Grand Rapids Police Dept. budget includes new M4s for cruisers….

[ezkl2230]

The GRPD will be outfitting every cruiser with a Colt M4, because even though we have had VERY FEW situations in which such firearms have been necessary, and they are usually carried by SWAT, the new chief, who is not a fan of civilian firearms carry, has determined that shotguns and pistols simply aren't enough.

Why? Because we are "behind the [perceived] curve" when it comes to militarizing our police.

"... the semi-automatic rifles are needed to help protect both officers and the public, particularly as those with ill-intent sometimes have access to the same type of firepower."

I cannot think of a single instance in which our officers have ever been confronted by someone with an AR/AK, but it COULD happen. No, they got jealous of other departments that have them.

Semi-automatic rifles for 59 Grand Rapids patrol cars in city budget | MLive.com

 

[NavyLCDR]

I'm OK with that. However, I am a very believer that equality needs to flow both ways. Whatever firearms restrictions the government places upon law abiding Joe Citizen needs to be placed upon the police forces of the government as well. All of the exceptions for "peace officers" that exist are total B.S.

 

[Quiet Observer]

So ezkl2230,

Are you calling the chief a hypocrite, or do you agree with Brady, Bloomberg, and Obama that nonmilitary should not have guns that look like assault rifles and have magazine capacity greater than 10? Do you want to keep those types of guns away from the general public too?

 

[ezkl2230]

So ezkl2230,

Are you calling the chief a hypocrite, or do you agree with Brady, Bloomberg, and Obama that nonmilitary should not have guns that look like assault rifles and have magazine capacity greater than 10? Do you want to keep those types of guns away from the general public too?

You're relatively new here, so you don't know where I stand. I am one of those who is against the ongoing militarization of our police.

Our police chief is a hypocrite. He firmly believes that there should be limits on what civilians are allowed to own/carry, yet he has been here in Grand Rapids less than a year and he is already working to militarize the rank and file of our police department. There has been absolutely no need for patrol officers in our city to carry ARs - the very weapons they don't want the rest of us to have. Our SWAT teams are only deployed occasionally, and they are armed with such firearms, which has been sufficient for the needs of our town. Shotguns and pistols have served our patrol officers very well over the years.

And I not only own firearms, I sell them for one of the nation's largest firearms dealers. I ENCOURAGE people to arm themselves!

 

[Fallschirmjäger]

A Law Enforcement Officer finally admits that he's trying to militarize the police? Oh Lawd, didn't he get the dang memo?

 

[Quiet Observer]

The article states that the city is buying the semi-automatic version of the M4. It appears that civilians in Michigan can buy the same weapon. I cannot find any assault weapon ban listed for Michigan. If having these weapons militarizes the police, then is Bloomberg et al correct in saying that civilians have no right to possess military style weapons? Are we now holding the gun responsible for the action, or potential action, and not the person?
Semi-automatic rifles for 59 Grand Rapids patrol cars in city budget | MLive.com

 

[fuhr52]

So are you saying the police should not have access to the same weapons that civilians have access to? What makes these weapons military style? Their appearance or their function? Assault weapons have been band sense the 1930's. Civilians can still buy them if they want to spend the money for a permit. Keep in mind when the 2A was written everyone had military style weapons. The framers of the US Constitution didn't have an issue with it at the time. It wasn't an issue for about 150 years. But then several things where not an issue for 150 years. Now it seems too many things are a big issue in someones mind. Times they are a changing and the progressive liberal left has all the right answers. :sarcastic:

 

[Blueshell]

You're relatively new here, so you don't know where I stand. I am one of those who is against the ongoing militarization of our police.

Our police chief is a hypocrite. He firmly believes that there should be limits on what civilians are allowed to own/carry, yet he has been here in Grand Rapids less than a year and he is already working to militarize the rank and file of our police department. There has been absolutely no need for patrol officers in our city to carry ARs - the very weapons they don't want the rest of us to have. Our SWAT teams are only deployed occasionally, and they are armed with such firearms, which has been sufficient for the needs of our town. Shotguns and pistols have served our patrol officers very well over the years.

And I not only own firearms, I sell them for one of the nation's largest firearms dealers. I ENCOURAGE people to arm themselves!

Not to be a nitpick but there IS a diference between a common AR and the M4.

The M4 is a machine gun.

I think it's important to highlight the fact that police feel they need machine guns for self defence. It stands to reason, therefore, that the common person would benifit from having that same machine gun for the same reason.

 

[Blueshell]

Assault weapons have been band sense the 1930's.

Assult weapons are not banned. Most states don't even acknowlege the existence of them.

I think you're referring to machine guns, which are not assult weapons and have only been banned since 1987.

 

[NavyLCDR]

Not to be a nitpick but there IS a diference between a common AR and the M4.

The M4 is a machine gun.

I think it's important to highlight the fact that police feel they need machine guns for self defence. It stands to reason, therefore, that the common person would benifit from having that same machine gun for the same reason.

Not all M4's are machine guns.

Colt M4 Carbine
R0977 / NSN 1005-01-382-0953 Safe-Semi-Auto

 

[Blueshell]

Not all M4's are machine guns.

Colt M4 Carbine
R0977 / NSN 1005-01-382-0953 Safe-Semi-Auto

All M4s are machine guns. Your own link proves this by showing 2 diferent select-fire modles. Select-fire rifles are Assult Rifles and Assult Rifles are a subcategory within the machine gun family.

There is no "civilian version" of an M4. It's either an M4 or it's not, it either has select-fire or it does not.

If it does not have select-fire, then it is not an Assult-Rifle. It is just a normal rifle.

 

[NavyLCDR]

All M4s are machine guns. Your own link proves this by showing 2 diferent select-fire modles. Select-fire rifles are Assult Rifles and Assult Rifles are a subcategory within the machine gun family.

There is no "civilian version" of an M4. It's either an M4 or it's not, it either has select-fire or it does not.

If it does not have select-fire, then it is not an Assult-Rifle. It is just a normal rifle.

Oops. My mistake. I was reading NSN 1005-01-383-0953 as "Safe" and "Semi-auto". You are correct, it is actually "Safe", "Semi", and "Auto".

Gotta love how the media lies about things. When a civilian has an AR-15 it's a "Military Style Assault Rifle". When the police have an M4 it's a "Semi-automatic rifle".

 

[Quiet Observer]

It should be noted that reporters and editors do not always identify weapons, or use terminology, correctly. The manufacturer of the carbines is not identified. Bushmaster International makes an M4 carbine. Some models are semi-automatic only, while others are burst-mode, and others are full-auto mode.
Link Removed

On page 5 the carbine is designated as an "M4 type".
Link Removed

Colt also makes the M4 Commando which is semi-auto.
Colt M4 Commando

As the article pointed out, certain units of the GRPD were previously issued the weapon.

 

[Blueshell]

Oops. My mistake. I was reading NSN 1005-01-383-0953 as "Safe" and "Semi-auto". You are correct, it is actually "Safe", "Semi", and "Auto".

Gotta love how the media lies about things. When a civilian has an AR-15 it's a "Military Style Assault Rifle". When the police have an M4 it's a "Semi-automatic rifle".

The Brady Campaign does this on purpose to confuse the public and get support for more gun control.