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View Full Version : FBI: Arm Boston Police With Assault Rifles




disorderlyvision
08-19-2009, 09:19 PM
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/20451561/detail.html


BOSTON -- An FBI official said Boston police officers should be armed with assault rifles to make the city more prepared for a terrorist attack.

Warren Bamford, the special agent in charge of the FBI in Boston, said Tuesday that he is baffled by opposition to a proposal to give some neighborhood police officers the semiautomatic weapons.

In May, Boston Mayor Tom Menino criticized a proposal to arm up to 200 officers with M-16s that the police department had ordered from the U.S. military. Menino said only specially trained units should have the guns.

Bamford said he believes more officers should have access to the guns in the event Boston becomes the target of a terrorist attack like the one that killed 166 people in Mumbai, India in November.

They have a poll up

Is this a good idea?
Yes - 55%

No - 40%

Unsure - 5%

pcosmar
08-19-2009, 09:42 PM
Some good comments,


The same morons that shoot people in the back for "tugging at their waistbands" can now spray a whole neighborhood of "waist tuggers". First they say that people whose IQs are TOO HIGH are not allowed to be police officers. Now we give them some of the most powerful and deadly weaponry on Earth. What could go wrong?


This should absolutely not be allowed under any circumstances. There is already a specially trained group of police officers who carry assault rifles. There is no need for everyday officers to be carrying assault rifles to quell terrorist attacks. Arm the people.

Expatriate
08-19-2009, 09:53 PM
You should note as well that these probably actually are assault rifles, as in capable of fully-automatic fire, unlike the civilian semi-auto rifles that the media refers to as "assault rifles" or "assault weapons".

EDIT: Whoops, just reread the article and noticed that they say they are semiautomatic. I guess they were abusing the "assault rifle" term yet again, although I'd be surprised if the guns purchased actually are semi-auto only, seeing as the police aren't subject to the same restrictions we peasants are.

The police are now armed with C7A1s in Canada where I live, and they're not exactly safe or polite about muzzle control... nothing like having automatic weapons casually pointed at you as you leave your favorite bar.

ChickenHawk
08-19-2009, 10:01 PM
Around here most cops have an AR-15 in the car. I don't really have a problem with that as long as they allow me to own them as well. I know if I were a cop I wouldn't want to go out on patrol unless I had access to a good rifle in case things got a little out of hand.

Usually when they give miltary full auto rifles to patrol cops they block the full auto function because they aren't trained to use it and they really don't need it.

disorderlyvision
08-19-2009, 10:04 PM
You should note as well that these probably actually are assault rifles, as in capable of fully-automatic fire, unlike the civilian semi-auto rifles that the media refers to as "assault rifles" or "assault weapons".

EDIT: Whoops, just reread the article and noticed that they say they are semiautomatic.



M-16s that the police department had ordered from the U.S. military
Since when has the military carried semi automatics?

Reason
08-19-2009, 10:11 PM
Pretty sure I remember reading about how california cops can carry m-16's now after the incident in LA where the two russians with AK-47's robbed the bank and shot up a ton of cops.

The cops were completely helpless against them.

The russians were covered in layers of body armor and just laughed as they absorbed the pistol fire.

Reason
08-19-2009, 10:15 PM
watch this

Hollywood Bank of America Robbery - Video (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/101020/hollywood_bank_of_america_robbery/)

I don't have a problem with cops having rifles as long as the citizens can open carry the same weapons in whatever jurisdiction those cops are.

ChickenHawk
08-19-2009, 11:15 PM
Since when has the military carried semi automatics?

I'm pretty sure the standard issue M-16 is semi/burst only. So they are legally speaking full auto but not full auto in the typical sense. Also, three round burst is pretty worthless so I doubt the cops would ever use it.

Dr.3D
08-19-2009, 11:53 PM
I'm pretty sure the standard issue M-16 is semi/burst only. So they are legally speaking full auto but not full auto in the typical sense. Also, three round burst is pretty worthless so I doubt the cops would ever use it.
I'm not sure what they are issuing right now, but the M16A3 has a full-auto capability instead of the 3-rounds burst.

Expatriate
08-20-2009, 09:45 AM
I don't have a problem with cops having rifles as long as the citizens can open carry the same weapons in whatever jurisdiction those cops are.

That's the problem... you can't.

according to Packing.org:
"There are no provisions in Massachusetts law for the open carrying of firearms for LTC holders. However you may open carry at your own risk on your property or at the location of your residence or business. I say at your own risk because even though this is technically legal Massachusetts is a discretionary issuing state and if the police are called they may charge you with disorderly conduct, a similar charge, or report to the issuing authority that you are not a "suitable" person to be licensed. This could put you at risk of losing your firearm rights in the state."

Every jurisdiction I have heard of arming patrol cops with ARs also bans civilians from carrying the same. Of course, I live in Canada where open or concealed carry is banned by federal law AFAIK.