NOBODY TURNS DOWN free government stuff, not even here in the land of voters frowning upon waste, debt, deficits and such. Probably barely even crossed minds to wonder where the funds came from for the $256,000 Lenco Bearcat given outright to the Floyd County Police Department via homeland security dollars. Something else bought with money borrowed from China?

This new tool for the SWAT forces — let’s call it what it is, an armored forcible intrusion vehicle — isn’t just for Floyd, of course. It is to be on call for anything terrorism or armed standoff related anywhere in Northwest Georgia. Let’s hope it remains parked with its bulletproof prowess at battering its way into buildings or injecting them with tear gas never needed.

This is part of a national trend to beef up what used to be policing and now increasingly is seen as first response in domestic urban violence situations.

Given the general state of the world and the fearful mood it has created in many citizens, this is all understandable. Our police forces are likely the best to handle any situations arising locally as they are hometown residents themselves, which may result in more restraint in pulling triggers upon neighbors than if an outside response team were brought in.

Still, $256,000 for something all local taxpayers probably hope stays garaged until it rusts to dust? Guess this only proves what most already know: insurance policies can cost a heck of a lot of money. One buys medical, home and so forth varieties with similar full hope/expectation of never needing them.