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.
Well, isn’t that just the cutest thing? Hussein the Terrible strikes yet again!! What a jackass! He’s been “arming” PDs all over so when he TRIES to declare “martial law” these “toys” can be used against all of us “domestic terrorists”, meaning of course American citizens who love FREEDOM, OUR CONSTITUTION, CHRISTIANITY, STAND WITH ISRAEL, and AREN’T AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD TERRORIST AND ILLEGAL INVADER IN THE PEOPLE’S WHITE HOUSE. That’s been his “end game” since he began PLAYING at being president (which he can’t be for many reasons the easiest to see is, of course, that he was born in Kenya and is not eligible to run for anything except….AWAY. Wouldn’t that be nice to see him pack his things and go home!?!
You never know when a riot will break out at the bingo parlor.
We’re gonna need a bigger boat!
You know everyone is complaining about how even peaceful small towns are getting military grade vehicles and thats supposedly not a good thing because of over militarization of the Police forces in America… But if ever there’s ever say a natural disaster (flood, hurricane, or what not) where getting into a region to rescue people would become a serious challenge guess which vehicles will be close on hand in even small far distant towns???
Anyone remember how long it took to get people out of Louisiana or during past hurricanes elsewhere where rescue teams were limited and stretched out trying to handle entire State areas or entire coastlines of multiple States??? Vehicles on hand in local relief response and rescue if needed…
gestapo wagon ??
Tell me just because that vehicle has a Sheriff’s star on it it couldn’t be used for rescue in natural disasters where things like climbing/driving over fallen trees and deep water and mud which wouldn’t be a problem for these still usable military vehicles…
$#%&!@*s badass bro
what are they used for?
a police state is coming