How Far the Kentucky State Police Have Fallen

At least it's not a fucking fighter jet.

But no: there is zero, zip, nada, none reason for KSP to have a Lear Jet.

Even if it were donated by some idiot billionaire (redundant, I know), it's still gotta be gassed up and maintained by the Kentucky taxpayers who have far bigger needs on our plate.

But it's far, far worse than an idiot billionaire: it's our idiot Pentagon.

The Kentucky State Police has added a 1984 Learjet 35 to its aircraft fleet.

A news release from the state police said there is "no up-front cost" to the state in acquiring a former U.S. Air Force jet, valued at $1 million, through a military surplus program.

Justice and Public Safety Secretary J. Michael Brown said in a news release that the state will incur some costs to convert the plane from military to civilian use. The state must pay for navigation and radio systems, inspections and pilot training.

"By registering with the surplus program and moving quickly when this opportunity became available, state police was able to procure an asset that would have otherwise been impossible, but that will have significant long term benefits for the Commonwealth," Brown said.

The state police said the plane was acquired through a program of the Law Enforcement Support Office established by the U.S. Department of Defense through the Defense Logistics Agency.

It allows law enforcement agencies to obtain surplus military weapons, tactical vehicles, aircraft and other equipment for any bona fide law enforcement need at no cost, the state police said.

Yep, this is the same militarizing-the-police program that is destroying civilian law enforcement throughout the country, as chillingly documented in Radley Balko's book The Rise of the Warrior Cop.

Wonder why local cops are killing unarmed citizens in cold blood?  Because programs like this are turning public servants into special forces assholes who see everybody - even bedridden elderly people and disabled teenagers - as the enemy.

Shame on you, KSP: you used to be better than this.