Ferguson, Mo., crisis echoes in Bergen County debate
AUGUST 14, 2014, 9:27 PM LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014, 12:11 AM
BY JEAN RIMBACH AND JOHN C. ENSSLIN
STAFF WRITERS
THE RECORD
What had been a local debate over the use of surplus military armored vehicles for law enforcement in Bergen County intensified Thursday when U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder criticized the use of similar equipment to quell looting and civil unrest in Ferguson, Mo.
Holder issued a statement that condemned the violence by both civilians and police in the aftermath of the fatal shooting Saturday of an unarmed black 18-year-old by a white police officer. He also questioned the use of military vehicles that Ferguson police obtained through a federal program.
“At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message,” Holder stated. “At my direction, Department officials have conveyed these concerns to local authorities.”
His remarks drew immediate parallels to the debate now raging in Bergen County, where the Sheriff’s office has moved to obtain two MRAPs – “mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles” – through a U.S. Department of Defense program that has distributed some 600 of the vehicles to law enforcement agencies around the country in the past year.
The issue also has become a major factor in Bergen political races this year, including County Executive Kathleen Donovan’s bid for re-election.
Donovan has questioned the move by Bergen Sheriff Michael Saudino, a fellow Republican, to acquire the vehicles, saying that it unnecessarily “militarizes” police operations in Bergen County.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/u-s-attorney-general-criticizes-use-of-armored-military-vehicles-to-quell-civil-unrest-1.1067809#sthash.92ksafoC.dpuf
This author is quite astute. It would take a Sheriff of unusual discretion, sense of proportion, and respect for citizen residents and taxpayers not to deploy such equipment in excessive quantities in response to a civil disturbance of anything other than a few people. Does anyone know Sheriff Saudi well enough to opine on how he personally might react under such circumstances?
Donovan seized on this issue early and the events of Ferguson do seem to validate her point. How different is our county from the one Ferguson is in? The county resources were apparently no more effective in Ferguson than were the local police in restoring order.
Sheriff Saudino just did not have enough toys as a child.
Maybe our local law enforcement can make the NY Post again for using MRAPs to break-up an underage drinking party ? Imagine the pictures of SWAT teams in full combat gear pointing their heavy canons at a bunch of teens, with remote controlled, bomb diffusing robots checking out the contraband hooch ?