Leaked Catalog Reveals a Vast Array of Military Spy Gear Offered to U.S. Police

The memos supposedly "supporting" this idea are not about an effort to "federalize US police", but efforts to implement different common federal standards than those currently applied through existing federal funding streams. To the extent the application of federal standards through access to federal funding streams is "federalization" of the recipient forces (I probably wouldn't describe it that way, but there's a perspective from which it makes some sense), that's already been done, the recommendation is to change the specific policies applied through the existing federalization.

If I sent a letter to the secretary of state or my own representatives in govt asking for something, like say changing our govts investigation about Syria, you could claim that I somehow influenced the govt. Of course Soros is really rich and could convince people to do things. But HRC is really rich too.

Oh wow, what a bad a idea, maybe just more oversight is the answer, certainly federalization can't be the best answer?

[0]: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/27/section/87

Because vehicles don't maintain themselves. For example, Redmond, WA has an armored personnel carrier. I assume, without knowing, that it was a gifted leftover. But the tires alone are outrageously expensive (>$1000 or more per, but don't quote me) and they don't last very long. And it's my understanding that something like an APC is like an RV: all stuff rattling around, something always needs work. I have seen that thing out and about a total of once, at the park for "bring the kids to see fire trucks and stuff" day. As a former professional auto mechanic, I look at that thing and see nothing but constant work, like painting the Golden Gate Bridge.

So even though the vehicle might have been of no cost to the city, you're not going to find parts at AutoZone (they might carry air and oil filter for it, if the engine is based on something used elsewhere). Your mechanic has to go to training to figure out how to work on it. If you actually use the thing, now you need at least another part-time mechanic because your other guy now diverts time to work on the APC (and he's the only one trained to do it). I also assume that if you need an APC, you really need it now, so it must be maintained to a state of "ready to roll" at all times.

In conclusion, I can see a lot of this "free" stuff turning into money pits.

On what grounds are you making this claim? There are countless families of slain, unarmed citizens shot by police who would say otherwise.

The problem, in my eyes, is that they want to appear as a military. They dress like soldiers, and now they have soldiers equipment. This reenforces the perverse wanna-be soldier attitude so many cops have now. It tells them that that mindset is ok, and projects it to the communities they're supposed to be serving.

Beyond that, maybe giving them more an more defensive capabilities is a bad idea because it allows them to be comfortable as they continue to escalate tension with, and levels of force against, the communities they operate in. Perhaps things would operate a little better if both sides had a healthy respect for each other, instead of one siding being armed to the teeth and knowing they can just continue to use force until they've won. Police need to remember that they're servants, not hired guns.