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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-6-14-Rutherford Institute Urges Nampa, Idaho City Council to Reject Police Militarization, Restore Balance Between Citizens and Police by Returning MRAPFrom:fdewaay To:Agenda Subject:Rutherford Institute Urges Nampa, Idaho City Council to Reject Police Militarization, Restore Balance Between Citizens and Police by Returning MRAP Date:Saturday, October 04, 2014 3:47:24 AM October 3, 2014Rutherford Institute Urges Nampa, Idaho City Council to Reject PoliceMilitarization, Restore Balance Between Citizens and Police by ReturningMRAP NAMPA, Idaho—At the request of citizens of Nampa, Idaho, John W.Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, is urging the NampaCity Council to reject police militarization and return its policedepartment’s military-grade equipment, specifically a Mine ResistantAmbush Protected vehicle (MRAP), which was reportedly acquired throughgrants from the Department of Homeland Security. Pointing out that thediscussion about whether police officers need rifles, night visionscopes, or an armored vehicle is one that needs to engage the entirecommunity and must be decided by local residents and their electedrepresentatives, and not be decided unilaterally by the federalgovernment, the military, or law enforcement, Whitehead stressed thatwhenever this kind of armament is brought into a community, it shouldonly be done with the knowledge and consent of the citizenry.Furthermore, Whitehead noted that military recycling programs carryhidden costs of repair and maintenance, and result in heightened riskfor the community by transforming local police into extensions of themilitary. The Rutherford Institute’s letter to the Nampa City Council is availableat www.rutherford.org. “While we all want our law enforcement officers to be able to do theirjob, which is to maintain the peace and uphold the Constitution, and wewant them to be safe and protected while doing so, we cannot afford tosacrifice our freedoms in the process,” stated Whitehead, author of AGovernment of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State. “The Americanpolice force is not supposed to be a branch of the military but existsfor a sole purpose: to serve and protect the citizens of each and everyAmerican community. Thus, it now falls to local governing bodies torestore the rightful balance between the citizenry and those appointedto safeguard their freedoms.” Local police agencies in all 50 states and four U.S. territoriesparticipate in the Pentagon’s 1033 “recycling” program, and the share ofequipment and weaponry gifted each year continues to expand. Since 1990,$4.2 billion worth of military weapons and equipment has beentransferred from the Defense Department to domestic police agenciesthrough the 1033 program, in addition to various other programspurportedly aimed at fighting the government’s War on Drugs and War onTerror. The MRAP is an intimidating part of this “recycling” program.Weighing in at 20 tons, an MRAP is built to withstand everything fromsmall arms fire to improvised explosive device blasts, attributes thatare wholly unnecessary for routine domestic policing. Furthermore, whilesupposedly acquired for little up front, these $733,000 battering ramscome with hidden costs that can add up to tens of thousands of dollarsyearly in maintenance and repair. However, as Whitehead notes in hisletter to the City Council, “When the Department of Homeland Security launched its 1033 surplus military equipment recycling program, it laidthe groundwork for a transformation of local law enforcement into extensions of the military, upsetting a critical balance established byour Founding Fathers who warned against establishing a standing armythat would see American citizens as potential combatants.” For the sakeof greater transparency, accountability, and oversight when it comes topolice acquisition and deployment of military-grade equipment, TheRutherford Institute is recommending that the Nampa City Council adopt apolicy of direct oversight to ensure that if local law enforcementacquires such weapons, they do so with the blessing of the community. This press release is available at www.rutherford.org. To donate via PayPal, please click on the link below:CONTACT INFORMATIONNisha Whitehead(434) 978-3888 ext. 604(434) 466-6168 (cell)nisha@rutherford.org THE RUTHERFORD INSTITUTEPost Office Box 7482Charlottesville, VA 22906-7482Phone: (434) 978-3888www.rutherford.org Copyright © 2014 The Rutherford Institute, All rights reserved. Founded in 1982 by constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead,The Rutherford Institute is a civil liberties organization that providesfree legal services to people whose constitutional and human rights havebeen threatened or violated. To discontinue your membershipelectronically, or if you feel you are receiving this message in error,please follow the link below.Under the regulations of the United States Internal Revenue Service, TheRutherford Institute is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofitorganization. Donations to support The Rutherford Institute’s legal andeducational work help to safeguard the constitutional rights andreligious freedoms of all Americans. Donations are tax-deductible. Incompliance with general industry standards of a nonprofit organization,the Institute is audited annually by an independent accounting firm.