# State suspends weapons program



## Guest (Jun 15, 2009)

*The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Even small localities got big guns
Some regulations for police unenforced
By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff | June 15, 2009
Police in Wellfleet, a community known for stunning beaches and succulent oysters, scored three military assault rifles. At Salem State College, where recent police calls have included false fire alarms and a goat roaming the campus, school police got two M-16s. In West Springfield, police acquired even more powerful weaponry: two military-issue M-79 grenade launchers.

Some 82 local police departments in Massachusetts have obtained more than 1,000 weapons over the last 15 years under a federal program that distributes surplus guns from the US military, the Globe reported earlier this month. Now, new information identifies which communities received the weapons: They range from small towns like Hamilton, Marblehead, and Wayland to more populous communities like Worcester, Framingham, and Revere.

And a Globe review of a dozen departments found that most did not notify their community of the acquisitions. It also found inconsistencies in how the program is monitored, including cases in which communities received more guns than allowed.

In one suburban town, Belmont, people who live and work there were surprised to learn of the presence of six M-14s.

"Is this a war zone?" said Kevin M. Mullins, 25, who works at a Belmont bookshop. "For what logical purpose do they need semiautomatic rifles in Belmont?"

But many of the departments said they were taking advantage of free weaponry in the event they might need it to ward off terrorists or stop a shooting rampage.

"You never know what's going to happen. Anything can happen, anywhere," said Mark Laverdure, the police chief in Clinton, a town on the Wachusett Reservoir in Central Massachusetts that ordered 18 assault rifles from the government earlier this year.
Details emerge on distribution of military weapons in Mass. - The Boston Globe


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

(Is this a war zone?" said Kevin M. Mullins, 25, who works at a Belmont bookshop. "For what logical purpose do they need semiautomatic rifles in Belmont?")

Kevin, you are an idiot. Do some research on Active Shooter situations. You think Belmont is immune?


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## HousingCop (May 14, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



263FPD said:


> Is this a war zone?" said Kevin M. Mullins, 25, who works at a Belmont bookshop. "For what logical purpose do they need semiautomatic rifles in Belmont?"
> 
> 
> > *Plenty of local civilians own the same rifle there, Kev. When one snaps and takes you & your coworkers out and the cops are basically powerless to stop it, maybe you'll change your tune. But you won't, cause your Obama-esque / Democratic ideas have caused your own death. *
> > *Now repeat after me Kev, Mucko McDermott. Mucko McDermott. *


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## NewEngland2007 (Dec 31, 2005)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Writes Donovan Slack*ER* of the Boston Glob:


> At Salem State College, where recent police calls have included false fire alarms and a goat roaming the campus, school police got two M-16s.


Great way to disparage a profession you've never worked in. I wonder if Donovan will apply for a position at Salem State College police when the Globe goes out of business, since it's even easier job than typing. I mean, that's what reporting is, you just type stuff all day. Don't need facts or nothin, just typey typey, easy peasy.

Guess Kevin Mullins is one of the lucky ones in retail who has never had thoughts about how an about an armed robbery of your store could turn to something even worse.


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## Duff112 (Apr 14, 2006)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Kevin Mullins is a 25 year old clerk in a friggin' bookstore. Time to take off the coke bottle reading glasses, get out of your parent's basement and open your eyes there Kev'. The world really is a scary place.


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



NewEngland2007 said:


> Writes Donovan Slack*ER* of the Boston Glob:
> 
> Great way to disparage a profession you've never worked in. I wonder if Donovan will apply for a position at Salem State College police when the Globe goes out of business, since it's even easier job than typing. I mean, that's what reporting is, you just type stuff all day. Don't need facts or nothin, just typey typey, easy peasy.
> 
> Guess Kevin Mullins is one of the lucky ones in retail who has never had thoughts about how an about an armed robbery of your store could turn to something even worse.


Screw Donovan. And little Kevin probably had a very sheltered childhood. I doubt he has ever left Belmont and ventured in to say Cambridge or heaven forbid Boston. We should send him out with the HousingCop for a night to see what song he sings after getting that bit of education. I doubt that little Kevin will jump at the offer considering that during that evening some one will have tochange his


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## Guest (Jun 15, 2009)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

With the budget problem @ the Globe, one would think the "journalists" would be concerned about a possible active shooter on Morrisey Blvd. Thanks to the great reporting the police will be able to stop it. I pray it never happens, but history says otherwise.


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



MSP75 said:


> With the budget problem @ the Globe, one would think the "journalists" would be concerned about a possible active shooter on Morrisey Blvd. Thanks to the great reporting the police will be able to stop it. I pray it never happens, but history says otherwise.


Seeing that the Globe is sokind tothe police, if such a scenario does unfold,maybe the responce time should be slightly delayed. Ofcourse you know that it won't be. That is what they pay us for.


