Quote:
Originally Posted by vienna
The same retired LAPD officer also speculated to me he felt there was also a bit of envy among US cops when they saw foreign police officers (Europe, Israel, Asia, etc.) on the news fitted out with all manner of military gear; it was sort of "I want one, too!" boyish envy. There has to be a limit to what is appropriate and what is simply some police department's need to live out their GI Joe fantasies...
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I've never seen police officers in Europe outside of special units being equipped with military grade weapons. Our regular police forces don't even have rifles and are just equipped with 9mm handguns. Federal police at airports and train stations can occasionally be seen with a MP5 but I believe that's only if there was a warning about an immediate threat. So I don't believe we inspired that.
This is now just pure speculation on my part but I rather think that they don't want to be out gunned by thugs. If everyone can legally obtain an AR 15 and the like then I'm sure officers don't want to be limited to a 9mm. You see it works both ways, a lot of US citizens claim they need assault rifles to protect themselves from the state while the police probably thinks they have to upgrade to stay on one level with the population. I think it's an internal arms race.