DA's Office Follows Vroman's Lead
Looks like the Humboldt District Attorney's office is following the lead of the late Norm Vroman, past D.A. of Mendocino County. They're in the process of buying some AR15 semi- automatic rifles, a gun safe and body armor, to list a few things.
Those of you who have been here for a while will remember that Mendocino's Vroman took some heat during his last election over this same issue: buying weapons some thought were innappropriate for the job and office.
In that case it was, imo, simply a matter of his detractors taking any shot they could at him during an election. However, it evolved into a case where federal authorities supposedly ended up with search warrants for Vroman's home, them supposedly having suspicions of illegal weapons being stored there.
I doubt this is the same sort of thing, if only because I don't think D.A. Gallegos is the driving force behind the purchases. It sounds like newly hired D.A. Investigator, Mike Hislop, is the one behind this to me. Why does he want or need them? Why not?
I really don't care what kind of guns anyone, including local law enforcement have, per se. The question of whether it's well spent money is another issue altogether. As the Reporter article points out, the county has more than its fair share of special operations type law enforcement units available.
It also correctly points out that having the D.A.'s office involved in such operations certainly begs the question of conflict of interest.
Besides, I've been thinking: Since I've lived up here- over thirty years- I don't know that I can recall a so- called assault rifle used by police in a situation where nothing else could have been substituted.
I'm not saying police shouldn't carry them, I'm just saying I don't know once where a supposed criminal has been apprehended with one where a pistol or bolt action rifle wouldn't have served just as well. In fact, I think carrying a semi- automatic rifle might well limit an officer's options under certain circumstances thus excacerbating a situation.
You can't help but wonder if this is just a case of a gun buff, or two, in the D.A.'s office wanting to have some new toys to play with?
posted by Fred Mangels @ 8:24 AM
64 comments
64 Comments:
More little known facts. The National Park Service has it's own SWAT team on call nation wide. Said team made it's appearance in Orick when they ran the campers off the freshwater spit, and installed gates. (fully auto Ar15s and all).
Ok - DA investigators serve subpoenas and handle evidence for trial. What the hell is going thru Gallegos' mind about forming his own special assault team. He is not a cop and nobody elected him as such.
This guy is scary nuts.
He can't fill his da positions, says he let all these people go for budget cuts and then tells the public he needs his own special assault force to the initial buy in of about 35 thousand dollars.
He needs a mental examination. I am waiting to see how the traditional so called "progs" defend this crap.
He needs his own stormtroopers to protect various underground marijuana monopolies.
I think he wants to give to a rifle to Jeff Leonard so he can take out the Taxpayers League.In case you missed his tirade against them at last night's council meeting,I'll just say OUCH!!
Fewer taxes stimulate economic growth. Why can't liberals understand that.
Maybe Gallegos is buying guns to form his own gang after the tsunami hits.
Or maybe there's a grow room somewhere inside the courthouse.And how much is being spent on installing those metal detectors?
Fred said. "You can't help but wonder if this is just a case of a gun buff, or two, in the D.A.'s office wanting to have some new toys to play with?"
I think you hit the nail on the head.
Boys and their toys - and no one driving the bus at the DA's office, more like the inmates running the asylum.
I'm not buying that Fred that this is just a case of a gun buff wanting new toys. I think that Gallegos is obsessive about control and power.
he said in the article the following:
that they "would continue to face compromising health and safety risks when responding to criminal matters due to lack of proper equipment" - how are they compromised right now and in the past by not having assault weapons, vests and hollowpoint ammo?
These guys aren't the SWAT team, they are investigators to put together trials.
And just because the fruitcake in Mendo was just as whacked out as Gallegos is no justifcation for this lame waste of public funds.
I agree with Nick. Gags is just trying to protect marijuana growers. Stupid liberals.
Oh I get it now - DTF shows up at the drug house armed to take the meth freaks off our streets and they are met by Paul with his own special forces team to hold them abey.
So weird. Now the DA's office is full of tweakers.
Nick I am wondering why you are pro capitalist. I mean, usually people in your economic position see capitalism as a hindrance. You yourself cannot seem to get or hold a job, and not just in Humboldt, but anywhere. Are you really that retarded and mentally defective?
Yeah it is! And now they've got automatic weapons!
Nick, quick, put on your Superman costume and go down there and set Gags straight!
Yep, I tend to agree with Fred on this one. But there's also some kind of personal feud going on. Didn't Hislop just move from the sheriff's office under some cloud? Think I remember reading in the NCJournal that Gallegos agreed to take him on to prevent a public spat over Hislop's job performance. Looks to me like Hislop is the bad actor and Gallegos is the stooge.
