Marijuana Cited as Reason Emerald Area Sheriff’s Need Armored Vehicles

Capture

Screengrab from the Washington Post’s article.

Once again the Emerald Counties make the news. This time in a piece about the increased militarization of law enforcement, the Washington Post prominently features two of our local Sheriff’s Departments requesting armored vehicles to fight marijuana (see screengrab above.) As the Post explains, “Police departments can request surplus military gear from the Pentagon through the Department of Defense’s 1033 program, which doles out hundreds of millions of dollars in military goods to cops each year.”

The Post article relies on an investigation by Mother Jones magazine which zeroed in on who had requested mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles and why they did so. Their request to the Pentagon produced over 450 applications filed between 2012 and 2013. And, as the Mother Jones piece noted, “[T]the single most common reason agencies requested a mine-resistant vehicle was to combat drugs.”

The requests from Shasta and Trinity reflect this. Shasta wanted two Armored Tactical Vehicles for use “during apprehension of suspects in both Marijuana eradication and during high (no pun intended) risk search warrant service for drug offenders.” Trinity County which requested one single wheeled, 4×4 armored vehicle, says that the “increase in marijuana production has resulted in an increase in violent crime.”

In 2013, the Eureka Police Department received an “eight passenger, all wheel drive ballistic resistant vehicle” from the Department of Defense. As the EPD can’t be found in the Mother Jones’ documents, we don’t know what reasons they cited for needing the vehicle.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

38 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
omnomnonimous
Guest
omnomnonimous
8 years ago

That unicycle sounds bad ass.

t
Guest
t
8 years ago
Reply to  omnomnonimous

Single wheeled 4×4. WFT

Uti
Guest
Uti
8 years ago

Useless war toys and just further justifies the wasted tax dollars the Pentagon spends on junk.

Really?
Guest
Really?
8 years ago

Trinity county actually bust grows???? When and where? I thought they allowed it.

LAZY SKUNK RANCH
Guest
LAZY SKUNK RANCH
8 years ago
Reply to  Really?

Some TCSO crashed a chopper in Humboldt years ago, ripping crops. When they used to burn weed at the fairgrounds in Hayfork one never saw any buds, just stalks.

Haney tried to act all “Constitutional Sheriff” during the “election”. There isn’t a Constitutional Sheriff in California, just yapper dogs trying to tell lies so they can get elected and steal even more from property owners.

Anyone requestion this type of gear, certainly isn’t an American, but a federalist and deserves deportation after the fall of rome.

Really?
Guest
Really?
8 years ago

We had a local sheriff officer who would drive into Trinity and sometimes in Humboldt, who would take plants and grow equipment from people. He would load them into the HCSO truck and drive them straight to his house. This is not rumor. I’ve seen the truck with an entire grow room, plants included going down 36. He would take outdoor plants, containers and all and drive them to his home. If I’m not mistaken, he was fired or quit and then started stalking a teacher at Bridgeville school where they had to put a restraining order on him. Cant make stuff like this up.

tugboat
Guest
8 years ago

It is better the local cops get this equipment, than for Obama to leave it for Isis to pick up in Syria and Libya. I thought Obama promised to legalize pot and take people out of jail for non-violent drug offenses. Another lying politician. [edit]

R.S. Arnold
Guest
R.S. Arnold
8 years ago
Reply to  tugboat

Obama may not have legalized pot but he has changed laws to make non violent drug offences sentences more appropriate for the crime. In 2013 granted clemency to 8 people in prison for drug offences. Last month he gave 46 men and women pardons and clemency for drug offences.

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
8 years ago
Reply to  tugboat

So who put the armaments in Syria, Iraq, you-name-it for the loyal local forces to use? Wastrel junior Bush and Coward Cheney. Remember? Greeted as liberators!?! Obama was handed a nightmare by your heroes. How about we re-activate the draft and just kill everybody? I will help round up Young Conservatives and Ready Republican teen-agers. Sound good?

Jeb’s brother is used to having others clean up or take the blame for his messes. Iraq War and Katrina hurt this nation more than ISIS. Nice job. You conservatives should be ashamed, but you’re braggin’ and blamin’.

V man
Guest
V man
8 years ago

Can citizens request one of these vehicles to use as local militia defense against the government?

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
8 years ago

Are they expecting a war,we don’t live in Frickin Russia.did they ask anyone if that’s how they want their tax money spent,just saying

rollin rollin rollin
Guest
rollin rollin rollin
8 years ago

So um…How are they going to turn around on steep-sided fire roads to catch guys on ATVs? Or deal with tree limbs wound up in that gun turret when it’s raining sideways? These things out in the hills will be nothing more than large occupied rocks.

ED Denson
Guest
ED Denson
8 years ago

The trouble with being offered free stuff if you qualify, is that the stuff is so irresistible that you start making up reasons why you need it. Lying, as it were. You would hope that law enforcement people would be moral and upright and always tell the truth. But then how would they get the goodies?

