S.C. Sheriff's Department Armored Vehicle with Belt-Fed Machine Gun, page 2

As DNC host Denver PD had at its disposal federal funds for convention security Denver City council did not get the opportunity to oversee the purchases made by the department due to cash thresholds.

Many items being purchased by the city with the $50 million in federal tax dollars designated for security at the convention will not go before the city council for approval, because the city representatives are only allowed to approve $50,000 or more for equipment purchases, or $500,000 or more for contracts, and many of the contracts and purchases do not meet those thresholds. Even city council representative Doug Linkhart, chair of the city’s safety committee, acknowledged at the time that there would be things even he didn’t know about with convention purchases.
coloradoindependent.com...

The ACLU has filed a suit demanding disclosure.

ACLU Sues Denver Seeking Disclosure Of DNC-Related Purchases Of Police Equipment. In refusing the ACLU's request for documents earlier this year, the lawsuit says, a representative of Denver's Department of Safety asserted that disclosure "could potentially disclose tactical security information of the Denver Police Department which would be contrary to the public interest."

"We believe the public interest is served by disclosing how the government is spending the public's money," said John Culver, who is handling the case as an ACLU Cooperating Attorney.

Mark Silverstein, ACLU Legal Director added that "Denver's unjustified penchant for secrecy" has led to speculation and rumors about the nature of the equipment Denver is acquiring.

"I do not believe that the public records at issue here contain the kind of ‘tactical security information' that Denver is reluctant to disclose," said Mark Silverstein, ACLU Legal Director. "Even if the requested documents did contain such information, the Colorado legislature addressed this issue in a 2005 amendment to the open records laws. The statute states that ‘specialized details of security arrangements' can be deleted, but the remainder of the documents—the portions that reveal how the government is spending our money—must be disclosed." www.aclu.org...

A good point made by the ACLU involves the publics right to assurances that manufacturer safety guidelines are in fact being followed that instructional training has been provided to officers in the use of whatever “less lethal weapons” might possibly be purchased in secret.

Some might argue in favor of law enforcements need for such equipment they may or may not be right. What I find most disturbing is how reminiscent this is of the very thing going on right now with our economy. Vast sums of money no checks and balances leaving the door open for corruption.

Maybe I’m just not getting it but it seems apparent to me that branches of government with access to public funds want to conduct business within their ever-expanding budgets without any oversight.

I can’t imagine this county in SC needing this kind of vehicle this is overkill imo. It really makes me wonder what other types of military equipment we’ll see being purchased in "secret" by other departments. WTH where is all this money coming from?