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## sdb29 (Jul 17, 2002)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

*"Excerpted from: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-Wednesday, December 27, 2000-Vol. 4, NO. 363*
*MASSACHUSETTS:*
*Man Slays Seven In Computer Office*
An employee of an Internet company, apparently angry over plans to garnish his wages to pay back taxes, methodically gunned down seven co-workers who had just returned from their Christmas holiday in Wakefield, Massachusetts, on Tuesday. The carnage ended when 42-year-old Michael (Mucko) McDermott was wrestled to the floor by police after he slaughtered four women and three men at Edgewater Technology in suburban Boston's high-tech corridor.
McDermott -- a computer software technician -- apparently targeted members of the firm's accounting department for execution with his arsenal of an AK-47 assault rifle, a shotgun and a semiautomatic pistol. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound McDermott is a U.S. Navy veteran who once served aboard a nuclear submarine and ran the entire ship's electrical system -- including the nuclear reactor.
McDermott arrived at work as usual on Tuesday morning and chatted with co-workers. He then walked through the office, in a renovated factory building, shooting colleagues at close range. There was an apparent motive behind McDermott's shooting. Authorities said the IRS recently had asked the firm to begin withholding McDermott's wages to pay back taxes. The company agreed with McDermott not to start until after Christmas.
Authorities said that at about 1100 EST, McDermott talked with several co-workers in the reception area, then fatally shot two of them. He moved through a wing of the first-floor office, gunning down workers as they sat in their cubicles. Several of the victims worked in accounting, and officials said McDermott apparently spared other workers during his rampage."

"New Bedford (WBZ Newsroom/AP) -- A shooting at a strip club in New Bedford has left three people including the alleged gunman dead. 
Two police officers were wounded in the incident at the Foxy Lady nightclub, but New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang tells WBZ Newsradio their injuries are not considered life-threatening. 
Police tell WBZ's Karen Twomey, who's on the scene, the gunman wearing body armor entered the club at around 2:30 a.m. and opened fire before apparently taking his own life. Several other people were wounded in the incident and are being treated. 
In a live interview with WBZ's Gary LaPierre, Mayor Lang says the gunman is from out of town and was prompted by a domestic situation. There's no word yet on his identity or any of the victims. 
Lang called the high-powered rifle the gunman used the equivalent of "bringing a cannon into town" and he says it was "divine intervention" that the officers weren't more seriously hurt. 
Police Captain Richard Spirlet says the gunman was armed with a high-powered rifle and a semi-automatic weapon and that he held some people hostage. 
The Foxy Lady is located on Route 6 at the New Bedford-Fairhaven line. The street and bridge were closed during the investigation."

It took me all of five minutes to come up with these two stories where the use of rifles would be appropriate right here in Massachusetts, and I'm not a reporter with nothing else to do but research an article. I would have been quicker if I hadn't tried to link to the stories but just did the cut and paste.

Maybe Donovan Slack's next story will be about how the lunches in the cafeteria cost too much and the mashed potatos are dry, or pig military recruiters off campus now!


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



sdb29 said:


> It took me all of five minutes to come up with these two stories where the use of rifles would be appropriate, and I'm not a reporter with nothing else to do but research an article. I would have been quicker if I hadn't tried to link to the stories but just did the cut and paste.
> 
> Maybe Donovan Slack's next story will be about how the lunches in the cafeteria cost too much and the mashed potatos are dry, or pig military recruiters off campus now!


 LOL
You were expecting a reporter working for such an *unbiased* paper like the Globe to do research that would actualy show the pro side of having a patrol rifle? (I know that you did not.) Screw Donovan, Screw the Globe, Screw the liberal media in general. They never doanything for us, and I will never do anything for them.


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## REILEYDOG (Nov 5, 2005)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



NewEngland2007 said:


> Writes Donovan Slack*ER* of the Boston Glob:
> 
> Great way to disparage a profession you've never worked in. I wonder if Donovan will apply for a position at Salem State College police when the Globe goes out of business, since it's even easier job than typing. I mean, that's what reporting is, you just type stuff all day. Don't need facts or nothin, just typey typey, easy peasy.
> 
> Guess Kevin Mullins is one of the lucky ones in retail who has never had thoughts about how an about an armed robbery of your store could turn to something even worse.


I'm sure Virginia Tech had their share of silly calls as well, until the one where 32 people were killed.


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## hupd451 (Nov 20, 2002)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

What is gonna happen when a disgruntled employ shows up at the Globe with a high powered rifle and the cops are out gunned, maybe then their outlook will be different.


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## MetrowestPD (Oct 21, 2008)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Sean Connery said it best: "He pulls a knife you pull a gun", but now they have more than handguns and we must also be preparted for the worst.

"The commander must decide how he will fight the battle before it begins. He must then decide who he will use the military effort at his disposal to force the battle to swing the way he wishes it to go; he must make the enemy dance to his tune from the beginning and not vice versa."

- Viscount Montgomery of Alamein​


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



> In Framingham, Lieutenant Paul Shastany likened community involvement in arms decisions to public involvement in hospitals' decisions on what type and how many heart stents to buy.
> 
> "That decision belongs with police officials, not the public," said Shastany, whose department received 16 M-16s in 1997.


Its absurd to think that the "public" should be consulted in issues of police firearms deployment and use. If that were true, perhaps they should have a vote every time a police department wants to buy a new kind of holster, or new kind of pepper spray, or maybe even if they purchase a new flashlight. Quite frankly these issues are best left to the experts who study the needs and issues facing their departments, not some person who has never held a gun in their lives. If the public wishes to be involved at such a level in their professional police officer's tactical issues, then the community would be better served if all the officers resigned and these so-called "learned" people patrolled for themselves.

I salute this lieutenant's answer to that little turd of a reporter's questioning. You don't tell a pilot how to land a plane, you don't tell a surgeon how to replace a heart, but you'll tell a police officer what and how to carry.

Oddly enough, something never addressed in this article is how the communities employing these rifles are, in fact, safer then communities who do not. With a regular patrol officer or supervisor with a patrol rifle response time to terrorists, active killers or heavily armed criminals can be measured in minutes, not hours. Even at their best, *NO* city, regional or state tactical team can deploy in less than an hour. That's _*sixty minutes*_ while criminals or terrorists gun down innocent people and responding officers. In these instances time=lives, and we don't have the luxury of thinking in terms of "community policing". These are all-or-nothing situations where the boys in blue are running in the direction of the gunfire, and all they ask is the equipment to put them on equal footing with the bad guys, and shame on the communities that ignore them.