Laladragon
Guest
Laladragon
8 years ago
Reply to  ED Denson

Right and what world do you live in …government workers/ law enforcement telling the truth….ha . Just pure entertainment ….

Ghostown
Guest
Ghostown
8 years ago
Reply to  Laladragon

He lives in the “legal” world where police have to tell the truth under oath.

Hick
Guest
Hick
8 years ago

These will probably be next years grow-dozers in So Hum.

Bolithio
Guest
8 years ago

Has there ever been an instance where cops have been attacked by a pot grower while conducting an enforcement operation?

gdmckown
Guest
gdmckown
8 years ago
Reply to  Bolithio

I remember in 1968-69 maybe 1970 Hyampom,Calif. They had an all out war Feds Vs a bunch of others,machines guns, all kinds of stuff. Police didn’t have the proper guns to fight these guys. Don’t remember much other than it last for 2-3 days maybe longer.

Tw
Guest
Tw
8 years ago

They want to spend extra money when it comes to busting growers but they seem to do nothing about all the meth head tweakers who keep ripping people off and holding them at gun point.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago

I guess if I was a cop I would get all excited about a new toy such as this. Most if not all growers run if they can when the cops show up. What are they going to use these for, plants armed with rocket launchers?

Ghostown
Guest
Ghostown
8 years ago
Reply to  Eastside

Killer budz

T
Guest
T
8 years ago

Still can’t believe our old MRAPs our being used by police now. Crazy shit.

LAZY SKUNK RANCH
Guest
LAZY SKUNK RANCH
8 years ago

Every American can own a flamethrower, legal with no backround check. Flamethrowers aren’t regulated as firearms.

another guest
Guest
another guest
8 years ago

I’ve noticed some officers of the law are extremely egotistical. Come on, kym pointed out one incident where they were threatened with a gun in mendo. They should worry about the meth….last time I was in eureka I was approached by numerous Crack heads trying to sell me stolen shit on the street. Give a tweeker $20 and follow them, they will take you to their dealers! I promise:-)))

Skippy Hippie
Guest
Skippy Hippie
8 years ago

Remember Waco! Everyone will worship the Beast.

Ghostown
Guest
Ghostown
8 years ago

Considering that 20% of returning vets go into law enforcement they’ll feel right at home in the military gear. Add some LEO’s with untreated PTSD, growers with beards, and impunity for excessive force and the war on marijuana starts looking a lot like the “war on terror”.

R.S. Arnold
Guest
R.S. Arnold
8 years ago

I read the Washington Post article it says “The equipment includes everything from underwear to office equipment to armored combat vehicles.”
What kind of underwear do they have that the police would want bad enough to buy “used” from the military?

J
Guest
J
8 years ago
Reply to  R.S. Arnold

It’s bullet proof underwear also plated groin protectors for those disarming IED’s they are worn outside of your clothes like a BP vest…I don’t think local LEOs need any.

trackback

[…] Marijuana cited as reason Emerald area sheriffs need armored vehicles. […]

Don Matta
Guest
Don Matta
8 years ago

Around this time in 2017 those vehicles for Cannabis Raids will likely be useless for that usage since more than likely Cannabis use recreationally will likely be legal after our next election & I can’t see wasting the time & effort on acquiring them for so short a usage window for the stated purpose!!!

Otis
Guest
Otis
8 years ago
Reply to  Don Matta

You’re wrong. The Franchise Tax Board will be using these vehicles to hit the grows that aren’t stupid enough to pay taxes to the state.

brian ormond
Guest
brian ormond
8 years ago

the caartoon above just doesn’t get it across

Ellin
Guest
Ellin
8 years ago

So what’s the gas mileage on those?
Whatever happened to the California mandate to only obtain the most fuel efficient vehicles for public service? It’s part of several California laws to which all agencies are required to adhere. The police – of course – are agencies. Somehow I think that thing burns a LOT more gas than the average truck and is certainly not the most fuel efficient vehicle to roam around in the hills.

In the absence of any reported violence requiring such a vehicle, it cannot be argued that the gasoline waste is justified by any form of ”need.”

WTF
Guest
WTF
8 years ago

https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2014/dec/04/pentagon-finally-details-its-weapons-cops-giveaway/ This is the real article about the Equipment . They even have a link to check what every city in America revived .Mother Jones is not who broke this story at all. The Humboldt county sheriff received military rifles cheap .I ALSO GAVE ALL THIS SAME INFO TO LOST COAST OUT POST A YEAR AGO AND THEY HAD NO INTEREST . Muck Rock Helps With Freedom of information acts .They help people get government Documents when city’s refuse

Porter (native Trinity County son [class of 69])
Guest
Porter (native Trinity County son [class of 69])
8 years ago

Damn you guys are dumb. The vehicle is for department hunting, fishing, and vacation time. The hunting cabin is located on Ruby Ridge.

clvndbrownswinsuperbowl
Guest
clvndbrownswinsuperbowl
8 years ago

Please redheadedblackbelteers, if you see one of these vehicles in action, take a picture of you giving it the middle finger and post it here