"Just an Observer" is obviously "just a cop".

It is pretty scary just how dumbed-down the mentality of the law enforcement community has become to suggest that an average citizen will find themselves in a "hostage situation". This far-fetched rationalization proves that there are cops out there that are desperate to be "heros" and use their guns and bat-gear.

It isn't about some hypothetical possible hostage situation that gets trotted out to justify these teams. Look at how these sorts of paramilitary assault teams are actually used. It is very, very rarely for "hostage situations". They're primarily used just as I described - "masked men dressed in black who kick in doors in the middle of the night and who turn every warrant service into a needlessly hyperviolent confrontation"

All to often they don't even get the correct address and they end up terrorizing the people next door.

Read "Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America" by Radley Balko. It just scratches the surface of this disturbing trend of police militarization.

If some of these people posting negative comments about protective vests ever find themselves in a hostage situation, they better hope that the law enforcement officers have those protective vests so they can be more aggressive in their response. You think just because we live in Kirksville, situations like we see on television will never occur here, but just wait. Who would have thought cyber bullying would happen here as quickly as it did?

Novotny and Quintin have both made excellent points. It is the law enforcement mentality and treatment of the public that needs a makeover, not the equipment.

I have a much better idea. Disband the Special Response Team aka "masked men dressed in black who kick in doors in the middle of the night and who turn every warrant service into a needlessly hyperviolent confrontation" and fire those who are in it for having unfit personality type to be peace officers.

If your a mechanic, who buys your tools. you do. If your a plumber, who buys your tools? You do. If you work in a packing house, who buys your tools? you do. If your a mail man, who buys you tools of the trade? You do. You choose your profession, buy you own equipment.

Is an officers life really only worth $2000.00?
How many times has it happened...probably not many, only once that I can recall an exchange of gunfire. However never would I cut vests for the officers out of the budget because we can't afford it. Think about the lawsuit that's going to follow if someone does get shot while on-duty with an expired vest and dies, $2000 would have pretty pretty cheap insurance.

Do you put your child in an expired car seat (5 years expired at that) every day just because you can't afford a new one? What if it's your spouse, child, father/mother that gets shot, how about we give you $2000 and tell you to take a hike, sorry about your loss. That's what you saying about the vests these guys wear every time they clock in, it's not that how often does it happen, but when is it going to happen and how many people will die because of failed or degraded protection?

what about the 96,0000 grant received for the task force? What did that go for? That seems to be to me to go towards equipment and training. Where can a taxpayer look up all the expenses that our tax dollars go to? Raise our taxes. And this award Kirksville got...... yes the dna lab is not yet in running order, it's at the hopeful stage.

At $2000 per vest I would hope they last quite awhile! Plus, how many times does a city cop get shot at in KV? There are many more things they could NOT spend money on. The country is an economic plunge with the Osama Obama presidency. Think before us spend money KV administration. Maybe try to fix streets and sidewalks, a real day to day safety issue. I mean, really, how many shootings and "emergency responses" do the cops in this town respond to, really...... This all gets back to cops in this town being over zeoulous and wanting to play big city cops and robbers!