Local Control

http://www.policeone.com/patrol-issues/articles/4913061-Speak-your-mind-Are-todays-cops-too-militarized/

Some agencies are issuing their police exterior body armor,
Kevlar helmets, M-16 series rifles and putting their officers in military style
uniforms, even to the point of wearing goggles and balaclavas. Some people are concerned that officers are
becoming too militarized. I think there
are two aspects to this problem. The
first is that police are not soldiers and while during an active shooter
incident may play a role similar to that of a soldier; these incidents are
still rather rare. Officers need to
match their equipment and uniform to their duty. In general we don’t need to patrol around
dressed up like soldiers and we should not be hiding our faces.

The primary concern I have with this militarization of
police is that it is coming from the Federal Government. You take the Federal money to pay for
equipment, and you have to conform to Federal rules. For years LAPD and other agencies have been
forced to hire police recruits that were unable to meet their traditional
requirements simply because the Federal Government mandated more hiring of
minorities and women. Agencies should
hire who they want to hire, without the interference of the Federal
Government.

The Federal Government is mandating training, radios, and
hiring standards. Policing is a local
government function. It should not be
taken over by the Federal Government. Local control means that the local people can get the type of police
they want, not the type of police the Federal Government thinks they should
have. If you agency has the Federal
Government buying them armored cars and M-16’s how long before the Federal
Government requires your agency to use them all the time? Local police, local control, we should not
let the lure of Federal money take that away; that’s what the SGT Says.