this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2024
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My local force recently bought a used armoured personnel carrier (APC) for $100,000 which didn't go over well with the community. They posted a message explaining they were coming up on fiscal year end and had excess budget they wanted to use up so their budget wouldn't be reduced next year. That didn't really help.
It's mostly used to park next to public events. Arts in the Park? Don't worry! We got an APC here to protect you! Weekly farmers market? Don't worry! The APC is here! Sometimes the emergency response team (our version of swat) will also put out a table with all their rifles and gear so they can look cool in front of any teenagers in attendance. It's weird.
"we have to irresponsibly spend the remainder of our budget so it doesn't get reduced next year" followed one month later by "we need more money because we maxed out the budget last year"
Fuck this atrocious cycle. It's everywhere. Military, police, any other government branch, corporate politics, 501c orgs pretending to be charities... The greatest crime is stockpiling unsent capital, apparently.
There are way better things to spend your money on so that your budget doesn't shrink next year. Arguments of whether they need they money or not aside, that's a real problem for them. Ideas off the top of my head that probably wouldn't signal to the town that they're under occupation:
• Ammo and range time • Conflict management training • Public relations block party • Solar panels on the roof • Diet, exercise, and lifestyle training • Law review classes