Walton County Sheriff’s Office Mike Adkinson states that their department just got a mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle (MRAP) for “an insurance policy,” in order to keep deputies safe in dangerous situations – citing examples past violence in the country.
However one journalist, Justin King, calls out Adkinson’s claims of violence as over exaggerated, instead stating that the county is virtually crime free.
Walton County Sheriff’s Officer Mike Adkinson denied that the purchase of the vehicle was an attempt to militarize the police department, adding that he wouldn’t let public opinion get in the way of the “safety” of his colleagues.
“This is not the federal government intruding on your civil liberties,” wrote Adkinson in a Facebook post. “Would you really want them sent into harm’s way without the best protection available, simply because the military originally purchased this vehicle?”
This didn’t stop residents expressing their anger at the decision to buy the vehicle, with one commenting that the purchase represented “an offensive intimidation method used to controll [sic] and strike fear.”
Another respondent agreed, remarking, “This doesn’t make the officers safer. All studies show that the more militarized a department becomes, the more often officers get hurt. This is Walton County, Florida, not Iraq, not Afghanistan.”
As Justin King points out, despite Adkinson’s effort to justify the purchase by pointing to examples where cops have had to deal with suspects barricaded inside their homes, Walton is such a peaceful and virtually crime free neighborhood that it was used to represent an idyllic American town in the 1998 movie The Truman Show.
“Walton County is a part of Florida that is so crime free you can leave your doors unlocked. When Hollywood location scouts were looking for a community so perfect that it appeared to be fake, they came to Walton County. The Truman Show, staring Jim Carey, was filmed on location in a small Walton County community,” writes King, accusing the Sheriff’s department of abandoning common sense by purchasing the vehicle and pointing out that it is only likely to spur additional violence.
“This vehicle is an implement of war. It has no place in this county. The decision to bring this to a small community will only increase violence against citizens by creating a combat mindset in deputies. This violence will be returned, and deputies will face violence on a level not seen before in Walton County,” writes King.
Leon Johnson
what do you need this unite for put a water tank in back and use it foe fire fiting
Police needs protection too!
Awesome I think every po dunk county sheriff’s deputy should have an MRAP assigned to them . Multiple helicopters, drones, tanks, pill box outposts , razor wire checkpoints, and glorified secretaries that double as porn stars on the weekends…
More reason to own these
YUP!!! Gotta keep those unruly riotous nude sunbathers on Fort Walton beach under control!!!!!!
They need it for what’s to come when Isis attacks in this country it’s not going to be used for American people you could not get any of the sheriff departments to turn on Americans they are oath keepers and we will fight for America always so you people posting this stuff are crazy
WHY_WHY???????
All i heard in the argument was an officer acting like a little kid in a candy store. Making every excuse possible have this rig in the department. If he wants military vehicles for his offficers to feel safe then i want a full auto 50BMG machine gun to i can feel safe. Some one could argue ” what you need a 50cal full auto for defense?, wel.. what the heck do you need an armord coffin with wheels for?). This county and its officers are out of their minds. Excuses and military mind set for people who have never seen combat. Pathetic really, if i wanted too, i could turn that vehicle into a nightmare for its inhabitants, any one could.
pacing for the rioter, that will be in mass come their declared marshal law. then the shooting starts.