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.
It is probably being used for “Deer Season.”
And, Brevard Co just got, what, five or seven Apache gunships. Yeah, I feel safe–NOT.
there have been 31 terrorist related events in the USa since 911. There are terrorists among us that is what these are for!
The mechanics that work on these beasts should do the right thing and put in KILL SWITCHES just incase the Police try to use them on Law abiding Citizens
When you say TERRORISTS AMOUNG US!
You do mean all Politicians, Right?????
NOWADAYS NO ONE IS SAFE MY OPINION
You may need it with all the Muslim,Jihadist,etc Alquada lose in the U.S. A. and criminal illegals.
Hopefully some of the PD’s will use them with the citizenry of their districts to fight the tyranny government that’s coming.
Another thought it’s just something more that we can steal from them to use against them if need be.
I saw 12 Mexicans get out of a small van at walmart you should get at least 300 in this and take them back to the border