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.
HAVE TO GET ALL OF THEM IN PLACE BEFORE NOVEMBER 2016!!
ed is right they are planning for civil war. they are pushing the people to it by what the nut in charged wonts to be the first dicator to this country. other wise we dont need this c**p
Well when they and the other Obama police forces start taking over they figure to need to use these heavy Armor vehicles and the military weapons given them against rebellious America citizens.
Lies. They are being brainwashed by the Obama Regime headed up by communist Hilary to come for your guns to make you an easy target for ISIS who (thanks to Obama) are already here. Fight the militarization of law enforcement or get law enforcement convinced they must use these vehicles to preserve our Constitution and the rights of the best Americans rather than the criminals who will always get arms illegally regardless of any laws. When they criminalize the 2nd Amendment I will gladly be a criminal within a land dictated by the lawless.
just another flagrant misuse of government funds, nothing unusual. The rich keep getting richer and the poor poorer.
“insurance policy” for what? what do they “fore see” happening?
the brown shirts are hear people !!!!!!!!!!!
To use against the Citizens of this country. They can cover it up any way they want but we know now there TRAITORS to this country.
I think officers have the right to protect themselves and if the PD can acquire used military surplus then how is that a bad thing? How quickly ppl forget tragic incidents like 9-11 or the Boston bombing. If you were held hostage I bet you have a change of heart. And if you are naive enough to think that a tragedy could not happen in a peaceful community then you need to wake up. Police have a right to protect themselves during dangerous incidents and have the opportunity to go home to their families.
Scary that our police feel they need to be as well armed as our military, but I reckon its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it