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.
Someone please tell me where will they ever need something like this. Unless they are preparing for a military conflict here in the states.
But they make great display units for local carnivals and celebrations! The kids love to climb on them!
my tax dollars at work .enjoy
people you are paying way to much in taxes if you can afford this
GOOD! The police need to be eqiupped enough to handle any situation!
the cops are the new bad guys, they want them to protect them self’s from us or to us against us.
What these dumb asses like Mike Adkinson do not realize is that the MRAP is NOT for them, and will NOT be used by them, instead they are simply forward placement..hidden in plain sight. The actual crew will be folks that ”Mike” has never seen before.
You can bring that $#%&!@* to my nieborhood… But you better stay inside it! Step outside your armor and your fair game!
III percent
if you have to ask why the sheriff’s office need this then there is no way it can be explained to you because you have your mind made up, all I can say is walk in their shoes awhile if you have the guts and you’ll find out first hand why they need it. enough said.
How about one to our border control in Texas?