Talk about the Big Bang…
On April 13th, the Olathe PD issued a memo to residents in the neighborhood around Winterbrooke and Sheridan Bridge alerting them to a training exercise that would take place between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. today.
Focused on a vacant house at that intersection, it alerted residents that they may hear one or two loud sounds, “consistent with an explosion” and possibly notice the presence of “large police trucks and armored vehicles.”
Hardly a normal sight for this quiet neighborhood.
A less publicized exercise took place about three months ago, alarming several residents. I received the tip from Chris and Crystal Grohs, the owners of Kansas Coffee Company, who sent me pictures of the scene as they drove by.
“I think this is the last thing children and adults need to be seeing in their back yards,” Crystal said. “Such violence is blasted on social media, TV and it’s not a positive way to improve the relationship between the general public and law enforcement.”
I happen to agree.
It’s also unsettling to many of the other people I’ve talked to. Seriously, the sight of your local police department rolling into the neighborhood with firepower that rivals the National Guard.
Why?
Because it’s hard to turn on the news lately without seeing yet another story about overtly aggressive actions taken against citizens by the police.
Recently we saw South Carolina police officer Michael Slager arrested and charged with murder after a video showed him fatally shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, eight times in the back.
So just what is this equipment and where does it come from?
It can be virtually anything you’d find in the military and it comes courtesy of the Federal Defense Logistic Agency’s 1033 Program.
City and State agencies can apply, the FDLA approves and, in most cases, the equipment is turned over in exchange for the shipping costs. Proponents of the program claim it gives local police departments equipment they couldn’t afford while making good use of excess equipment already paid for by taxpayers.
Those opposed say it re enforces a change in attitude whereby police increasingly see themselves “at war” with their communities rather than as public servants.
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill headed a hearing last year looking into the militarization of local police departments. It was found that 36% of the excess military equipment awarded to local agencies was never even used by the military or was virtually new.
Another alarming statistic: in 49 of 50 states police have more MRAPS, (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles), than their state’s National Guard.
To date, the Federal Defense Logistic Agency has provided $5.1 billion worth of equipment to local law enforcement agencies.
Look, I’m no black helicopter conspiracy nut, but this concerns me.
Olathe was awarded an MRAP, valued at $412,000.
Never know when you’ll need one of these babies
According to the FDLA’s database, that came with two 5.56mm rifles. Unconfirmed sources tell me the Johnson County Sheriff’s office has received 33 5.56mm rifles, one 107mm mortar carrier and two MRAPs.
And today, we get to see them in action!
I stopped by the intersection yesterday, to take pictures and found NPL Construction employees working on utilities. I asked if they had been told about the planned activities and they said police had informed them to make sure they’d be done before today.
I understand and support our police needing to be armed as well as their opponents – drug dealers and terrorist – but this is Olathe for crying out loud.
How often is there a need for this level of firepower? There’s a nationwide trend towards an increased level of militarization within local police departments. Should we be able to accidentally mistake our local cops for the National Guard? I don’t think so.
My fear is two fold.
One, we are seeing police departments abandon the “protect and serve” mentality as more and more unarmed people are killed. In this most recent case, had a passerby not taken a video of the event, it might have gone unpunished.
Two, sending officers who are this heavily armed to perform “normal” police activity, like the service of warrants, can quickly and dangerously escalate into situations that never would have otherwise ended in violence.
And worst of all, the local police could end as up an extension of the military if somebody decides the common citizens need to be suppressed.
I’ll be there to see how this all shakes out.
ANOTHER great repub tactic. Be prepared for isis when they hit OLATHE?
but its a good article and I agree that too much military equipment changes
these hobby cops from ‘BARNEY FIFE” TO “the sniper:.
Two in a row Wilson….glad to see you’ve shifted your political positions
to a more common sense/progressive/ outlook.
Last drug dealers in olathe were taken in without any problems according
to kc reporters.
I think these departments think we’re living in Iraq or yemen.
Or someone forgot to tell them they work in olathe where the biggest
crime is breaking up a prostititue operation.
but I agree with you on the military equipment. But as Mark smith/chuck (before he
binges) ….and the legal guy think….we should expect isis and Iranians to
come barreling down I 35 any day now!
A little warm up exercise to remind you about the police state we exist in. Don’t mind us patrolling your neighborhood outfitted like a Gestapo goon squad, it is for your own good. Jefferson is in continuous rolling mode in his grave.
I could not agree more. Hoping to get some great video today.
I’m going to mate it with my next story that will paint a total dychotomy, a juxtaposition if you will, of where they are missing it on the basics. Something they do with routine that they’d write you a ticket for in a heartbeat!
The theme will be along the lines of learn to walk before you run, Officer Rambo.
do you think this is new..or was it before we didn’t have
videos in our phones to see what they were doing?
It’s 11:05, no action yet. Apparently the terrorists are late to the party!
“In this most recent case, had a passerby not taken a video of the event, it might have gone unpunished.”
I think “would”, rather than “might”, is the word you were looking for.
I think all of the hero-worship of the military is also to blame. You’re viewed as un-American if you don’t bow down and praise all of the soldiers/sailors/etc.
The worst thing we ever did was go to an all-volunteer military. Bring back the draft and you’ll get rid of a large part of the militarization of our society.
Or allow mercenaries to fight modern wars for us and not hold them to the same rules of engagement of our normal armies?
