By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The actions of police officers in Ferguson, Mo., during recent unrest — and their use of  heavy-armored trucks and military-style equipment, including assault rifles — have spurred a national debate about the militarization of local law enforcement agencies.

St. Louis County’s top police officer Col. Jon Belmar said Tuesday the equipment helped keep civilians and law enforcement officers safe.

The vice president of Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police Ed Howell agreed. Howell is also director of police for Fort Hays State University.

“We need to make sure that we have the tools to confront with what we’re being confronted with,” Howell said. “Just because we acquired that equipment through the military doesn’t mean it’s a militarization of the civilian police department.

“It’s a ‘measured response,’ ” he added.

“You’ve got a proliferation of guns in general in society. If you analyze the data, especially from the Department of Justice, an active shooter often has an assault rifle. So, you have to match what you’re possibly going to be confronted with, using a measured response dependent on the event.”

Howell also explained how his law enforcement department and others are “being good stewards with the money that we’re provided” by purchasing military equipment.

“If I used my (FHSU) budget, tax-generated or fee-generated, and I buy that tool — that rifle — at open market, it’s going to cost me a minimum of $1,000. If I get it through federal surplus (Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Program), I can get it for $81 — a big difference.”

When three groups of protesters were on the FHSU campus during last May’s commencement ceremony, campus police officers were not brandishing assault rifles. Those were left in patrol vehicles.

“We had a protest group from Fred Phelps (Westboro Church in Topeka) and two more counter-protest groups. Did we break out the assault rifles? No,” Howell said with a frown.

“Again, it’s a measured response.”