Blunt addresses equipment for law enforcement in Northwest Missouri
Missouri Senator Roy Blunt stopped in at Rosecrans Memorial Airport Monday afternoon to hear from area law enforcement agencies during a closed meeting about resources needed to protect area residents.
Sen. Blunt said discussion surrounding arming law enforcement officials has been a hot topic since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot by a police officer last month in Ferguson, Missouri. Blunt said the armored trucks used during the protests after Brown’s death were able to save several individuals.
“So much of the discussion of what’s happened in our State since August is not based on the facts on the ground,” said Blunt. “The three big defensive vehicles that were there and they were like a Brinks armored truck.”
Blunt said debate in Washington over what equipment is used by law enforcement should come from actually talking to law enforcement officials about what they really need.
“The further you get a decision away from where you’re really going to try to solve a problem the less likely you’re going to meet the common sense standard that you will meet if you try to solve those decisions close to home,” said Blunt.
Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner R.T. Turner said the meeting with the Senator was helpful because much of the equipment purchased and used by the law enforcement comes from government funded grants.
“Just talking about the equipment we have received and it’s not just vehicles but other equipment that’s been very important like radios,” said Turner. “It’s not just military vehicles that’s very important in Northwest Missouri.”