Is Trump right to militarise US Police?

Trump signs executive order lifting Obama-era ban on police departments getting surplus military equipment – including armored vehicles and grenade launchers
President Trump is set to sign an executive order Monday that will overturn a military equipment ban for law enforcement officials
Attorney General Jeff Sessions discussed the plan during the annual meeting of Fraternal Order of Police in Nashville, Tennessee
Under the plan, an Obama-era executive order would be overturned
Trump's new order will reinstate police departments' ability to obtain firearms, bayonets, 50-caliber ammunition, riot shields – and even grenade launchers
Obama's executive order was first put into place amid controversy following a militarized police response to 2014 race riots in Ferguson, Missouri

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BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F

The US police are already so fucking militarized that it's absurd, what the hell else do they need? They've got Humvee jeeps, they've got body armor, they've got assault rifles and shotguns and attack dogs, they have sniper rifles too I think. What, they want flamethrowers now?

malizz · 70-79, M

@BlueMetalChick You don't want the surplus equipment to fall into the hands of terrorists.

BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F

@malizz Sure, so don't give it to terrorists. Store it away, give it to someone you trust, redistribute it to your allies, scrap it and make a profit from the parts. What the fuck does the police need it for? They kill enough people already.

Gauntlets28 · 26-30, M

@malizz Tbh, I can only see the police having access to that sort of hardware making it far more likely to fall into the hands of criminals. It's a very bad idea to presume that there's not going to be a single bent cop willing to steal and sell weapons.

malizz · 70-79, M

@Gauntlets28 Like what happened in the Middle East.

Gauntlets28 · 26-30, M

@malizz You know, that is exactly what I had in mind. Either it's like Iraq, where they had huge amounts of weapons they were unable to guard, or like Syria where they manage to turn peaceful-ish protests into full blown civil war because they can't hold back on trying out their new bombs and gasses on civilians.