Hislop was with Eureka P.D. He'd been there for many, many years. I'm not in the loop, but I suspect he saw a transfer to the D.A.'s office as an easy way to move up and an opportunity he didn't see coming as quick with Eureka P.D.
I can't say that for sure. Just guessing.
It would not have come at all at EPD and gallegos needed someone as morally bankrupt to do his bidding. So the bidding now is Gallegos' own special assault team.
This is the strangest thing I have ever heard.
Isn't it great?
Now with all those assault rifles we can call Gallegos the G-man!
Knock 'em dead, Paul!
Sounds perfectly normal. Are the right wingers actually opposed to our top law enforcement official having some guns? Seems like a shallow and silly argument at best. If some bad sh*t goes down at the courthouse, Paul needs to be ready to sling some lead, simple as that.
Some guns? AR-15 assault rifles that you and I can't buy. Why all of the sudden does the DA's investigators need all the guns and thousands of rounds of ammo? DA's investigators only real job is fetching exhibits for attorneys or picking up lunch to go for an attorney in trial. They do need pistols to protect themselves, and the DA's office on the 4th floor but assault rifles!
Me thinks Mr. Hislop has some grandiouse ideas and PVG can't deny his wishes. This will get interesting.
Good move Loretta.
Hey, guns are what America is all about.
This is about protecting our Freedoms! My brother Randall didn't die face down in the muck of the jungles of Vietnam so some pussyfooting DA would be denied his right to bear arms!!
Uhhh-Raaahh!!!!
Were bringing Justice to a whole new level!!!
Couldnt we just get them some Glock 45's with the 15+ clip? If you need an assault rifle, its time to call in the Sheriff for backup anyways.
Glock 45's are a good sidearm, but the G-man should be fully equipped for the exigencies of The New America.
Anyone who doesn't support our DA is a terrorist.
The crossing guards....shouldn't they be armed too? Someone get Garry Eagles on the line and get that budget approved, pronto!
The G-Man is like Keeanu Reeves in The Matrix. He's some brain dead surfer, who like Jesus is the only one able to save humanity, or in this case, the Humboldt County Courthouse. I say we arm him all to hell. I want to see him running upside down over the ceiling firing shots from his AR-15 in one hand and motioning to object with the other.
Go Paul Go!!!
Maybe he knows something we don't. Maybe he's prepareing for when Hillery is crowned, and he'll have to enforce the New 2nd amendment.
The real question is why NOW? What has occurred that would make the DA's investigators need assault rifles in their offices or in the courthouse cafateria? It's not like they go out on the street and arrest criminals. That's what the real cops do.
What a collossal waste of money and utterly disdainful of the public they purport to serve
The DAs office like most public agenciese are always complaining about thier budget is so tight blah blah blah . but All of the sudden they have plenty of money to spend on expensive automatic weapons.
That's cuz they finally got their priorities straight.
The AR15 is an excellant weapon. I've owned several. One for target shooting, one for varmit hunting. I believe that as a personal protection weapon it is unbeatable. The flap over gun control is beyond belief especially from the so called liberal crowd. Gun control in America,as most of us know it, started its rise in the Nixon era as an assult on the power and effectiveness of the Black Panther Party. Every Panther carried a shotgun with them and had they not most would have been beaten or killed. Other than when they were attacked the shotguns were never used. They did however accomplish their job. Well you can't have them up'ity blacks packing guns and actually protecting themselves so Nixon started on a path to limit guns and the rest is history as they say. 40 years ago when we could all carry our guns with great ease there was little to know gun crime. Today with all the gun control and feel good liberal enablers we're not to damn safe ,it seems. It's not such a terrible thing that Gags inspectors have AR15's. What's terrible is that responsible citizens are being restricted from AR15 ownership and the personal protection they may provide.
This has nothing to do with past racism or gun control. In California you cannot purchase an AR-15 as a private citizen.
The issue here, in my opinion, is why does the DA's Investigators need assault rifles. These guys wear a jacket and tie, seldom get out of the courthouse for anything other than lunch, personal business, or a meeting. When is the last time you read in the paper, any paper, of a DA's investigator arresting anybody? Unless of course they were tagging along with the cops or the drug enforcement task force. This goes beyond safety equipment. "there's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear" ....... for what it's worth!
"You can't help but wonder if this is just a case of a gun buff, or two, in the D.A.'s office wanting to have some new toys to play with" -- I concur, Fred!
Gun buff? Yes this is Hislop out of control and Paul going "yeah, yeah, yeah!"
Everybody told you guys that PG was bonkers but his handlers kept him to his script.
