Pleasanton Police Force Has My Support,too!
Community interactions with our police officers, especially at an open house, are exactly what should be happening. I disagree, however, that the PPD armored rescue vehicle should be on display to "normalize" its presence around town. I don't believe the ARV should be treated as an amusement. Indeed, the situations in which it would be used are not "normal." Our City Council members disagree on this, but I believe they have each given the policy on PPD inventory and use of military equipment great thought. Even as they disagree, I believe they do so respectfully, just as I respectfully disagree with you. We DO agree on this: we want police officers to be viewed as friendly, protective professionals, and worthy of our support.

Last year the state legislature classified many items that have been used by police for many years as "military equipment". The city of Pleasanton was required to inventory all such items and report them. Last night the city council approved their continued use. At least one speaker called these items "weapons of war". Nothing could be further from the truth. In the city council meeting information, these specific items were all described in detail. Most of the descriptions included the words, "less than lethal" or "distraction device" used to encourage a suspect to surrender. These devices provide our police with less lethal options. Banning them would mean that police would have to resort to their personal weapons.

As a combat veteran, there is nothing on that list of Pleasanton Police Department equipment that I would have wanted.

The city council had to approve a resolution that used the words "military equipment" fourteen times in a one and a half page document.

In my opinion, the state law was crafted to intentionally conflate "military equipment" with "weapons of war" and it worked for at least one misinformed speaker last night. And the news headlines will read something like "Pleasanton City Council Approved Police Use of Military Equipment". Disgusting.

Democrats have smartly used words, labels, and phrases to control, manipulate, and demonize their opponents. Law Enforcement is one of their adversaries. During the BLM riots the rhetoric became ‘defund the police,’ police are abusive, and cops are racists. So today the mainstream media regurgitate over and over the phrases of ‘weapons of war,’ ‘assault rifle,’ and ‘military equipment.’ These terms resonate in the uninformed mind and conjure up all sorts of negative images. Officers killed nationwide for 2020 (373) and 2021 (472) are numbers you won’t see in any other year. The thin Blue Line is our first line of defense in our society. Let’s give them the tools they need to do the job.

"Democrats have smartly used words, labels, and phrases to control, manipulate, and demonize their opponents."
Oh, and Republicans haven't done the same thing??

"Law Enforcement is one of their (the "Democrats" mentioned above) adversaries."
Who was fighting, battling, and injuring the Capitol Police force on January 6, 2021? Was that Democrats in the MAGA hats fighting to overturn the election?

No, that’s your Democrat dogma. Unlike your BLM riots that were ‘somewhat peaceful,’ actually you had FBI operatives all over the place (undisputed by the way) and the only person killed was an unarmed veteran by a Lt Capitol Cop. You can throw your disinformation all you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that Democrats have created this climate of hate and violence that forces law enforcement to gather the equipment they need.

I know I face censorship of this last comment, because only liberals are allowed free speech.