In this day and age, can anyone think that giving police officers _less_ capability is a wise idea? Especially when it costs these communities relatively nothing in terms of money.


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Well said Killjoy


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## Kem25 (Aug 7, 2007)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Im surprised the Globe did not get a quote from Amnesty International for this article....With tasers growing in popularity I am sure that will be the next "issue" with police weapons that media looks to attack.


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## Johnny Law (Aug 8, 2008)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

I don't get what the big deal is. Our chief traded in all our old .38's, a couple of Reislings, and almost all of our shotguns and we traded up to Colt AR's. No public consumption necessary. Since that time, our department has hosted two citizen police academies where I gave the intro. to these and other weapons. This last class had a reporter from News22 and the class before that had a newspaper reporter. Nothing was hidden from these people except how many we have, the TV reporter fired the weapon and that was even on TV. I haven't heard one negative about these weapons at all out this way. I can't wait for the Globe to fucking die.


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

I watched the North Hollywood shootout on The History Channel the other day, they said in the documentary that the PD had been DENIED a request for AR15s shortly before that happened. Obviously that outcome would have been much different if the initial responding units had these in their cruisers.


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## alphadog1 (Oct 16, 2006)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Where's the outrage when the bad guys have assault rifles? The only thing I find outrageous is when our legislatures file anti-gun laws that only hurt the law abiding citizen.


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



Johnny Law said:


> I don't get what the big deal is. Our chief traded in all our old .38's, a couple of Reislings, and almost all of our shotguns and we traded up to Colt AR's. No public consumption necessary. Since that time, our department has hosted two citizen police academies where I gave the intro. to these and other weapons. This last class had a reporter from News22 and the class before that had a newspaper reporter. Nothing was hidden from these people except how many we have, the TV reporter fired the weapon and that was even on TV. I haven't heard one negative about these weapons at all out this way. I can't wait for the Globe to fucking die.


Like Lt. Shastany said, we have had ours since 1997. Unfortunately none are deployed in the cruisers, with the exclusion of th PS cars. That being said, by the end of the summer they will mount one in each car. Our chief saw no need to consult the public about it, nor should he have. An average tax paying civilian is most likely not conserned. The outcry comes only from the liberal cop-hating jerk-offs that would bitch and moan regadless of what the issue is. If it has Police in the headline or bi-line, they immediately start to sharpen their teeth. I did not come on to this job to be liked, those who hate me (us) usually get theirs in the end.


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

I love the ref to m-79's....the idjits dont know theres other rounds for that then he. like maybe tear gas and oc


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## 263FPD (Oct 29, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



justanotherparatrooper said:


> I love the ref to m-79's....the idjits dont know theres other rounds for that then he. like maybe tear gas and oc


Libiral Fu#$ nuts. They think they are experts, but...


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## 8MORE (Nov 25, 2008)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

I have an idea for the Boston Globe. Stop telling Police Officers how to do their job and what tools Police Officers need to adequately protect the public and Police Officers will not start telling you "Journalists" at the Globe how to write one sided garbage that seems to be all you're paper can come up with these days.


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## DANIPD (Jun 30, 2003)

*State suspends weapons program*

*Officials pledge new review for powerful guns*

State suspends high-power weapons program until further review - The Boston Globe

By Milton J. Valencia and Donovan Slack, Globe Staff | June 16, 2009
The state Department of Public Safety yesterday suspended a controversial program that distributes high-powered US military weapons to police departments across the state, amid growing concerns with the scale of guns handed out and the lack of oversight involved.
Terrel Harris, spokesman for the department, said yesterday that the program will remain suspended until the completion of a thorough review looking at the way it is run, the weapons involved, and the communities that get them.
"We want to see who has what, and if what they have is appropriate," Harris said. "I can't say what we're going to end up doing, but we'll take a top to bottom look at it, to make sure it's running efficiently and effectively."
The suspension, ordered by Governor Deval Patrick, follows a Globe review that shows 82 local police departments in Massachusetts have obtained more than 1,000 military grade weapons over the last 15 years, far more than previously revealed. Under the program, administered by the State Police, departments can apply for equipment declared surplus by the US military.
But a Globe review has found that even the most quiet of hamlets have received high-powered weaponry, including M-16 fully automatic machine guns and M-14 semiautomatic rifles. In West Springfield, police received two military issue, M-79 grenade launchers.
In most cases, the departments obtained the weaponry without any type of community or legislative input.
The review shows that some departments received weapons in excess of federal guidelines. Among the rules for the approval was that no department was supposed to receive more than two rifles for every 10 full-time officers.
Yet records show some departments exceeded that limit. For instance, Marblehead received eight M-16s, even though it has 30 full-time officers.
Meanwhile, the review found the military surplus program lacks follow-up monitoring or oversight. A State Police civilian has been running the program since its lead coordinator, a State Police lieutenant colonel, retired three years ago. In some cases, the state has not enforced requirements that the arms be put to use within a year or returned to the military. And, the state failed to renew its contract with the federal government to oversee distribution of the weapons. Dave Procopio, spokesman for the State Police, said that the staff that runs the surplus program plans to meet with state officials as part of the review, "to perhaps see what changes should be made in the future. It's the beginning of a process . . . to determine how we can make it a more effective program."
He said the contract that expired three years ago was more of a memorandum of understanding between the program coordinator and the federal government on policy rules and regulations. Since the coordinator retired, the civilian employee - who had already been working under the program coordinator - followed the same memorandum. He expects a new memorandum will be forged with the appointment of a new coordinator. Harris said the state review will look at the way the program is being administered and by whom, including whether any certification is needed. It will also include a retroactive look at what communities have received, and whether the awarding of the weapons was appropriate.
"These are military weapons, these are not civilian weapons that we're dealing with," Harris said.
Local police officials have defended their requests for the weapons, citing the need to be prepared for disastrous events that can occur in any city or town, such as the 1999 shooting rampage at Columbine High School. In Boston, interest grew in the program after terrorists armed with automatic weapons and grenades killed 166 people last November in Mumbai. Police have said that the weapons will be used by specialized units. The grenade launchers in West Springfield, for instance, would be used for shooting tear gas canisters in crowd-control or hostage situations. Any assault rifle used by a patrol commander would be kept in a case in the trunk of a police cruiser.
John M. Collins, general counsel for the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, said yesterday that the departments who have received the weapons are trying to emphasize how "helpful, how safe, how worthwhile these weapons are."
"The best weapon you have is the one you never have to use," he said. "Unfortunately, it's become a political issue . . . the time for people to understand that is when we need them the most, and when they won't be available."
In Boston, a proposal to use M-16 rifles, functioning as a semi-automatic weapon, was rejected by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who said the weapon should only be used in specialized units and not in neighborhood patrols. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority's police squad shelved plans to use semiautomatic rifles after concerns were raised with providing heavy weaponry to officers who patrol crowded bus and train stations.
State Senator Stephen M. Brewer, vice chairman of the Legislature's joint committee on public safety and homeland security, said yesterday that he would welcome the review

*Even small localities got big guns*

*Some regulations for police unenforced*

Details emerge on distribution of military weapons in Mass. - The Boston Globe

By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff | June 15, 2009
Police in Wellfleet, a community known for stunning beaches and succulent oysters, scored three military assault rifles. At Salem State College, where recent police calls have included false fire alarms and a goat roaming the campus, school police got two M-16s. In West Springfield, police acquired even more powerful weaponry: two military-issue M-79 grenade launchers.
Some 82 local police departments in Massachusetts have obtained more than 1,000 weapons over the last 15 years under a federal program that distributes surplus guns from the US military, the Globe reported earlier this month. Now, new information identifies which communities received the weapons: They range from small towns like Hamilton, Marblehead, and Wayland to more populous communities like Worcester, Framingham, and Revere.
And a Globe review of a dozen departments found that most did not notify their community of the acquisitions. It also found inconsistencies in how the program is monitored, including cases in which communities received more guns than allowed.
In one suburban town, Belmont, people who live and work there were surprised to learn of the presence of six M-14s.
"Is this a war zone?" said Kevin M. Mullins, 25, who works at a Belmont bookshop. "For what logical purpose do they need semiautomatic rifles in Belmont?"
But many of the departments said they were taking advantage of free weaponry in the event they might need it to ward off terrorists or stop a shooting rampage.
"You never know what's going to happen. Anything can happen, anywhere," said Mark Laverdure, the police chief in Clinton, a town on the Wachusett Reservoir in Central Massachusetts that ordered 18 assault rifles from the government earlier this year.
"You're in a small town, you're working with one or two officers, all it would take is one emotionally disturbed person with a deer rifle" to create a violent crisis, said Wellfleet Police Chief Richard P. Rosenthal, whose department received three surplus M-14s but then shelved them and bought lighter-weight M-4s for its officers. "The only thing we would have had is a shotgun."
Federal officials say none of the weapons have been reported stolen or used in a crime. But Ken MacNevin, spokesman for the US Defense Reutilization & Marketing Service, said the agency still expects the state to strictly adhere to federal regulations.
A spokesman for the State Police, which is charged with overseeing the program in Massachusetts, said the department generally follows program rules, conducting regular audits to make sure the weapons haven't gone missing and ensuring the guns are properly registered. But the spokesman, David Procopio, said the department also trusts local law enforcement agencies to follow the rules on their own.
"Our expectation is that local departments who tell us they know what the regulations are are indeed following them," he said. "If we receive information that a local agency is not in compliance, we will look into that."
According to the Globe review, some departments got more arms than federal regulations allow. In some cases, the state has not enforced requirements that the arms be put to use within a year or returned to the military. And the state also failed to renew its contract with the federal government to oversee distribution of the weapons, after its lead coordinator retired three years ago.
Governor Deval Patrick's administration said it launched a review of the program after the Globe inquiries.
"The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security is reviewing the state's role in this program to ensure effective and appropriate oversight is being applied," said Terrel Harris, a spokesman for the agency.
Procopio said a civilian employee has been overseeing the program since the lead coordinator, a State Police lieutenant colonel, retired. He said the department expects to have a new oversight contract with the federal government signed in the near future.
The US military surplus program has provided 1,068 weapons to police departments in Massachusetts since 1994, including 486 fully automatic M-16 machine guns and 564 M-14 semiautomatic rifles, according to records withheld by State Police but later provided by the Defense Reutilization & Marketing Service. Most of the M-16s have been modified to perform like semiautomatic rifles, firing only one bullet at a time, instead of rapidly spraying rounds.
Many local police officials said they ordered the weapons to prepare for a catastrophic event like the shooting rampage at Columbine High School in 1999, when two teens used automatic weapons to gun down students, and a bank robbery in Los Angeles in 1997 when two robbers with automatic rifles injured 10 police officers in a shootout. More recently, terrorists armed with automatic weapons and grenades killed 166 people in Mumbai last November.
"We really see this as an essential tool that we have that allows us to respond to that kind of incident," Bridgewater State College Police Chief David Tillinghast said.
Some police chiefs said the price tag - or lack thereof - also influenced their decisions. "With budgets the way they are, any time we can get something with no dollar signs attached to it, we have to take a long, hard look at it," said Wayland Police Chief Robert Irving, whose department ordered three M-16s in February.
Departments are deploying the weapons in various ways. Some equipped only specialized SWAT officers with the rifles. Some issued them to patrol officers who keep them locked in cruisers. Others keep the weapons locked in stations, ready for distribution in emergencies.
Under the program, the local police departments sent applications for the weapons to the State Police, which then approved them and sent them to federal officials for processing and shipment. Among the rules for approval: No department was supposed to receive more than two rifles for every 10 full-time, sworn officers.
But records show some departments exceeded that limit. School police at Bridgewater State College have 21 full-time officers but received six M-16s. Marblehead received eight M-16s, even though it has 30 full-time officers. Wellfleet's 13-member department got three M-14s.
After the weapons were shipped, State Police were supposed to conduct regular checks to ensure they were used.
But some communities said they haven't used the weapons since they got them. In West Springfield, the grenade launchers that police initially ordered to shoot tear gas canisters in crowd-control or hostage situations have been mothballed in an armory for more than a decade, and officers there are no longer trained to use them. Wellfleet's M-14s have also been shelved since the town received them. Wellfleet Chief Rosenthal called them "fine pieces of machinery" but said the rifles, which he got in 1999, couldn't be fitted for the type of sights he wanted, so he just stored them.
"Now I've got three albatrosses," said Rosenthal, who decided instead to buy new semiautomatic rifles that his officers keep in hard cases, in cruiser trunks.
One department said it never planned to use the weapons for law enforcement in the first place. At Salem State College, Police Chief William G. Anglin said the two M-16s he ordered earlier this year were for his color guard to carry during ceremonies. He said they aren't loaded - no bullets in the chamber or high-capacity clips. "I couldn't use those rifles out on the street," Anglin said. "They're just ceremonial weapons."
A random survey of 12 departments found none had notified the public, even though some have armed regular patrol officers with the rifles. One chief, in Belchertown, said he did tell the town's Board of Selectmen when he got four M-16s from the military in 2003 and when he equipped patrol cars with semiautomatic rifles he purchased from a manufacturer.
In Framingham, Lieutenant Paul Shastany likened community involvement in arms decisions to public involvement in hospitals' decisions on what type and how many heart stents to buy.
"That decision belongs with police officials, not the public," said Shastany, whose department received16 M-16s in 1997.
Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes said that after a public outcry in recent weeks about similar plans in Boston and at the MBTA, he decided to inform the public before he deploys the 18 M-16s the department ordered in March.
"Now that this has occurred, I think it would be an important step for us," Kyes said. "If the community is strongly against this, we're going to have to reevaluate."
_Globe correspondent Nandini Jayakrishna contributed to this report. Donovan Slack can be reached at [email protected]. _


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## Nightstalker (Jul 25, 2006)

*State suspends police assault weapons program*

*Tuesday, June 16, 2009*

State suspends police assault weapons program

Telegram.com - A product of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette

*THE ASSOCIATED PRESS*










*BOSTON* - Massachusetts has suspended a program that distributes high-powered, military weapons to local police departments following criticism into the way the program is operated.

A spokesman for the state Public Safety Department said yesterday the program has been suspended pending the completion of a review to look at the way it is run, the weapons involved, and the communities that get them.

The move was ordered by Gov. Deval Patrick following a review by The Boston Globe that found 82 police departments in Massachusetts have obtained more than 1,000 military-grade assault weapons.

The weapons in some cases have been distributed to small towns with little crime, without any type of community or legislative input, and in excess of federal guidelines.


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## Johnny Law (Aug 8, 2008)

DANIPD said:


> Chelsea Police Chief Brian A. Kyes said that after a public outcry in recent weeks about similar plans in Boston and at the MBTA, he decided to inform the public before he deploys the 18 M-16s the department ordered in March.
> "Now that this has occurred, I think it would be an important step for us," Kyes said. "If the community is strongly against this, we're going to have to reevaluate."


Can you sound off like you have a pair Chief? Gash.


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## Nightstalker (Jul 25, 2006)

Next, Cops will be walking because the community no longer likes Cruisers. Then, You all will be wearing pink spandex while patrolling on your RollerBlades - But only because that is what the community likes. Oh, btw - I personally dont like those handcuffs used. Darnell Williams and I think all departments should make a move to using trashbag ties as restraints. Dont complain, just do it since you've been ordered by your Superior; Reverend Run of Eastern Mass.


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## lawdog671 (Sep 20, 2005)

*Re: State suspends police assault weapons program*

I am assuming that this is regarding the Northstar program ??


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## Nighttrain (Dec 10, 2004)

Kudos to Lt. Shastany from Framingham PD for not bowing down to the community outcry.


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



MSP75 said:


> But many of the departments said they were taking advantage of free weaponry in the event they might need it to ward off terrorists or stop a shooting rampage.


Don't you love these colorful words used to portray officers las crazed gun nuts?



Killjoy said:


> Its absurd to think that the "public" should be consulted in issues of police firearms deployment and use.


Kinda reminds me of the stupidity of the public outcry that occured in some major cities (NYC Transit, for example) during the transition from revolvers to semi-autos in the early 90's.

Anyone else remember all the arguments? "What do cops need more bullets for?" "Why do they need to reload faster???"


