.
well we know texas hates birth control. now they can obliterate it with superior force
Wait! You're saying that your police department doesn't get blown up by multiple IEDs every week? How odd.
</s>
Americans have free access to drones, better build a cope cage.
Protect and oppress
It's the Evil Unimog
They're not compensating for something; they're compensating for everything.
Since nobody has offered te correct answer, I will:
It’s because increasingly so, the enemy is becoming you.it was clearly marked no parking
hypocrites
this is needed and justified to compensate for small brains and small penises
But don't you see it makes perfect sense? Now they can wait outside schools with an active shooter in safety! Wouldn't want any officers getting hurt when children are getting shot now would we?
Why is it doing a Carolina squat?
Getting ready for The Civil War: Round 2 I see.
Clearly to hand out speeding tickets /s
This is how they celebrate? They point at a thing?
Good morning, I hate America and wish for its total annihilation.
I WANNA PLAY WITH THE MRAP!! But I'd... Like maybe not run over brown people with it, and instead use it as a force for good...?
Edit: or just fun.
I hear Austin is a great place to live. The only problem is you might want to leave Austin once in a while.
Fo asking IDs.
A sign of things to come.
... freetime use, I suppose.
They need it to make us live in Judge Dredd's world.
In case they gotta go against the government?
Well if you go by their recent risk of floodings, well, floodings
Uh, sure. The police should walk around on pointe shoes, in pink ballet tutus and with bouquets of fresh flowers.
Oh, you know. In case these criminal groups ever cross the border and try to endanger the citizens of Texas:
