Militarization of police more widespread than previously thought, especially in small towns
By Madison Ruppert
End the Lie.com
While the trend of police forces becoming increasingly militarized across the United States, thanks in large part to programs like the Pentagon’s 1033 Program, is pretty much common knowledge at this point, it actually goes much further than most realize.
Indeed, as a new detailed Associated Press report shows, it is not only Georgia – which acquired a whopping $200 million worth of military-grade weapons and vehicles – where rural areas are getting equipment they clearly don’t need.
Yet the many cities and towns also acquire equipment through federal grant funds, not just the 1033 Program, which can allow agencies to acquire everything from deep fryers to military robots.
The AP investigation found that a “disproportionate share of the $4.2 billion worth of property distributed since 1990 has been obtained by police departments and sheriff’s offices in rural areas with few officers and little crime.”
Some of the equipment is quite obviously not needed and will not be used by the departments. One of the examples is, oddly enough, from Georgia, where the police department in the tiny farming community of Morven, Georgia has acquired “three boats, scuba gear, rescue rafts and a couple of dozen life preservers.”
Now, you might be thinking that this is justified, because they’re probably located near a large body of water. In reality, the 1.7-square-mile, 700-resident town’s deepest body of water is an ankle-deep creek.
Morven Police Chief Lynwood Yates didn’t stop there. He also acquired a decontamination machine originally valued at $200,000, though it is missing most of its parts and would require $100,000 worth of repairs.
The Rest…HERE
