Video: Desoto, Rankin Counties “Armor” Up

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By Steve WilsonMississippi Watchdog

The acquisition of military-grade armored vehicles from federal surplus by Mississippi law enforcement agencies might appear tone-deaf at a time when the nation is starting an overdue conversation on the militarization of police.

The two sheriffs in Mississippi who are beefing up their vehicle fleets with armored vehicles say they’re doing so to protect the officers under their command and are saving the taxpayers money by acquiring quality vehicles at little or no cost. They say the vehicles, designed to protect military troops from improvised explosive devices and mines, can shield their officers from even the most high-level threats.

“I know an MRAP is overkill for public law enforcement, but I know that I don’t have to worry about anything in Rankin County penetrating it,” said Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, whose department has applied to receive one of the surplus Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles via the Department of Defense 1033 program.

DeSoto County in north Mississippi was the first in the state to receive one. DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco said the acquisition of the MRAP was a months-long process with the Defense Logistics Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office. The office is the conduit by which law enforcement agencies can acquire surplus military equipment such as weapons, vehicles and even aircraft at little or no cost.

Taxpayers, of course, already paid for the equipment when the military pressed it into service. And local taxpayers will foot the bill for maintenance and other costs.

“We felt like this was a good way to get a vehicle of this caliber that’d benefit our department,” Rasco said. “Whatever we can do to protect our men, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Bailey said his department’s desire for an MRAP is to protect his deputies and save the county money instead of buying an armored vehicle commercially. Bailey said the MRAP would be used in a few scenarios, such as hostage or officer-down situations.

“There aren’t a lot of critical incidents that happen in Rankin County, but when they do, you need specialized equipment. Being Mississippi is the way it is and we’re real pro-gun here, there’s a lot of houses with high-powered rifles. There’s been numerous incidents where people were threatening suicide and a vehicle like this could help us get an officer close enough to talk them out of it. I could pull right up to the house with this and not worry about my officers’ safety.”

Both departments are replacing less capable vehicles that have exceeded their useful lifespans. DeSoto’s vehicle, a lightly used Navistar Defense MaxxPro model with only 4,800 miles on it, replaced a donated armored truck that was worn out.

Rankin’s department owns one upgraded, older truck and has another on loan from the state. Bailey said he doubts the older model his mechanics refurbished would stand up to the deadly effects of 50-caliber rounds from heavy bolt-action sniper rifles, like those used by the military and available on the civilian market. Bailey said a commercial alternative to obtaining the MRAP would cost more than $100,000.

The acquisition of armored MRAP vehicles by civilian law enforcement agencies isn’t without controversy. The American Civil Liberties Union released a report last month about the militarization of police forces that was critical of the need for the 37,000-pound vehicles and other military-style equipment and tactics.

AP photo

AP photo

IT HAPPENED: Member of the St. Louis County Police Department points his weapon in the direction of a group of protesters Wednesday in Ferguson, Mo.

“The use of hyperaggressive tools and tactics results in tragedy for civilians and police officers, escalates the risk of needless violence, destroys property, and undermines individual liberties,” the report said.

Both departments are using them as area assets and available to other agencies. Brasco said his department partners with other agencies in neighboring Memphis.

While the county’s population is only 143,000, Bailey said in his letter to the government asking for the vehicle he would make it available for use by neighboring counties in the Jackson-metro area, including Hinds, Madison and Simpson.

He said the county has had to wait longer to receive its MRAP, since officers prefer the four-wheel MaxxPro model over six-wheel MRAP models, which are heavier, more costly and incapable of turning around on tight roads. Bailey said the MaxxPro, which is based on an International dump-truck chassis, can be serviced by his mechanics, and parts are readily available.

The MRAP isn’t the only equipment being procured under the Department of Defense 1033 program.

The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department bought M-14 and M-16 rifles through the 1033 program to equip all of its patrol lieutenants and sergeants with military-grade rifles. Bailey said the purchase is in keeping with his philosophy of stretching his budget dollar to its limits, like half of his squad cars, which he bought used from Missouri and Oklahoma for a $10,000 discount over the price of new ones.

Sheriffs departments are the only agencies dipping into the 1033 program. The nearby Reservoir Police, which has jurisdiction over the 33,000-acre Ross Barnett Reservoir and the 17,000 acres surrounding it, is the law enforcement arm of the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District. In addition to its normal police duties, the department provides search and rescue on the reservoir and maintains its aids to navigation, such as buoys and channel markers.

Reservoir Police Chief Perry Waggener said his department bought several inflatable buoys, normally costing $100 each, for the price of a McDonald’s Happy Meal from federal surplus.

“In the case of the buoys, they were brand new and had never been used,” Waggener said. “We got them for $5 apiece.”

The biggest find for Waggener’s department was a replacement for its boat used to service buoys and pilings. Waggener said the old boat had been in the reservoir since it was completed in 1963, and his department had been patching leaks in its battered hull. The department bought a slightly used former U.S. Army bridging boat that required little or no modifications for less than $5,000. A new bridging boat can cost more than $100,000