In the U.S. police budgets are set by elected officials at local and state levels. In 2020 elected officials in New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and Minneapolis approved plans to reduce police budgets in response to the nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. After the budget cuts many US cities saw a rise in crime, with murder rates up by double digits in many cities. In the last three months of 2020, homicides rose 32.2% in cities with a population of at least one million, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Quarterly…
Read moreNarrow down which types of responses you would like to see.
Narrow down the conversation to these participants:
Discussions from these authors are shown:
These active users have achieved an understanding of common concepts and the history regarding the topic of Demilitarize the Police
These active users have achieved a basic understanding of terms and definitions related to the topic of Demilitarize the Police
@B5G67J25 days5D
Depends on the type of police and military grade equipment as state police wouldn’t need the kind of equipment the FBI uses for it’s purposes
@B3YL2J32mos2MO
Yes, but only in response to extreme situations, and only after they have received strict training on how and when to use the equipment.
@9VV3NK87mos7MO
I think if they are going to the way to become a police officer should be stricter and harder and they should have a lot more regulation than they do now. Or even a special force of police like swat that could be trained to use military weapons.
@9TYRNYS8mos8MO
Not only should it be removed. Police should apologize publicly for the use of any military grade equipment. Like the bomb used in the suburbs of Chicago.
Sure, with actual training. Military-grade nowadays only means it's a bit tougher and is easy to manufacture, it doesn't matter if its a normal gun or a military grade gun, it's still a gun yk
No, the government should never use military grade weapons on its own citizens.
@96W6PMH3yrs3Y
there should be intensive training and this should be a specific force that is allowed to use them as well
@957V9XQ3yrs3Y
I could see them having military equipment but it's just so bad now with all these police incidents and police killing innocent people so if they can't handle holding a gun I don't think they deserve the right to carry more.
@92WV7Y3Libertarian3yrs3Y
I wonder if policing would be effective using privately purchase old or captured Military Equipment of a defeated country and used them as another line of defense of foreign invasion.
@926SQ753yrs3Y
Yes, they should have the ability to react in their community to any situation that arises, lest we end up like cops being stranded against those who create coordinated attacks like that of LA in the 90's. They should have it, be effectively trained in it and know when to use it. However, like the military, once they decide to escalate the level of force they are deciding to use, there should be an understanding of the heightened consequence that will come with it if an investigation is found that there was no need for that excessive force.
@923LS56Republican3yrs3Y
I think if they get extensive hardcore training thats longer than just a month or so
@8ZTCBNX3yrs3Y
No, it symbolically turns the citizenry into enemies of the police.
They should only be given military grade if their training becomes more similar to that of the military.
@8YDK6KSLibertarian3yrs3Y
Military grade sucks *** they should be able to use better than military grade
@8XLT5SY3yrs3Y
Depends on when they need to use such equipment. Drug Raids, SWAT Teams, Bomb Squads, etc all require military grade equipment. However they SHOULD NOT use miltiary equipment for day to day use for simple offenses such as traffic violations, or non-violent offenses. or hell even violent ones.
@8WVJ4FLLibertarian4yrs4Y
Depends on what is considered 'military grade'
@8WQ9R7S4yrs4Y
Maybe, higher up police should be but not the younger ones.
@8WQ9D344yrs4Y
The police department is already abusive with what they have now so its not a good idea
@8WDMQL54yrs4Y
The military awards contracts to the lowest bidder, so if the police can afford better gear than "military grade" they should use that instead.
There training should be enough and just having a gun puts you at a bigger advantage than the other guy
@8TSPMT8Women’s Equality4yrs4Y
Nobody should have the power to handle any situation with high amount of power, nobody should have that kind of control, even if it’s the best thing to do.
@8TLRF894yrs4Y
I think this question is a little too vague
@8SDD8464yrs4Y
No, unless the general public is allowed to carry such equipment as well.
@8S5K5LKLibertarian4yrs4Y
Only if the private citizen can also access the same equipment
@8RRPB26Republican4yrs4Y
Yes, but only in strict training, AND only in extreme situations.
@8PR6CQ44yrs4Y
No, but with strict training on how and when to use the equipment
@9B4JWLK2yrs2Y
Yes, but only if the officers using the equipment are properly trained and are responding to an extreme situation that warrants their use.
@99M3FPT2yrs2Y
Yes, but only in an emergency situation until a higher agency is available to take over. Military grade equipment should be mainly defensive.
@993KTN42yrs2Y
Yes, if the citizens are granted the same right of ownership.
@97JCFT53yrs3Y
I think this question is too broad to give a yes or no answer, and the answer changes depending on your definition of "extreme situations" I will go ahead and say "Yes, with strict training on how and when to use equipment; and only in response to extreme situations
@96VXF4V3yrs3Y
Yes but only in extreme situations and with very strict training done.
@8YXFV9S3yrs3Y
yes, but only if the people have access to them too.
No, there is the swat and higher grade enforcement for that.
@8SRC3G94yrs4Y
Everyone should be able allowed to use military grade equipment.
Loading the political themes of users that engaged with this discussion
Loading data...
Join in on more popular conversations.
