SP at Logan with MP5 Submachine Guns!

P-14

P-14

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Yesterday, as I was waiting to check my bags at Jet Blue, Terminal C, two SP Troopers walk by the line in motorcycle garb: Boots, riding pants, and the Trooper MC-style hats on. What was different was that they were each carrying MP5s slung in front by single point slings. They were walking shoulder to shoulder with their right hands on the pistol grips and index fingers straight out ready to move to the triggers if needed.

The MP5s had 30-round banana mags doubled up on each with a mag doubler. They also had a funny barrel shroud that could have been over a silencer, but I wasn't sure. Skeleton stocks with thick butt pads (1-1.5").

This was the first time I've seen this at Logan! They must be ready for something!
 
And why is this shocking? It's the airport. Most logical place for shxt to go down. The police and other law enforcement are given the tools to do the job based on where they are assigned. silencers are a given.

Go to JFK. The national guard is in full gear, helmets included, and fully armed. Extra mags, drop leg holster, automatic rifle etc. There are always a bunch patrolling the terminals both before and after the security checkpoint.

It would be more shocking if they were just walking around with their duty pistol.
 
yeah this is old news. hell, ive seen cops in belmont walking around town showing off their M4 assault rifles. i think it was something that bush enacted that allows municipal and state police to carry military assault weapons. (and also allows wiretapping, internet activity monitoring and surveillance without warrants or probable cause). The government is getting too big, but thats not the topic of conversation on this thread so i'll shut up.
 
Peicemaker said:
yeah this is old news. hell, ive seen cops in belmont walking around town showing off their M4 assault rifles. i think it was something that bush enacted that allows municipal and state police to carry military assault weapons. (and also allows wiretapping, internet activity monitoring and surveillance without warrants or probable cause). The government is getting too big, but thats not the topic of conversation on this thread so i'll shut up.
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Were they really M4s? or just AR-15s? Most PDs don't have happy switches on their guns, although in many cases, PDs do use SBRs for patrol rifles.

-Mike
 
Palladin said:
old news.
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Indeed. As in 2002.

http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/loga10092002.htm

Submachine guns at Logan Anti-terrorism force to beef up

by Doug Hanchett
Wednesday, October 9, 2002


State police will soon be armed to the teeth while patrolling Logan International Airport, carrying submachine guns in an effort to deter would-be terrorists from launching another attack from Boston's runways.


In their quest to make Logan impenetrable to a follow-up terrorist strike, Massport officials have agreed to spend about $65,000 to arm Logan's special anti-terrorist strike force with a cache of HK MP-5s.

The semiautomatic weapons, which will be delivered early next year, could be slung over the shoulders of select troopers as early as next spring. And Maj. Tom Robbins, the head of Troop F, says the powerful 9mm guns won't be locked away in a storage cabinet waiting for some worst-case scenario to unfold.
Click to expand...
 
MACGYVR said:
And why is this shocking? It's the airport. Most logical place for shxt to go down. The police and other law enforcement are given the tools to do the job based on where they are assigned. silencers are a given.
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Should they be at the malls and schools instead, I hear that's really where the 'shxt' goes down. [sad]
 
P-14:

I agree, it's a little disturbing when you first see something like that. Most people are used to seeing a cop on the beat in non-military type uniforms wearing only a sidearm and with perhaps a shotgun in a dash-mount in the car. The cop with the MP5SD isn't exactly the picture most of us had when we grew up picturing the friendly neighborhood cop.

That being said, as much as I don't like the militarization of the police, Airports and other extremely crowded places are PRIME terrorist targets. Those are places I really want the cops to be prepared to defend. And that means full-auto weapons. FWIW, in the 70s and 80s when the Bader Meinhoff was doing their thing, all the cops near airports in Germany were carrying SMGs. We've just been lucky enough til 9/11/01 that it seemed un-needed.
 
So what? It's been that way in Europe since the late 80's. Not uncommon to see troops in full commando garb w/automatic weapons at any major EU airport. Europe has been a lot closer to terrorism than the US for some time. I agree, it will take some getting used to, but this is the new reality, now that the US is the new target.

