It takes the NY Times to tell us what military equipment has been given to our Whatcom County police forces. As we watched the horrible police brutality and overreach in Ferguson, Missouri the past few days, communities all over the United States have become aware that their own police may have these outright war weapons.

Our own local daily newspaper has not told us - but the New York Times has. A great interactive map of all counties in the U.S. is posted for you to review. Some military equipment is with our sheriff and some with our Bellingham police.

Dick Conoboy addressed this issue in relation to the Bellingham police in an article on NWCitizen last year. Only one reader commented - showing little interest by citizens. Maybe Ferguson will wake us all up to the dangers of militarizing our police. Especially after the success of last night, Thursday night, when the local police were transferred out and the Missouri state police came in sans armour and no mounted machine guns and no armoured vehicles. All suddenly was civil last night.

- John Servais