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

DANIPD said:


> In West Springfield, police received two military issue, M-79 grenade launchers.


Again, this was written as if the only thing that can be fired in the 40 mike-mike chamber is an actual high explosive grenade.

The 40mm grenade can accomidate a slew of less-than-lethal crowd control rounds.


DANIPD said:


> "The best weapon you have is the one you never have to use," he said. "Unfortunately, it's become a political issue . . . the time for people to understand that is when we need them the most, and when they won't be available."


The most succinct quote of the week.


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

*Re: State suspends police assault weapons program*



Nightstalker said:


> The move was ordered by Gov. Deval Patrick following a review by The Boston Globe that found 82 police departments in Massachusetts have obtained more than 1,000 military-grade assault weapons.


He is a complete slave to the media. Whenever they print a story, he immediately follows their desires, as warped or misinformed as they may be.


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

VICTORY IS MINE sayeth the liberal yutz!


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## trueblue (Jan 21, 2008)

Isn't nice to know that the ONLY people that Chiefs, Commissioners, Mayors, City Councilors, Selectman and Alderman will listen to is the F****** MEDIA? Next time you can speak freely with these frauds at some community meeting or more likely a cop's funeral (they all like those photo ops) tell them to kiss your ass! The Framingham guy is the only one with any balls!


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## BB-59 (Oct 19, 2005)

Welcome to the liberal bastion of Massachusetts.

Have no fear, when a buch of unarmed tree huggin liberals get guuned down it will be our fault for not pulling the expected movie or TV actor "save of the day".

Remember, political hacks worry about there careers first, public, and officer safety, only when they can point the blame at someone else.


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## SPINMASS (Jan 30, 2004)

My guess is the media went to certain departments figuering they would get chiefs that would bow to pressure, they probably weren't expecting Framingham's reaction.


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## SPINMASS (Jan 30, 2004)

*Re: State suspends police assault weapons program*

Keep in mind the media is always right and cops are always wrong, thats just how it is.


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## celticsfan (Dec 18, 2007)

*Re: State suspends police assault weapons program*

*THE GHETTO* - Following the Commonwealth's lead, local gangs have elected to stop using high-powered, military and automatic weapons. Local officials lauded this joint disarming effort.

"EZ-E," a spokesman for the "SouthsideBangas," a local gang specializing in prostitution and the popular drug crystal meth, stated that they are looking into more non-lethals ways of "putting a cap" in the competition.

Local gangs also said they are shelving looking into shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenades in order to give local police more time to look at the way new weapons programs should be run.


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## SPINMASS (Jan 30, 2004)

*Re: State suspends police assault weapons program*

:baaa: wow that was funny as hell.


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## Truck (Apr 3, 2006)

*Re: State suspends police assault weapons program*

How much longer until this boob is out of office?


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## dcs2244 (Jan 29, 2004)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Hey, why all the whining, lemmings? You freely voted for a police state. Heck, Germany voted for a failed artist...you voted for a failed lawyer/community activist. There's no need to fear, only President Obama's legions shall be armed. OBEY. 

slaves.


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## BB-59 (Oct 19, 2005)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



sdb29 said:


> *"Excerpted from: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-Wednesday, December 27, 2000-Vol. 4, NO. 363*
> *MASSACHUSETTS:*
> *Man Slays Seven In Computer Office*
> An employee of an Internet company, apparently angry over plans to garnish his wages to pay back taxes, methodically gunned down seven co-workers who had just returned from their Christmas holiday in Wakefield, Massachusetts, on Tuesday. The carnage ended when 42-year-old Michael (Mucko) McDermott was wrestled to the floor by police after he slaughtered four women and three men at Edgewater Technology in suburban Boston's high-tech corridor.
> ...


 They only did that because they felt threatened and the world did not like the USA.

Now lets all have a big cup of liberal Obama punch, blame G.W. Bush for all the wrong in the world, and "Shazam!", all those bad people will convert.

Of course the Globe will reserach the need for better public safety equipment with someone who works in a bookstore, I mean, gee whiz Batman he must be smarter than the average police officer who actualy deals with crimes like domestic violence and active shooters,

Ol' "Cadilac Man" just demonstrated what education means to LE in MA, Quinn Bill, sorry folks no can do. But if you are here from another country step up for the best education and health care for free.


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## CJIS (Mar 12, 2005)

Why can't police have guns again?


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

*Re: State suspends police assault weapons program*



Truck said:


> How much longer until this boob is out of office?


 much much too long


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## uspresident1 (Jan 12, 2007)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



MSP75 said:


> Even small localities got big guns
> Some regulations for police unenforced
> By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff | June 15, 2009
> 
> ...


Who works at a Belmont bookshop. I REPEAT....Who works at a Belmont bookshop. That's like calling a plumber to fix a lightbulb. Perhaps he slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night..but if he didn't then why publish his input? I know why of course and it's because the media is the media, as we all know.

"Is this a war zone" you ask Kevin....is Littleton Colorado a war zone? Is Wakefield a war zone? Stupid civilian. FU Mr. Mullins. You would be singing a much different tune if you were the one in the mall or the movie theater wondering why the police haven't come in after the looney toon who is going postal.


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



uspresident1 said:


> "Is this a war zone?" said Kevin M. Mullins, 25, *who works at a Belmont bookshop*. "For what logical purpose do they need semiautomatic rifles in Belmont?"


Proving yet again the old axiom: when the news does their "man on the street" interviews, the man on the street is always a fucking moron.

