Unleash the Beast

Boys and their toys. Dumb.

"...is not here to establish an image of militaristic force in the community, but instead serves as a reminder that the city is protected..."
...by a force that is pretending that it's not militaristic.

Sounds like a classic façade
Do we really need something like this?!
Won't we steer away from the ad baculum mindset policing so dearly clenches, and begin to see the progress oriented problem solving?
Mediation, counseling, and community... Please!

http://i29.tinypic.com/eai685.jpg

This vehicle would have been useless in the two incidents that are cited.

Sure, we didn't pay directly for it, but guess who gets to pay for operation and maintenance.

What a utter waste.

I wonder if the police see civil unrest coming down the pike. Makes me wonder...

Oh how ordinary. I hope it can at least be utilized to break up the bar, nightclub and fiesta scene.

Armored vehicles are used to transport troops who are under attack while they are driving. I just don't foresee state street lined with snipers in the windows firing on this truck as it heads off on a Winchell's run. These guys have been watching too many Bruce Willis movies.

Now the Piglets have a new plaything. What in incredible waste of money.

Don't even get me started about the Homeland Security Agency.....never in the history of mankind has there existed a more worthless agency staffed with muscle bound jerks with butch haircuts.

We need to cut the budget to the police by 90%! So that don't waste more money.

So many ignorant libs see the need to comment about something that they know nothing about. To Sezme who thinks that the vehicle would be useless at the two incidents cited.. really? And how do you know? I thought the sheriff department used their armored car to approach that sniper? You try moving towards someone with a rifle from open postion and then you can feel free to speak about how an armored car is not useful.

The commentors are really showing their ignorance, "Oh nothing will ever happen here, it is Santa Barbara". People are so far removed from reality here it is not even funny.

This is a waste of money. We do not require a paramilitary force morphed out of our Police Dept. We precluded military forces a century ago with the Posse Comitatus Act from performing law enforcement duties. It was inappropriate then, and is inappropriate now. This is right in there with the Chief talking about the 'mean' streets of Santa Barbara. It sounds more like Reno 911.

If we had been gifted an armored vehicle during W's reign, it would have been a crowd-control vehicle with sonic nausea-inducers and microwave skin-broilers. This one is evidently anti-terrorist. If a legit revolution becomes necessary, it won't count for much. Thank the demigod for small favors.

But how will they pay for gas?

^Obama has expanded the wars and is still wiretapping and operating secret prisons. I don't know why you think Bush is so much worse than Obama. They are both puppets of the elite global bankers and Obama is continuing to carry out their agenda. I wouldn't be surprised if that thing didn't have some secret crowd control weapons on it as well.

Where is Andy Griffith and Don Knotts when we need them most?

Now all we need is Blue Thunder & we got air support! YEAH! By the way, this grant giving by DHS has happened under the OBAMA, not Bush, administration. You wanted change... :) henry

Purely fictional:
Well, we have this nice armored vehicle, but it requires a special drivers license to be operated. Lets see, there is this nice military grade monster truck, which we can get for free from HS. That was easy!

locke, the article specifically states that only an ordinary license is required to drive this white elephant. Do you have a reading comprehension problem or additional information not in the article?

I think this will be useful. Plently of criminals and drug dealers have guns like AK-47s. We hear about bank robberies all the time, what happens when the cops trap some armed thugs in a bank full of customers? This stuff really happens. Maybe having this will keep some out of town criminals away. It will allow police to respond to shooting incidents faster. I bet this saves someone's life within a year. Maybe an armed suicidal person's life, maybe an innocent person, maybe a cop. I'm for it.

at sezme

... though the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department has an armored vehicle, it requires the use of a special license...

and if you keep reading...

"The police's new rig, modeled after a Ford F-550 Super Heavy Truck and immune to most non-military munitions and explosives, can be driven by anyone with a regular license—"

Why would a quasi military vehicle even be part of a federal grant under Obama and his porkulus?

It cost $240,000 and each job saved (I know I love that too) or created runs around an average of $360,000 Biden will count this as one job save.

For those interested in expanding their horizons google "Broken Window" economic concept. It ain't pretty and it is what is happening under donk control.

Regretably for our community and our whole society, there is money available for paramilitary vehicles and the management and administration of the ever-expanding prison system, all in the name of law, order and public safety. A recent example in Santa Barbara, beyond this rediculous military tank, is the County Board of Supervisors support for a 1/2 cent sales tax hike to build a new North County jail. Oddly, Sheriff Bill Brown put the existing Santa Maria jail on the chopping block during recent budget hearings as one of his top budget-cutting proposals only to come back a few weeks later with this creative idea.

I, for one, would much rather see my tax dollars go towards a strong public education system, reduced class sizes, and prevention that is surely one of education's by-products. The contuous ratcheting up of law enforcement and the empires being built is not the solution.

Maybe the dumbest thing Santa Barbara really needs! mmmmm....I could think of a lot of things that money could have been spent on, to well help the people of SB.

For those interested in expanding their horizons google "Broken Window" economic concept.
--jukin

Actually, a better place to start is with the broken window fallacy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_...

....And then the Terminator gets out.

People are so ignorant here.... jeez

Yes,we need this behemoth vehicle to protect Buffy and her mom on the way to dressage lessons at Rancho Asoleado. You never know when the Jihadis might strike in the PRSB (People's Republic of Santa Barbara).

Jukin,

Have you ever heard the term "hawk" used in politics?

BADASS, but still, a waste of money.

I think I will actually only be completely okay with this decision if the driver and occupants wear storm trooper outfits while operating the vehicle.

Sad comment on modern society that the Police Force needs to be Militarized.

I remember in 1966 being able to leave my house and walk a few miles into the LPNF with a .22 rifle for target practice and no one cared. Go downtown and purchase .22 shells at age 12, my Father gave prior permission to the store owner. Carrying a loaded .22 pistol on all my horseback rides into the hills. Camping in the LPNF at age 13, no adults, for a week in the summer with rifles and pistols. Crime was almost non-existent.

The failure of the Judicial System has allowed Crime, Inc. and now we find our Civilian Police Force needing to have Military Grade equipment.

So much for the little sleepy beach town of Santa Barbara. Our Politicians and Judges have failed, "We the People".

Um we need this why? Bring on air wolf and blue thunder people.

It looks like an uber-Hummer, but might prove useful if the drug gang violence that plagues northern Mexico migrates this way. Mexico has 8 years of oil left, then the economy is in big, big trouble. Drugs are the new economic engine, and SB is in is a production zone, a consuming zone, and a transit zone. If we look at what's happening in Mexican border cities, then providing our cops some survivability makes sense, even if it's a sad commentary on the times. What's the fold down disk on the roof?

Wow nice, now they can use it to raid medical marijuana clubs...

So many comments.. such little intellignece.