If you insist on saying something stupid . . .

Kelly: Glut of war wagons?

Sunday, February 14, 2010    Last updated: Monday February 15, 2010, 6:38 AM

By MIKE KELLY
RECORD COLUMNIST

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One evening last week police rushed to a Carlstadt warehouse where five gunmen were reportedly taking hostages and stealing $50,000 in perfume.

JOE EPSTEIN/SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

Members of the Passaic County Sheriff's Department SWAT team taking part in a drill with their armored response vehicle recently. The usual phalanx of light-flashing patrol cruisers sped to the scene. But also showing up was a sleek armored truck from the Bergen County Police Department that seemed more suited to the bullet-riddled roads of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Welcome to the newest and perhaps most controversial piece of local crime-fighting equipment — a military-like war wagon that can stop a .50-caliber bullet and keep fighting through a radiation haze from a terrorist's dirty nuclear bomb. Do cops really need this? In the suburbs?

Critics call these trucks a waste. And with a price tag of $300,000 to $400,000, they make a good argument. But police say local tax payers aren't footing the bill — most trucks are bought with federal Homeland Security anti-terror funds. And what's more, cops say they have to be prepared for a local version of the Columbine and Virginia Tech school killings — or worse.

So far, police are getting their way. Eleven police agencies across New Jersey have purchased armored trucks in recent years. The state police have three. Along with the truck operated by the Bergen County Police SWAT team, the Passaic, Morris and Hudson county sheriff's departments each have their own armored vehicles. The good news is that not one of these trucks has had to stop a bullet. But that good news also raises a troubling question: Are police preparing for gunfights or other emergencies that almost never happen?

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. . .How about do us all a favor and don't say it?  I had woke up early the other morning so I decided to get up and look at the news headlines on the Web. Wouldn't you know, one of the first things I can across was this Op/Ed piece - at least that's how I would categorize it - and my first thought was "this guy is an idiot". I can only wonder if, maybe as a young reporter, he covered a barricaded person incident or a hostage situation? If he did, he would surely realize that his argument is flawed and that these specialized units justify their costs (which I think is somewhat lower than the figures he quoted) after just one operation.

Until next time . . .



Cleveland, OH Police SWAT unit