[Paslode]

“It’s easy to throw out that ‘militarization of the police’ line,” he said. “But what is militarization of the police? Is that equipment or is it tactics?”

He added, “An allegation that we are militarizing has to be that we were patrolling the streets in platoons in greater numbers, that we were setting up checkpoints and searching people in and out of neighborhoods.”

But when you’re on phone with 911 and someone is shooting at your house, this is the vehicle you want to see, McMillin said.

“The community will be safer for this vehicle,” he said. “If you’re the person with some guy shooting next door, you want to see this thing driving up into your yard, the hydraulic steps coming down and 37,000 pounds of ballistically sound steel between you and the person taking shots at you.”

http://www.thecalifornian.com/apps/p...80046&gcheck=1