Frankly, I am laughing my ass off. You get the government you vote for and you guys are settled now with a balding incompetent paranoid narcissistic gun toting fruit cake.
As a tax payer I don't feel I should have to pick up the tab because some gun fetishist down at the DA's office has nuerotic fears about the size of his genitalia and wishes to project them upon the rest of the citizenry.
robash141. from what i read you (and other tax payers) are not paying for this. the money is from asset forfeiture, proceeds from taking money from druggies. so the druggies are paying for it. the real question is can't this extra money go to something more realistic and beneficial to the DA's office, the community, county?
I don't blame Paul for buying all those guns. How else is he supposed to protect himself from all you tree killing logger types running around causeing global warming and doing what ever you want.
Somebody ought to drug test the surfer dude.
If the Kalifornia AG can designate a semi auto AR15 as an "assault weapon", any male in the state can be arrested for possession of rape tools and any female for possession of hooker paraphernalia.
Do you have to display your ignorance so openly?
Aren't you the guy that claims to be a retired LASO deputy? If so tell me what PC code section defines the crime for " possession of rape tools " and "possession of hooker paraphernalia" ?
And since the early 60's when the manufacturers (Colt) described an AR-15 the AR stood for ASSAULT RIFLE. And anyone that knows jack shit about guns knows that.
Get Real buddy.
5:43PM: Since you are obviously unable to understand the use of irony I suggest you avail yourself of a dictionary for a definition of that term. Also I suggest you research the background of the AG designation of "assault" weapon which states "any firearm having three of the following characteristics: 1. a bayonet lug 2. a pistol grip 3. a thumb hole grip 4.a coolant shroud. 5. a threaded barrel able to accept a suppressor." Colt AR rifles were divided into two series in the early 60s. AR 15s were semi automatic (incapable of firing automatic and legal to own in 49 states) and AR 16 which were select fire either auto or semi auto (illegal for unlicensed individuals under the FEDERAL firearms act of 1934) With regard to "jack shit", sounds like he was valedictorian in your graduating class.
AR was originally not an acronym but an abbreviation. It was short for ArmaLite, as in the Fairchild ArmaLite corporation, the original designer and developer of AR-15s.
12:14 made some outstanding points that seems to have flown right over your head. Paul is out of control just like gun control. If a major disaster happens here I'll take care of my family myself. If the DA has AR 15's so should the general public
I can see where DA Investigators might want to carry a sidearm in some situations , after all they have to investigate crimes But whats the deal with all this Johnny Rambo/ Commando BS?. As far as I know it's not the Humboldt county DA's job to retake Fallujah. Its bad enough when the cops get carried away with this ridiculousness it but now people who aren't even real cops are getting a hankerin' for some urban combat.
6:31pm Eugene Stoner was the designer of the AR-15. Armalite manufactured some before Colt took over.
Where does the CAlifornia Penal Code mention an AR-16 ?
Robash141 is pretty much on point. I have no problem with real cops, in real cop cars having either automatic or semi automatic rifles. They will be trained and they will be the first ones to go to a bad scene, like when some nut job is shooting up his neighborhood with his grand Daddy's 30-30. .
10:53: To my knowledge (probably dated as the gun regs in CA change often) the Cal penal code does not mention the AR-16 as select fire weapons are rigorously regulated by federal law. AR-15s fall within CA "assault" weapon bans due to them having several of the COSMETIC characteristics defined by the AG as mentioned above. Your statement: "...they will be the first ones to go to a bad scene, like when some nut job is shooting up his neighborhood with his grand Daddy's 30-30. ." is WRONG. The first ones on the scenes that I have responded to were the victims and potential victims which the state insists MUST be disarmed.
6:26AM
Maybe you should seek some professional help? You seem very bitter.
No, 6:26 is simply saying it like it is.
Anon 12:08, The reason I approve of capitalism is that it is what will save our economy. Right now we have a system of mercantilism.
The reason I have difficulty is that I am too high functioning for dead end entry level jobs. I get bored easily and often alienate my co-workers due to my high level of intelligence.
Nick, a high level of intelligence? Is that why your mother used to call you a fucking retard and hit you with a grease covered spatula? You will amount to shit Barfo, because thats what you are.
Nick Bravo I think your high level of laziness is probably what alienates your co-workers.
6.26 you're a sick pud . Get professional help . You obviously have signifigant hang-ups about the size and firmness of your pee- pee thats why you have to obsess over guns and gunplay constantly as some sort of ersatz phallic excercise.
