Fascism at Your Local US Police Force

Small-Town Cops Pile Up on Useless Military Gear By Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, Wired Magazine 27 June 12
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/335-156/12116-small-town-cops-pile-up-on-useless-military-gear

[Excrepted] Small police departments across America are collecting battlefield-grade arsenals thanks to a program that allows them to get their hands on military surplus equipment- amphibious tanks, night-vision goggles, and even barber chairs or underwear - at virtually no cost, except for shipment and maintenance.

Over the last five years, the top 10 beneficiaries of this “Department of Defense Excess Property Program” included small agencies such as the Fairmount Police Department. It serves 7,000 people in northern Georgia and received 17,145 items from the military. The cops in Issaquah, Washington, a town of 30,000 people, acquired more than 37,000 pieces of gear.

In 2011 alone, more than 700,000 items were transferred to police departments for a total value of $500 million. This year, as of May 15, police departments already acquired almost $400 million worth of stuff...."