# Cambridge Police Get Rid Of Camo, Some Rifles, And Less-Lethal Weapons



## RodneyFarva (Jan 18, 2007)

Cambridge, MA – The Cambridge Police Department announced Tuesday that it would lose the camouflage SWAT gear, get rid of 20 percent of its arsenal of high-powered guns, and dump 30 percent of its less-lethal weapons after an activist complained about their inventory.

“Following community conversations around department inventory, the Cambridge Police Department will no longer wear camouflage uniforms, which were most commonly used during Special Response Team operations,” Cambridge police posted to its official Facebook page on Feb. 16.

“We also are in the process of reducing our number of long guns and less-than-lethal weapons,” Cambridge police added.
The move came in response to an outcry by a local activist after the Cambridge Police Department released a property inventory in July of 2020, the Cambridge Chronicle reported.

The inventory showed that the police department had 64 Colt M4 rifles, 11 sniper rifles, and a Lenco Bearcat armored tactical vehicle.

Activist Loren Crowe took to Twitter to criticize what he called “so much military equipment” and to complain the Cambridge police had lied when they told the city council they didn’t have military equipment.

Crowe, a military veteran who served in Afghanistan for two years, compared the department’s stash of weapons to that of military units.
“Far from having no military equipment, @CambridgePolice has lots of military equipment,” the activist tweeted. “They have assault rifles, light machines guns, grenades, and camouflage uniforms. They have an armored vehicle that belongs in Afghanistan.”

In the series of since-deleted tweets, Crowe accused the department of having sent the Bearcat “to a peaceful BLM event to show people who’s boss.”

“What are they getting ready for? What do they think of the city they’re hired to police? Are we that much of a threat? Is this what we want? What does the image of a warrior cop teach our children about the police? Are they dangerous?” the activist tweeted.

Anti-police activists responded with outrage and demanded the police department be disarmed, defunded, and in the case of one group, abolished, and local politicians responded.
“Thanks Loren. This list is disturbing,” Cambridge City Councilor Marc McGovern tweeted. “I had no idea we had all of this. I admit that there may be good explanations for some but this list is excessive. Thank you for your advocacy.”
Cambridge Police Commissioner Dr. Branville Bard said at the time that he didn’t think the weapons inventory was excessive but said he was open to discussing possible changes, the Cambridge Chronicle reported.

Former Cambridge Mayor Anthony Galluccio set up a lunch for Commissioner Bard and Crowe.

Though he admitted he was initially skeptical of the city’s top cop, Crowe told the Cambridge Chronicle that the two bonded over shared challenges in their own experiences.
“There’s a lot of overlap in hiring between the military and local police forces. During my time in the Army, the organization was in transition, around the mid-2000s,” Crowe explained. “There was a lot of organizational introspection about culture, methods and mission, and a lot of difficult change.”

Commissioner Bard and Crowe met twice more and exchanged email and phone calls, the Cambridge Chronicle reported.

“He’s obviously extremely well-educated in his profession,” the activist said. “I was impressed that he was willing to listen because, let’s be real, who the hell am I? I’m not in charge of a group; I’m an individual. I appreciated that he took the time to talk to me, and that things actually came of it.”

Crowe’s advocacy appeared to have had a dramatic effect on the Cambridge police commissioner, the Cambridge Chronicle reported.
On Feb. 16, Commissioner Bard announced he would be eliminating the department’s use of camouflage uniforms and said he had identified 20 percent of the department’s high-powered weapons that could be removed from the inventory.

That included long guns like sniper rifles, M4s, and shotguns, according to the Cambridge Chronicle.

The police commissioner also said he would reduce the department’s arsenal of a less-lethal weapons by 30 percent.

He said he planned to eliminate out-of-date shotguns and rubber rounds, among other less-lethal tactical items, the Cambridge Chronicle reported.
Commissioner Bard refused, however, to cave to the activist’s demands to get rid of the Bearcat tactical vehicle.

He said the armored vehicle was acquired after the Boston Marathon bombing and was considered a regional asset, the Cambridge Chronicle reported.

But the police commissioner allowed that the department was investigating alternatives to the Bearcat.

“The two things that police officers hate are change and the way things are. We tend to be indignant when we should be introspective. When that change seeks to hold us accountable, or threatens our authority, or places checks on our power, it’s not surprising that people fight even harder against it,” Commissioner Bard said, according to the Cambridge Chronicle. “But that really does us a disservice. We always have to be willing to have those tough conversations. It will help us improve our service and product and we should welcome that,” he added.