No Fred, you are wrong. The state has restrictive laws about assault weapons but they HAVE NOT disarmed the citizens. I have a 1/2 dozen firearms and nobody, including the State, is trying to take them from me. If you can't legally own a gun it's because you've done something wrong!
And Mr. Ex-laso the victim is already at the scene so .......
Thank you robash for your insightful and free psychological diagnosis and recommendation. Since it appears to be on a par with your assessment of the career situation in freight handling as well as other economic issues, I will pass on accepting it for now pending your obtaining a license to practice psychiatry.
3:15 PM: If one or more of your 1/2 dozen firearms qualifies as an "assault weapon" i.e ugly as defined by Senator Feinstein et al , you are already aware that you must have already registered it/them under the grandfather clause and may possess it/them only on your own property and a licensed firing range. In transporting it/them to and from the range you must notify "the law enforcement agency/ies having jurisdiction of the time and route you will take to and from said range". By the way, don't get caught trying to sell or give any of your firearms to a law abiding neighbor or relative without enlisting the agency of a state licensed firearm dealer and paying the necessary "fees". Heaven forbid that the state would attempt to deprive you of your firearms...YET. Oh, and thank you for making my point on the victims being the first on the scene of a shooting.
Howdy, Neighbors! Can you say S-i-e-g H-e-i-l?
I knew you could!
Now boys and girls, we're going to turn in all our guns to King Friday, and he will protect us! There's no need for us to be adults when The State is so generously eager to be our loving parent!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I Don't have any objections to people owning hunting rifles and shotguns or a six-shooter for home defense. I have a pistol myself (I actually prefer a nice razor sharp machete for home defense ) People who work at all night gas should probably have weapon at thier disposal.
However anyone who is so paranoid and obsseessed about possessing firearms and killing other people like Cyrillic boy that they have to go on wank, wank, wanking about it constantly . Have a big problem.
I understand about the second amemndment and all that stuff about having a well regulated milita but this guy is not a well regulated milita he's a sick paranoid freak with an unhealthy obsession just like a pedophile except he's obsessed with guns and killing instead of molesting little children
There is NO legitimate civilian use for an assualt rifle, period .the only use for them killing people.
I don't need professional credentials to spot a first-class weirdo.
robash continues to regale us with with his opinions on various subjects such as the evils of free enterprise and who should own what and under what circumstances. His opinions are probably shared by many and he is entitled to them. What he does not do is give us the facts on which he bases his opinions but instead attacks those of opposing opinions as being "weirdo, paranoid and obsessed" (using pejoratives which he obviously does not understand) even when they offer facts as the basis for their opposing views. He has written to local news media criticizing them for publishing opinions with which he does not agree in an apparent effort to have them silenced. One must ask just who is obsessed? Could it be he who confuses greek script with cyrillic?
Pogo, do you ever get dizzy or nauseous when you bounce up and down?
Cyrillic polytechnic , whatever.
It spells F-R-E-A-K in my language.
Aside from the cops and the military The only other people who have automatic weapons are criminals and potential criminals
I don't have to be Sigmund Freud to peg this dude who insists that he NEEDS to have automatic weapons is a weirdo.
I don't need to undertake a scientific study that generates reams and reams of empirical data to see that someone who NEEDS to have automatic weapons is paranoid.
I don't need to have a fellowship from the national academy of science to see that who feels that they NEED to have automatic weapons is obsessed .
It's called critical thinking,you shoud try it sometime Bravo.
Heres some empirical evidence for you: All these nuts who go on shooting rampages and kill scores of people. It turns out that they were all obssessed with firearms.
I would no sooner want this guy living near me than I would want a pedophile living in my neighborhod.
He's the one who might flip out and shoot up the place.
I repeat , there is no legitimate civilian use for automatic weapons. None. period.
robash,
Who is expressing a "need" for "automatic" weapons?
Q. Why do you feel the need to erect a straw man?
A. Because you have no facts, only ignorant opinions generated by your collectivist dogmas.
Get A Life!
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!!
Oh yeah? Well ΟΜΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ ΜΛΩΛΑ ΛΩΜΛ!!
There is such a proliferation of agenda driven reasearch these days. That the whole process is highly suspect.
The NRA or some like-minded special interest lobby group can commission a "scientific study" to "prove" whatever crackpot notion it wants to "prove" The think tank pointy-heads it employs will come up with the conlusions that the people who write the check demand of them.
I'm sure theres an NRA commissioned study out there somewhere that concludes that we would all be Soooooo much safer if we were allowed to position 105 mm howitzers in our living rooms and scorch would-be burgelars with white phosphorus if they attempt a break in.
Since he is "sure", maybe robass can cite one of the NRA "studies" for us?
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