Feds reverse course; Macomb County sheriff gets replacement military vehicle

This is a version of the MRAP armored
vehicle that is used by many police departments.

Somewhere between Ferguson and San Bernardino, the popular politics in America changed regarding police use of military equipment.

The growing opposition from the right to police relying upon armored vehicles – surplus military equipment – was joined by those on the left when the 2014 riots in Missouri sparked such an aggressive police response. But as raucous protests continued in Ferguson and elsewhere, often led by the Black Lives Matter movement, conservatives began to rethink their position as they sympathized with the dangerous job imposed on riot police.

In San Bernardino, the street shootout with a jihadi couple after a terrorist attack seemed to affirm the value of armored support for the cops.

Demilitarized police departments
President Obama, in a classic case of being behind the curve, issued an executive order  in January mandating the “demilitarization” of local police departments, including the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department, and ordering the surrender of armored vehicles. County Executive Mark Hackel and law enforcement officials were incensed.

In turn, Congresswoman Candice Miller took up the cause and on Monday the Macomb Sheriff’s Department announced it will received a new armored vehicle from the Defense Department surplus program.

This is not just an armored car, this is an MRAP vehicle, like those used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to withstand rocket-propelled grenade attacks and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). In contrast, the prior vehicle that was recalled by the feds (below) was a dated version of a tracked armored personnel carrier.

That old M113 vehicle, according to The Macomb Daily, was donated to the sheriff’s department in 2004, just as countless police departments across the nation received Army surplus donations over the past two decades.  

Macomb’s armored vehicle was only used a handful of times a year, but police officials say it was a “very effective” tool when responding to an active shooter or barricaded gunman.

Surplus equipment paid for by taxpayers
Here’s a statement from Miller, a Harrison Township Republican who represents a portion of Macomb County:

“I am excited to receive confirmation from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department that they will be receiving a (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) MRAP from the federal government through the DoD surplus program to replace the tracked armored vehicle recalled by the executive order issued by President Obama earlier this year. As we recently saw during the horrific attack in San Bernardino, Calif., our first responders can find themselves in rapidly-evolving, dangerous situations that may necessitate such equipment.

“It is imperative that our first responders have the resources and equipment they need to safely do their jobs and keep our communities safe, which is why I strongly oppose the President’s executive order disarming them. This surplus equipment has already been paid for by taxpayers, and they should continue to benefit from them. While I am pleased that the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department will be receiving a replacement vehicle, I believe the first one should have never been recalled to begin with.”