What is different is the attitude and treatment the MA SP offer the subjects, vs. the behavior of the EU counterparts. Much more professional and polite overseas. they still have much to learn.
 
drgrant said:
Were they really M4s? or just AR-15s? Most PDs don't have happy switches on their guns, although in many cases, PDs do use SBRs for patrol rifles.

-Mike
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I asked one of the the cops about it. Although he wouldnt comment on the exact make and model of the rifle he did say it was a select fire full/semi AR. Either a CAR-15 or an M4, i would say. I thought i saw a colt emblem on the receiver too...
 
Friday said:
So what? It's been that way in Europe since the late 80's. Not uncommon to see troops in full commando garb w/automatic weapons at any major EU airport. Europe has been a lot closer to terrorism than the US for some time. I agree, it will take some getting used to, but this is the new reality, now that the US is the new target.

What is different is the attitude and treatment the MA SP offer the subjects, vs. the behavior of the EU counterparts. Much more professional and polite overseas. they still have much to learn.
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Agreed. I was very impressed with the professionalism of the airport police at Zurich.
 
The first time I ever saw cops with SMGs at an airport was Frankfurt International in 1979.
 
1987 at Zurich. Police inside the airport worked in pairs, each with a subgun. Police outside of the terminals had assault rifles.
 
sf3pox1 said:
First time to Logan since 9/11?
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Very old news. You don't see it all that often, but it's not new. Remember that girl from MIT that had some sort of stupid thing on her shirt? The MSP almost popped her with an MP-5, or a couple IIRC.

Although there are other possible places for a terrorist attack, by far the most likely is an airport.
 
JuergenG said:
Over here we see them since many years.
Every one out of two officers on patrol carries an MP5.
I like them to be there showing an armed presence.
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Ahhh yes. The German police are a little different. I can remember clearly, in 1999 at Frankfurts airport, a officer walking on patrol with his hand on the pistol grip and his thumb switching the MP5 from safe to burst to auto and back again. I thought it was strange [rofl]
 
If ya really want a wake up call, try flying out of Ben-Gurion a few times. They had guys with Uzis at the rotary going into the airport, and if they didn't like the looks of your car, you were drawn upon, and better pull over- fast. There's enough firepower walking around tel Aviv to make most of us weep out loud in envy.
 
mikem317 said:
How can SMG-equipped troopers prevent an on-board hijacking? Just sayin'.
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They're more there in case some people try to shoot up the terminal or something. That said, despite all the pictures of these guys carrying MP5s I've seen, I've never actually seen them. The only MSP people I ever see at logan are the guys yelling at traffic or people taking too long to load or unload. [laugh]

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
They're more there in case some people try to shoot up the terminal or something. That said, despite all the pictures of these guys carrying MP5s I've seen, I've never actually seen them. The only MSP people I ever see at logan are the guys yelling at traffic or people taking too long to load or unload. [laugh]

-Mike
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Maybe it's just at the International Terminal (Terminal E?) I saw them twice, March 2009 and April 2009. Last time I was at Logan.

They were physically inside the terminal in the lobby. I believe the first case it was a group of four. The other time it was two troopers.

It's definitely police-statish if you ask me. Perhaps a predictable byproduct of American interventionism abroad.
 
mikem317 said:
How can SMG-equipped troopers prevent an on-board hijacking? Just sayin'.
Click to expand...
There have been plenty of terrorist attacks (and a couple failed attacks) on airports and terminals. It just makes sense to prepare to repel such an attack, and trying to make a 50 yard shot across a terminal with a pistol is a recipe for failure.

Munich, 1970
Rome, 1973
Rome & Vienna, 1985
Seoul, 1986
Reus, 1996
Los Angeles, 1999
Srinagar, 2001
Los Angeles, 2002
Glasgow, 2007
Islamabad, 2007

drgrant said:
despite all the pictures of these guys carrying MP5s I've seen, I've never actually seen them.
Click to expand...
I have.
 
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Yes, nothing new to those that have travel all over the place. However if they were shoulder to shoulder they are making a very big tactical mistake. They need to put some distance between each other. In the UK this is common, officers walk together but one at each side of the corridor they are walking in.
 

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