I applaud the Framingham LT for being a two baller. The correct response is that the police have never and will never run their equipment requests by the Boston Globe. It also stands to reason that fucking idiot retail clerks are not in the chain of command at most PD's.

It is not out of the realm of logical thinking to assume that actual PO-lice know more about what they need for equipment than half-rate hack newspaper reporters and douchebags that are just barely bright enough to score a job at a bookstore when they are 25 years old. I guess all the 16 year olds had summer jobs already, so ole' Kevin got lucky.

Kevin: I leave you with a paraphrased quote from quite possibly the best show of all time:

"You, Mullins, are a gaping asshole. We both know this. I know it, and I'll be fucked if everybody in Belmont doesn't know it "

--Major William Rawls, BPD


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

USMCMP5811 said:


> I think it's time to let my family know that should I ever buy the farm in the line of duty, where these tools could have made a differance, to name these idiots as defendants in a wrongfull death lawsuit......


My man, I gave that advice to my wife a number of years ago. If my death results from a lack of equipment, manpower or some other thing that was the fault of my administration, sue their asses off.

Of course if it's proven that my death was the result of something I did or didn't do, just quietly accept the condolences of my co-workers and enjoy whatever insurance money you get.

My chief is not allowed at my funeral, regardless.


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## Nightstalker (Jul 25, 2006)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

Someone should merge these threads since there are multiple on this topic.


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## pahapoika (Nov 5, 2006)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*

saw one video of a guy outside a courtroom ( sorry , can't remember where ) and he's shooting the place up with a ak-47 because his wife is inside getting a restraining order or something.

one brave cop after another bails out of the front door of the court house shooting their sidearms only to get gunned down by this shit stain.

he jumps in his car and screws. the call goes out and it's a cop with a ar-15 that finally takes him out.

but somehow these pinheads think officers should lie dead in the streets because they don't need patrol rifles ?

Mass. is truly one f'uped state !


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



> Wasn't that down in GA?


Texas, actually. I have the video for this on my computer, but I don't know how to upload it. I use it as an introduction for why police *NEED* patrol rifles!


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## csauce777 (Jan 10, 2005)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



263FPD said:


> That is what they pay us for.


Yeah, and they pay us sooo fuckin' well. What with the "lucrative details" and "astronomical education incentives", and the permanent unpaid vacations they're instituting. Oh wait...they want to take away those "perks" and increase those layoffs?? Who'da thunk?


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



pahapoika said:


> .
> 
> *one brave cop after another bails out of the front door of the court house shooting their sidearms only to get gunned down* by this shit stain.
> 
> ...


*As a firearms instructor, my frigging throat goes dry trying to explain common sense firearms concepts to civilians in this Commonwealth.*
*The next logical progression for the Governor and these community "leaders" to call for is for us all to carry empty chambers or even dry magazine wells! WTF????????????????????????????*
:FT:](*,)


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## MetrowestPD (Oct 21, 2008)

Why wasn't the public consulted on Deval's caddy or drapes? What a coward he is, his image is so bad that whenever there is a media made issue he gives in to what he believes will get him public opinion. The liberal bastard needs to go


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



USMCMP5811 said:


> One of the lessons learned from the 1983 bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut was, for Marines to have a full mag w/a round racked in the chamber. If the Sentry had this, that truck driver may have been stopped, preventing such a horrible tragedy... :up:


 Bloody Sunday, Rest in Peace Marines


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## MARINECOP (Dec 23, 2003)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



mpd61 said:


> *As a firearms instructor, my frigging throat goes dry trying to explain common sense firearms concepts to civilians in this Commonwealth.*
> *The next logical progression for the Governor and these community "leaders" to call for is for us all to carry empty chambers or even dry magazine wells! WTF????????????????????????????*
> :FT:](*,)


Funny you say that because when I was in the Corps during the LA/Rodney King riots me and a few other Marines were guarding a grocery store with our M-16's and fixed bayonets. The base general ordered us to be issued empty magazines because he did not want us to shoot any civilians. He felt that our presence alone with M16's and fixed bayonets would deter any looters. We were bullshit. My enlistment was up a few months after that and it had a huge impact on my decision whether to re-enlist. Due to horrible pay and that incident I did not re-enlist. I still love the Corps, but with leadership like that I lost my faith and trust to those above my pay grade.


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



MARINECOP said:


> Funny you say that because when I was in the Corps during the LA/Rodney King riots me and a few other Marines were guarding a grocery store with our M-16's and fixed bayonets. The base general ordered us to be issued empty magazines because he did not want us to shoot any civilians. He felt that our presence alone with M16's and fixed bayonets would deter any looters. We were bullshit. My enlistment was up a few months after that and it had a huge impact on my decision whether to re-enlist. Due to horrible pay and that incident I did not re-enlist. I still love the Corps, but with leadership like that I lost my faith and trust to those above my pay grade.


Were you deployed in LA or somewhere around Oceanside / Carlsbad area at that time?


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## MetrowestPD (Oct 21, 2008)

Deval should give up his trooper protection detail as there has never been an assassination of a sitting Mass Governor, therefore it is not needed. Just using these idiots philosophy.


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

I left this comment for Mr. Slack. I DID have to change one word to submit it. The Globe ON-LINE had issue with the word 'butt' so it's now 'backside' on the comments page.

Mr. Slack, I'm sure Virginia Tech was a hotbed of crime just before the active shooter situation they had. No doubt Columbine HS had daily violence as well.

A) You are speaking out of your butt due to a total lack of knowledge on the subject. Being a writer for a failing newspaper does not make you all knowing.

B) You disparage the officers from these various departments with your clever quips, especially those at Salem State, and that is uncalled for.

