Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMilitary surplus weapons sent to Virginia college campuses
You juist never know when a panty raid might require an armed assault ...
http://wtvr.com/2014/08/26/military-surplus-weapons-sent-to-virginia-college-campuses/
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WTKR) The same military-surplus program that has sent more than 300 M-16 battlefield rifles to local police departments has also sent the weapons to local colleges. A state-police database obtained by NewsChannel 3 shows the College of William and Mary and Old Dominion University have received fully automatic M-16s through the same surplus program at the center of scrutiny in Ferguson, Mo.
...
Documents from William and Mary show the college asked for the M-16s to protect dignitaries and to combat terrorism. The campus police, like other agencies, was attracted to the no-cost weapons as a way to keep spending down. They acquired these weapons from the state, for free, then all we had to do was pay for the training and the ammunition, said acting police chief Ed Schardein.
That acquisition happened before Schardein was appointed, he said. However once the guns arrived, Schardein said it was clear the extra training needed, and the rifles limited usefulness, made them more trouble than they were worth. My concerns about deploying a fully automatic rifle are just that, it is a fully automatic rifle, he said. I dont see the need for a fully automatic rifle on a campus.
Its a different story at Old Dominion University. The Norfolk colleges surplus shopping list included M-16s, shotguns, combat knee pads and elbow pads, ballistic goggles, shields, and metal batons. ODU officials could not find the paperwork justifying all this, but a spokeswoman said the campus police once had a SWAT-style team. It disbanded, and some of the guns were given away. The campus police chief, Rhonda Harris, said the remaining rifles were converted to semiautomatic, meaning they cant shoot like machine guns. Officers still have access to them.
...
Documents from William and Mary show the college asked for the M-16s to protect dignitaries and to combat terrorism. The campus police, like other agencies, was attracted to the no-cost weapons as a way to keep spending down. They acquired these weapons from the state, for free, then all we had to do was pay for the training and the ammunition, said acting police chief Ed Schardein.
That acquisition happened before Schardein was appointed, he said. However once the guns arrived, Schardein said it was clear the extra training needed, and the rifles limited usefulness, made them more trouble than they were worth. My concerns about deploying a fully automatic rifle are just that, it is a fully automatic rifle, he said. I dont see the need for a fully automatic rifle on a campus.
Its a different story at Old Dominion University. The Norfolk colleges surplus shopping list included M-16s, shotguns, combat knee pads and elbow pads, ballistic goggles, shields, and metal batons. ODU officials could not find the paperwork justifying all this, but a spokeswoman said the campus police once had a SWAT-style team. It disbanded, and some of the guns were given away. The campus police chief, Rhonda Harris, said the remaining rifles were converted to semiautomatic, meaning they cant shoot like machine guns. Officers still have access to them.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 961 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (4)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Military surplus weapons sent to Virginia college campuses (Original Post)
Scuba
Aug 2014
OP
Student activism is suppressed by the fear instilled by seeing your campus police in military gear.
Fred Sanders
Aug 2014
#3
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)1. Full auto genuine military weaponry on school campuses? What could go wrong?
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)2. Shame on my Alma Mater
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_of_William_%26_Mary
Privately founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States after Harvard University. William & Mary is considered one of the original "Public Ivies," a publicly funded university providing a quality of education comparable to those of the Ivy League.
William & Mary educated U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler as well as other key figures important to the development of the nation, including U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, Speaker of the House Henry Clay, and 16 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Privately founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States after Harvard University. William & Mary is considered one of the original "Public Ivies," a publicly funded university providing a quality of education comparable to those of the Ivy League.
William & Mary educated U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler as well as other key figures important to the development of the nation, including U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, Speaker of the House Henry Clay, and 16 signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)3. Student activism is suppressed by the fear instilled by seeing your campus police in military gear.
Part of the plan of voter suppression, because who wants students riled up,they may decide to vote and get others riled up and voting.
Better to terrorize them and prevent the whole mess in the first place....remember the police mace treatment of students sitting on a park sidewalk?