Mcat Military - MARSHFIELD - Police can't respond to hostile situations as quickly as they'd like because the city doesn't have its own armored vehicle, according to Police Chief Rick Gramza, but that could change.
Gramza asked the state Fire and Police Commission on Thursday to keep the city eligible to receive an armored vehicle from the federal government, which provides used military equipment to local police agencies under a Department of Defense program.
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"It's another weapon, it's another resource that we hope we never have to use," Gramma said, referring to armored vehicles. "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."
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Marshfield has been on a waiting list to receive an armored vehicle since at least 2013; Earlier this summer, the Department of Defense asked if the city was still interested in getting one, which prompted Gramza's application to the commission.
The commission did not take any formal action, but the members came to an agreement that they would support remaining on the army list. This does not mean that every commissioner is in favor of having an armored vehicle, however.
Commission member Randy Gershman said he wasn't convinced the city needed an armored vehicle and questioned how much it would cost to maintain.
"I'm not sold on the idea that we need it in the community, and I'm not so sure the community would embrace the idea," Gershman said.
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Terry Frankland, another member of the commission, said he also has questions about maintenance costs. Still, citing police efforts to combat drug crime and the relatively low cost of acquiring the vehicle, Frankland said, "I'd hate to not support it."
Commission member Mike Myers wondered if cities around Marshfield would be interested in partnering with the city so the vehicle could provide regional coverage.
And Andy Keogh, chairman of the commission, said officers and the public would need to fully consider any opportunities that arise to obtain an armored vehicle.
"We need to have meaningful discussions before we move forward," he said, adding, "We need to take into account the views of the community on these things."
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The commission's discussion comes amid a national debate about the militarization of the police. Some in law enforcement say armored vehicles and similar equipment save lives and are becoming increasingly important in dealing with violent scenarios. Civil liberties groups argue that such tools can escalate disputes and unnecessarily inject ideas of war into small communities.
When it comes to citizen opinion on the issue, there hasn't been a lot of relevant academic research, said Jeffrey Guse, associate professor of political science at PC-Marshfield/Wood County. But a 2014 USA TODAY/Pew Research Center poll found that more than four in 10 people surveyed said they had "some confidence in police departments to use military equipment and weapons appropriately." The poll surveyed 1,501 adults across the country.
For his part, Gramza said that any armored vehicle that Marshfield receives will not be equipped with weapons and will not be displayed in parades.
Marshfield police have received about $40,000 worth of surplus military equipment over the past year and a half, including scopes for sniper rifles, backpacks and investigative equipment. Under the federal program, the department only pays for shipping costs and not the value of the equipment itself.
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The same cost structure would apply for the armored vehicle, which would likely be priced between $400,000 and $800,000, and estimated shipping would be around $6,000, Gramma said. Maintenance can also cost a couple of thousand dollars a year, but the military may be able to provide spare parts, according to Gramma.
He acknowledged the city was going without an armored vehicle, but said it would be worth the cost. The vehicle, he said, could be used in hostage situations to rescue people and protect police and emergency crews.
"The cost of saving a life is very high," Gramma said. "I would be hard-pressed to find the words to be able to go to a family member and say, 'We weren't able to save your husband or your child from a hostile situation because we didn't have the equipment.'"
Although the police department has access to armored vehicles owned by nearby law enforcement agencies — including Marathon and Portage counties and the Wood County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin Rapids — it can take an hour or more to get any of those vehicles to Marshfield. Armored vehicles typically have a top speed of only 50 to 55 miles per hour, and there can be delays in locating trained personnel and securing permits for mutual aid.
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There is no word on when an armored vehicle might be offered to Marshfield, Gramma said. But if this were to happen, it is likely that the city would have only a week or two to decide whether to accept it. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or to inquire about permission/licensing, visit: www.TorontoStarReprints.com
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — School police departments across the country have used free surplus military equipment, gathering mine-resistant armored vehicles, grenade launchers and dozens of M16 rifles.
At least 26 school districts across the country have participated in the Pentagon's rest program, which is not new, but has come under scrutiny in recent months after police responded to Ferguson, Missouri, protesters with tear gas.
Law enforcement agencies use the program to arm themselves during lean budget years, and since the Columbine school shooting in 1999, schools have become increasingly involved. Federal records show that schools in California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada, Texas and Utah were given surplus military equipment.
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Now, amid mounting criticism, some school districts say they will return some of the equipment. Nearly two dozen education and civil liberties groups sent a letter earlier this week to the Pentagon and the Justice and Education departments urging an end to the transfer of military weapons to school police.
The Los Angeles Unified School District -- the nation's second-largest school district, which enrolls more than 900,000 students -- said in a statement this week that it would dispose of three grenade launchers it acquired under the program in 2001 because "they are not essential.. Life saving things in the scope, duties and mission" of the police in the area. But the district plans to keep 60 M16s and an MRAP, a military vehicle used in Iraq and Afghanistan that is built to withstand mine explosions.
District Police Chief Steve Zipperman told The Associated Press that the M16s were used for training, and that the MRAP, which is widely parked off campus, was acquired because the district could not afford to purchase armored vehicles that could be used to Protect officers and help students in a school shooting.
"This vehicle is used in very unusual circumstances, including a life-saving situation due to an armed threat," Zipperman said. "Honestly, I hope we never have to use it."
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Los Angeles school board member Steve Zimmer said the district would likely let go of the MRAP as well. The board was told about the specific equipment the district received after the protests last month in Ferguson, Zimmer said.
Jill Poe, police chief in the Baldwin Park School District in Southern California, said she would return the three M16 rifles obtained under her predecessor.
"Honestly, we couldn't tell you why we have those," Poe said. "They have never been used in the field and they will never be used in the field. They are locked up in our armory... I was looking to send them back because they will never be of any use to us."
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Los Angeles Unified School Police officials said Tuesday that the department will give up some of the military weapons it received through a federal program that donates excess equipment to local law enforcement. This comes as education and civil rights groups have called on the US to
The Los Angeles School Police Department, which serves the nation's second largest school system, will return three grenade launchers, but plans to keep 61 rifles and a mine-resistant ambush protected armored vehicle it received through the program.
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LA Unified is one of at least 22 school systems in eight states participating in the program, which provides the additional military-grade gear to law enforcement agencies at no charge.
The program gained notoriety and received heavy criticism after recent riots in Ferguson, Mo., where local police used armored vehicles, wore body armor and carried assault rifles in an attempt to quell protests following the shooting death of an 18-year-old black girl. by a white police officer. .
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