Though the overwhelming demand from the residents of Urbana is to move their police department toward a less violent and more approachable and equitable service, the City seems to be gearing up for some unfriendly encounters with the public.
On January 22nd Lt. Jason Norton issued a purchase solicitation for riot helmets and gas masks. The request invited bidders to supply the following items:
- Quantity – (12) – Sirchie 906 Series Tac Elite EPR Polycarbonate Alloy Riot Helmet. Ten (10) will be in size Universal. Two (2) will be in size XL. Black in color. Helmet shall include detachable .150” face shield with liquid seal and Double D ring fastener.
- Quantity – (12) – Avon PC50 gas masks. Size Medium. Twenty four (24) CTCF50 Riot Agent filters for masks.
- Quantity – (3) – Armor Express Busch Protective AMP-1E Ballistic Helmets. Black in color. ACH High Cut. Aramid shell in NIJ IIIA armor. Size Large. Will include an advanced padding system, wheel-dial system and unique rail system.
- Quantity – (15) – Armor Express First Responder Bags. Black in color.
Norton’s purchase request included a copy of Urbana’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) form, which suggests that he expects bids may exceed $10,000. Bids are due by February 4th, and Norton wants the riot gear delivered to the Police Department within 30 days.
Check CU contacted Lt. Norton with questions about the purchase, but after three days, he has not returned a response. CU residents may recall Jason Norton’s highly contentious April 27th presentation on the Aleyah Lewis arrest.
The purchase of riot gear may not sit well with the public, and does not appear to be in-line with the desired direction for local law enforcement. During a January 11th presentation on Police Use of Force, the Urbana City Council and the public expressed great concern for the lack of de-escalation requirements. UPD Chief Bryant Seraphin’s Use of Force proposal was so lacking that, just three days ago, the Champaign County ACLU and NAACP joined forces to produce their own version of the policy.
The Urbana Police Department purchase solicitation can be seen here (click for full 12-page PDF):
To put this in perspective though, we are talking about a small number of these helmets – just 15, not 150. Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democracy, but, with the increasing presence of violent agents provocateurs, riot squads will be called out. Most people in Urbana will want their police officers to be appropriately protected.
Seems UPD already owns this type of equipment. It is not clear why they’re buying new gear. Determining who the “provocateurs” are typically just shows the analyst’s political ideology and it isn’t clear that Urbana has more responsibility to protect police officers at a protest than the protestors. Maybe we should just buy helmets for everyone?
The biggest question I have is if situations are more likely to turn violent if LEO are clad in riot gear. Perhaps the LEO are less afraid of a situation turning violent because they are so well protected. On the same page, perhaps “violent agents provocateurs” are more likely to use violence if LEO have the appearance of invincibility.
The most peaceful protest may very well be one where all the protestors and LEO are naked. No one wants to get into a fight at that level of vulnerability.
I think they tried that in the 60s. More (flower) power to them. 🙂
Determining who the “provocateurs” are is not difficult, unless video evidence is suppressed or doctored. Someone usually catches it on video. It’s the outside actors who show up to a peaceful, lawful, protest (wearing maga hats or brandishing antifa symbology, or whatever other costume depending on the gig du jour, or just trying to look anonymous and blend in, which they never succeed at) that they disrupt and hijack by hurling rocks, bottles, jumping on cars, etc. I’ve seen it happen. It’s a well worn tactic, nothing new. They’re there not for a peaceful protest, but to provoke the cops, escalate violence and chaos.
Determining who funds them is the question.