C) You make the unrealistic and rather naive and childish assumption that violent crime will not happen anywhere but the inner city and even then, violent criminals will gladly await the STOP team (it's not SWAT, just to let you know).

You really are just a pawn of the criminal element aren't you, or a yutz. No, I hope you never do become a victim, I mean that, but it might be the only thing that wakes you up to the real world and shatters that silly bubble you've made for yourself.



MetrowestPD said:


> Deval should give up his trooper protection detail as there has never been an assassination of a sitting Mass Governor, therefore it is not needed. Just using these idiots philosophy.


 :rock:

I bet if you asked the Troopers on that detail, protecting him is the last thing they actually have to do. I'm *not* saying it's a Bill Clinton thing where the the only protection provided came from TROJAN MAN and the Troopers were detailed to find the young ladies, but I'm sure Deval abuses the privilege of having Troopers around him in other ways.


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## TRPDiesel (Nov 28, 2008)

I am glad that the people that are assigned to him have the restraint of the tongue and have the professionalism to put service before self, I am not sure many of us would last on such assignment while being surrounded by those who show such disdain for the job on a regular basis.


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## MetrowestPD (Oct 21, 2008)

TRPDiesel said:


> I am glad that the people that are assigned to him have the restraint of the tongue and have the professionalism to put service before self, I am not sure many of us would last on such assignment while being surrounded by those who show such disdain for the job on a regular basis.


How many of us have had to bite a toungue or help someone knowing they were the scum of the earth. You said it Diesel "professionalism". But we can't be trusted with this weaponry.


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## GeepNutt (Aug 10, 2005)

The Globe can't go out of business fast enough!!! :85565:


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## MARINECOP (Dec 23, 2003)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



LA Copper said:


> Were you deployed in LA or somewhere around Oceanside / Carlsbad area at that time?


Use to be at Pendleton my first year. " Oceanside ", wow I have not heard that in a long time. Carlsbad mall, LMAO. I was stationed at 29 Palms, CA and they bused our ass down to LA for that mess. Before that they gave us a four hour class on riot drills and then off we went.


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

Well, I watched that video from Texas and I've come to the conclusion that the pols in Mass. are 100% right.

First off, Sgt. Rusty Jacks was well trained in the use of the rifle and since he was only 7 blocks away, his response was in a reasonable amount of time, regardless of how many officers were hit prior to his arrival.

Second, those officers involved did so many things that were just wrong it's disgusting. Most especially ramming that truck from behind after shooting at and from a moving vehicle! He violated that man's rights and created a serious traffic hazard in the process.

Whoa, good thing this didn't happen in Mass. as there would be a LOT of Law Enforcement Officers facing charges or at the very least getting fired.

SARCASM, I SWEAR IT!



MetrowestPD said:


> Why wasn't the public consulted on Deval's caddy or drapes? What a coward he is, his image is so bad that whenever there is a media made issue he gives in to what he believes will get him public opinion. The liberal bastard needs to go


Sounds like Bill Clinton.


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



MARINECOP said:


> Use to be at Pendleton my first year. " Oceanside ", wow I have not heard that in a long time. Carlsbad mall, LMAO. I was stationed at 29 Palms, CA and they bused our ass down to LA for that mess. Before that they gave us a four hour class on riot drills and then off we went.


I forgot about 29 Palms. Which is better, there or Pendelton? My partner at work is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Corps and is currently activated (his second time during this war). He was telling me he like Pendelton much better than 29 Palms.

I didn't know Marines had joined us during the riots. I saw the National Guard but not the Marines. Do you remember where you were when you were here? I was in South LA for three days straight and had a blast!


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## Kilvinsky (Jan 15, 2007)

USMCMP5811 said:


> I would hope that, if a non Pro-LE politician showed at mine (to include the Cadillac man and potus) that my brothers and sisters would adorn them with metal bracelets and a blue disorderly/trespassing bail recognacence slip as their copy of my service program pamphlet


I wish I could convince my wife, if she sees him arrive, to yell "GUN" and point at him. I'd look down from Heaven, seeing him proned out with several of the detail officers (yes, it would be part of my funeral expenses) doing what I paid well for. ENTERTAINMENT!


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## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

*Re: The Globe and patrol rifles again.*



mikemac64 said:


> I was stationed at Pendleton (San Mateo) and did two CAX's at 29 Stumps. I vote, without question, Pendleton wins hands down. I was on the nothern end near San Clemente. beaches, girls, beaches, bikini's, beer, girls.....
> 
> 29 Palms does have an abundance of rocks and sand though.
> 
> Is it my understanding a Marine shot someone during the riots.


If they did, I'm not aware of it. I didn't hear of any Guardsmen firing either... although there were a lot of LAPD folks and a few LASD folks involved in firefights.


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## grn3charlie (Jul 18, 2005)

Kilvinsky said:


> I left this comment for Mr. Slack. I DID have to change one word to submit it. The Globe ON-LINE had issue with the word 'butt' so it's now 'backside' on the comments page.
> 
> Mr. Slack, I'm sure Virginia Tech was a hotbed of crime just before the active shooter situation they had. No doubt Columbine HS had daily violence as well.
> 
> ...


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## firefighter39 (Apr 10, 2006)

I was just thinking - The Quinn Bill provides a 20 - 25% pay increase for officers who have earned a college degree.
The Globe reporters are now being asked to take a 23% pay cut - Poetic Justice!


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## DANIPD (Jun 30, 2003)

Amazing though...The Globe prints a story, a day later the GOV suspends the program! Anything to keep the media happy I suppose!


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