I feel guilty as hell, I really do, but, there is some serious latent humor here. Gawd, just the idea of all this firepower rolling down the street and cutting off mom and the kids in the mini van has me giggling my azz off. The incongruity of the military hardware juxtapositioned against the kids, strapped into their seats, looking out the window as the Humvees and Half Tracks roll on by to the ranch house next door, just kills me.
Can’t wait for the video.
You make some great points, but I am looking for some laughs here pal.
🙂
Paul, there has gotta be some cool nomenclature, you know, ask them what the operation is called.
“Back away Mr. Wilson!! You are interfering with Operation Rolling Thunder!!! We are calling in Air Strikes now and your in the KILL ZONE!!!”
“Hey man, I just wanna get over there to the QT and get a slurpee”.
“Ok, hold on, I will lay down some suppressing fire, I will cover your six, GO GO GO GO GO!!!!
chuck must have hit happy hour!!!!!!!
he’s lit up like its new years eve!
It’s all fun and games Chuck until someone gets their dog shot dead.
That’s true.
Chuck, watch this about 15 sec in. I had the signal for when the door would blow, so I was expecting it…but it hit me so hard I couldn’t hold the camera still!
http://youtu.be/xyxRiznCOgs
Wow. Ok. Not that funny.
Are folks who know things we don’t know expecting something? Maybe we should give them credit for their prescience as it relates to the real effects of multiculturalism.
I guess, if the Feds and the folks in charge of the new America insist on corralling as many Islamic Immigrants from as many stone age, turbulent 3rd world nations, where an education consists of memorizing the Koran and wiping your bum with the Stars and Stripes, it makes some sense.
Or, just stop importing terrorists.
Somewhere, I guess, is a reasonable line that you can draw, between burning and blowing up the flora and fauna and just waiting for David Koresh to go into town and Wyatt Earping his azz into the hoosegow.
I am a big dog lover and I don’t want my Chi Wau Wau/Pug mix getting strafed by an overpriced F 35 that the Feds gave up on and now is in receipt of the Grandview PD.
Did any of those guys pouring out of that vehicle look like Arnold?
give this guy a blood alcohol test before he writes on kcc!!!!
noteven making sense,
Boy, given the way those cops stormed the door after it was blown, there’s no way the terrorists would have had any chance. It looked like they were waiting in line to get into a Chiefs game.
The only thing that could have saved them were their camouflage outfits…the terrorists might not have been able to see them.
I think they need more practice…
Phaedrus, you would have had to have been there for the pre-exercise set up. It started with a video I have of two uniformed cops stringing crime tape and disagreeing on how it was to be done.
“I think he need to wrap it around the SOUTH side of the tree….”
“What difference does it make? We’re wrapping it around a TREE!”
Then when the MRAP showed up, they started pulling equipment out and fumbling around with how to assemble it.
The video of them hauling out the dead bad guy was pretty interesting as well.
I’m just uneasy in general as so why we need this level of military tactics when its going to get used so infreqently but practiced so often.
I’m impressed they knew north from south.
Are we sure they weren’t just filming a scene for a new Police Academy movie?
Call me crazy, but I’d rather pay lower taxes and take my own chances with the terrorists in Kansas. We’re all much more likely to die from a car accident (or probably even a lightning strike) than from any terrorist activity.
Some of this is totally ridiculous. Most Police Departments are going to end up leaving the MRAPs at home when they find they can’t afford the fuel and maintenance, or they will use it sparingly after rolling into a few parked cars, carrying out an exercize, having to pay for that Escalade or Maserati, legally parked. Exactly what can the new equipment do that a SWAT team couldn’t, and when should the local police department use it, apprehending a jaywalker? When was the last time there was a riot in Olathe? The only place a police force needs to use a fully automatic weapon is when Deputy Fife in Olathe is surrounded by the proverbial lynch mob, wanting to hang someone from an old oak, and back up is not forthcoming. Ferguson has given the police and their new equipment a severe black eye, as the Missouri Attorney General has yet to arrest and send looters to a trial. What we ask of our police is tough, but we ask them to enforce the law, equally and evenly, without bias, and without prejudice. A policeman needs to be able to describe a suspect without the cries of racism, but the laws need to be enforced, as written. With the laws that city, county and state law officers have to enforce, there is little need for MRAPs, and if they need them, they can always borrow them from the national guard, as the only time they are effective is during a riot, when the Governor is supposed to act…sorry Nixon. It’s just a thought, but some of the assault weapons used almost 70 years ago in World War II are more powerful than the 5.56 weapons the police are so proud of. The rest is all for show. Only the body armour stands out, and in the case of the mass murderers, perhaps it is the body armour that should tell police something when the see it, instead of the weapons.
How about this rich old old dude in Tulsa who wanted to be a like he saw on the
tv show “Cops” and paid the deputy sheriff to let him play his games.
Then every pic you see his kids are holding him up or hugging and kissing them.
I gues when daddy has a trust fund waiting for you you don’t let anything
happen to him.
Where are these nuts coming from? And I imagine theres goning to be a
huge investigation into taking bribes to let grandpa fife play with real guns
and blow away some black guy.
Oh boy….what have we come to?
Of course in his home study course on shooting police weapons he learned the
taser and gun were on different sides of his body.
OOOOOOPS…