Reply With QuoteThat's awesome. I pity the first DUI boater that runs from the DPS.
Texas Gets 6 Heavily Armored Boats to Patrol the Rio Grande
Texas Gets 6 Heavily Armored Boats to Patrol the Rio Grande
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbar...the_rio_grande
The black and white patrol vessels are equipped with advanced law enforcement technology, including multiple automatic weapons, ballistic shielding and night vision capabilities. All six patrol vessels are funded by the Texas Legislature and federal homeland security grants.
That's awesome. I pity the first DUI boater that runs from the DPS.
I just imagined that poor sod getting a warning shot of those machine guns in front of his boat. Guess he would need a new pair of pants afterwardsOriginally Posted by Laconian
I'm not sure what Texas DPS use of force policy is, but I can't think of a single law enforcement agency that fires "warning shots". As far as the boats go, it's old news. There was a thread posted on this, when it was first announced they planned to buy them, along with video from a couple of the local news stations.I just imagined that poor sod getting a warning shot of those machine guns in front of his boat. Guess he would need a new pair of pants afterwards
I am a bit upset though. We had trouble getting grant money to get new engines for our boat, and these guys are rockin 240's.
They go you an oar, at least, right?
I am a bit upset though. We had trouble getting grant money to get new engines for our boat, and these guys are rockin 240's.
One word....sweet!
Nope, we put both our boats in storage, and PD took over all marine patrol duties as they got a grant, and a new boat. Near the end, we couldn't afford overtime (there should have been q Lt., Sgt, and four deputies on the Marine Patrol), so things just faded away.
BOP still has warning shots in their UOF, for when folks stray too close to a fenceline.I'm not sure what Texas DPS use of force policy is, but I can't think of a single law enforcement agency that fires "warning shots". As far as the boats go, it's old news. There was a thread posted on this, when it was first announced they planned to buy them, along with video from a couple of the local news stations.
I am a bit upset though. We had trouble getting grant money to get new engines for our boat, and these guys are rockin 240's.
USSS also had it (late '90s, but that was years ago) to clear a crowd back from a protectee, but that may have changed.
Lastly, the Customs guys had warning shots for interdicting fast boats during the OPN Blue Lightining days. We were all under Treasury then so i don't know how much has changed. Those were the only one I knew of, Dom.
The PD I worked for had a marine unit, then the boat cops wrote a city commissioner a ticket and funding somehow got cut and cut again. Eventually the SO took it over. Shame. Would have been a super sweet gig.
Way back when I worked for the DOC, our "warning shots" were a less lethal rounds fired at anyone who needed to be shot. If you tried to go over the fence, you got 5.56 from an M-16A2. I used to love to hear inmates tell me that by law we had to fire a warning shot, and I'd explain the only warning you got was when the rules were explained to you when you got here. We had quite a few find out the hard way that they were wrong, including one idiot that got hit with buckshot (the female officer chose to use buck-shot instead of a "stinger" round), and while the idiot that hit was recovering, he told me me "I can't believe that b*tch actually shot me".
As far as the boats themselves go, it's going to be interesting to see how they're actually used, or what happens if they take fire from the Mexican side of the border.
Yeah, we had a lot of guys that liked being out on the water, I'm not one of them. I swim like a rock. I remember when the Lt. in charge of the unit said they had a spot open and asked me if I'd be interested in interviewing, I told him, I didn't swim that well. He's like, well that's not really an issue. I told him it was for me, so I'd have to pass.
Great story Dom! I can't compete.
Old news.
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...the-Rio-Grande
Also, among arms seized from drug cartels are .50 HMGs. If the Zetas set up an ambush of one of these boats with a couple M2HBs and maybe some Barretts, it could be really ugly.
I bet on the cops. Because it will be NOGOs in apaches if backup is needed.
I am unaware of any Apaches on standby. They would arrive hours after the engagement is over, if they were ever requested.
An ambush would be over in a couple minutes at most. The moment one of these boats starts taking fire, if the pilot is not hit, he is going to firewall the throttles and try to get the hell out of there while everyone else on the boat is trying to deliver suppressive fire. If the boat or pilot is disabled in the first moments of the ambush and they cannot get the boat heading out of the kill zone, they will be fvcked. .50HMGs would shred those boats and the officers manning them. If they have incendiary rounds, the gas tanks could go up in the first burst if they got a lucky hit.
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