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## Hush (Feb 1, 2009)

When they let the refugee marathon bomber out, maybe he can return to Cambridge and try again. 

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## AB7 (Feb 12, 2019)

Progress!


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## CCCSD (Jul 30, 2017)

Nothing says prepared to protect the public like dumping your gear because some pansy snowflakes have Feelz.

Hope they refuse to respond when the SHTF.
Let the public deal with it.


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

Crowe, a military veteran who served in Afghanistan for two years prior to becoming a bloviator and liberal activist, compared the department's stash of weapons to that of military units.
"Far from having no military equipment, @CambridgePolice Has stuff that looks _*similar*_ to military equipment," the activist tweeted. "They have police carbines, smoke and stun cannisters, and camouflage uniforms. They have an armored vehicle that has been utilized for over two decades by hundreds of other City and regional departments without incident.

In the series of since-deleted tweets, Crowe accused the department of having sent the Bearcat "to a peaceful BLM event to show people who's boss."

"What are they getting ready for? Perhaps they want to be prepared for another Marathon Bombing or to counter terrorism and hostage negotiations. Is this what we want? What does the image of a warrior cop teach our children about the police? Perhaps they are there to protect the children, just like me in Afghanistan" the activist tweeted.
*There fixed it for him.......................
He needs to go lick balls of Seth Moulton and the other "marine" turncoat anti-second amendment, anti-police douchepumps.*


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## EUPD377 (Jan 30, 2020)

Hey, we might make shit money in comparison down here in the South, but at least they let us have the equipment we need to protect ourselves and the public.


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## Tango_Sierra (May 20, 2010)

...In other news criminals have also agreed to not cause as much trouble and get rid of some their illegal and non registered weapons as to make things even stevens.


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

*Well, I'm certainly glad that Loren has found a way to deal with his PTSD issues. So now Cambridge City officials are taking real world policy issue demands from this pole dancing individual. Great, that's awesome........*


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

mpd61 said:


> *Well, I'm certainly glad that Loren has found a way to deal with his PTSD issues. So now Cambridge City officials are taking real world policy issue demands from this pole dancing individual. Great, that's awesome........*


not the only pole he uses im sure


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

I wonder what he was like as an officer in the military. 


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## k12kop (May 24, 2005)

Loren Crowe - Recipient -
He actually looks like he was a bad ass, Too bad he ended up with the moon-bats in PRC


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## Hush (Feb 1, 2009)

He killed 20 Afghans? He's a mass murderer! He should have been limited to 10 round magazines.


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

It's interesting to note how many of these combat veterans are so anti-police and anti-second amendment. Pretty ironic on several levels dontcha think?


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## CCCSD (Jul 30, 2017)

“I’m a Vet, so I know more about this than the actual Cops on the street”...


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

Some of the veterans we have hired have been the most entitled, millennial lazy wastes of space I have ever seen. They’re only here to collect a check. Being a veteran does NOT make you a good cop. 


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## KPD54 (Oct 30, 2020)

Honestly it comes down to being a good, experienced cop or not. Being a soldier, sailor, Marine, Airman or puddlepirate does not mean that you know anything about policing. The only exceptions I can think of is if you're an mp or puddlepirate boarding officer. People needa stop assuming that vets know something about policing just because they also carried a gun and learned drill. Its a different game


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

KPD54 said:


> Honestly it comes down to being a good, experienced cop or not. Being a soldier, sailor, Marine, Airman or puddlepirate does not mean that you know anything about policing. The only exceptions I can think of is if you're an mp or puddlepirate boarding officer. People needa stop assuming that vets know something about policing just because they also carried a gun and learned drill. Its a different game


This^

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## USAF3424 (Mar 18, 2008)

USAF286 said:


> Some of the veterans we have hired have been the most entitled, millennial lazy wastes of space I have ever seen. They're only here to collect a check. Being a veteran does NOT make you a good cop.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You mean the thousands of IDs checked and salutes rendered didnt make me a better cop lol. Damn it.


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## CCCSD (Jul 30, 2017)

USAF3424 said:


> You mean the thousands of IDs checked and salutes rendered didnt make me a better cop lol. Damn it.


Those just made you better in the academy!.


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## USAF286 (May 20, 2011)

USAF3424 said:


> You mean the thousands of IDs checked and salutes rendered didnt make me a better cop lol. Damn it.


The ONE thing basic helped me with was to never, ever volunteer for anything or overachieve in anything...that will only get you assigned to extra duties and tasks with no benefit.

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