A closer look // By Eugene K. ChowIn Keene, N.H., locals oppose military equipment for police
With the help of a $285,933 DHS grant, local police in Keene, New Hampshire were all set to purchase a new armored vehicle until local residents got wind of the plan; the citizens of the quiet New Hampshire town of 23,000, which has only seen two murders since 1999, questioned why police needed such an expensive military-type truck and balked at the militarization of a local force; with federal counterterrorism money continuing to pour into local communities, lawmakers and residents across the country will have to grapple with the same issues as Keene and determine what kind of police force they want to have patrolling the streets
With the help of a $285,933 DHS grant, local police in Keene, New Hampshire were all set to purchase a new armored vehicle until local residents got wind of the plan.
The citizens of the quiet New Hampshire town of 23,000, which has only seen two murders since 1999, questioned why police needed such an expensive military-type truck and balked at the militarization of a local force.
“The police are already pretty brutal,” Mike Clark, a twenty-seven year old resident of Keane, saidin an interview with the Huffington Post. “The last thing they need is this big piece of military equipment to make them think they’re soldiers.”
Clark, who currently faces charges of criminal mischief and claims to have been roughed up by local police, grew incensed when he heard the City Council was moving to approve the proposal for an armored truck.
In an effort to force the council to reconsider its plan, Clark went about collecting 500 signatures against the proposal and presented his petition to the council. At a 9 February City Council meeting, more than 100 people gathered to express their criticism of the planned armored truck purchase.
The Keene Sentinel reported thatRoberta Mastrogiovanni, the owner of a newsstand, said the vehicle “promotes violence.”
“We should promote more human interaction rather than militarize. I refuse to use money for something this unnecessary when so many people in our community are in need,” he said.
The armored personnel vehicle, dubbed the “Bearcat,” is manufactured by Lenco Industries Inc. and sports heavy steel armor plating that can withstand bullets and is resistant to explosive devices.
The debate over the Keane Bearcat comes as part of the broader influx of federal funding designed to bolster local law enforcement agencies’ abilities to combat terrorism after 9/11. These counterterrorism grants have helped cities across the United States purchase sophisticated military-grade technology like the Bearcat.
But critics of the trend worry that federal grants have been spent frivolously, militarizing local police forces in remote towns that will never face a terrorist threat.
According to the Center for Investigative Journalism, since 9/11, DHS has awardedmore than $34 billion to local authorities across the United States including the sleepy towns of Fargo, North Dakota, Fon du Lac, Wisconsin, and Canyon County, Idaho to purchase sophisticated counterterrorism tools.
For the most part, opposition to the increasing militarization of local police forces has been rare, with most towns quietly accepting federal grants to purchase expensive
