Machine guns, like armored personnel carriers or tanks, used to be thought of as military weapons, not part of the arsenal of local law enforcement. The request by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department to county commissioners to purchase four machine guns that can be mounted on boats, vehicles or airplanes shows how the world of law enforcement has changed since Sept. 11, 2001.

Deputy Chief Rob Hobs of the Sheriff’s Department said the M240B machine guns will be used when deputies perform an escort or when a threat exists. The guns, which are the same type weapon used by the U.S. Coast Guard, will be mounted on new boats purchased with a grant for about $1.3 million and $300,000 in matching funds from the county.

The waterways in Southeast Texas and the petrochemical and other plants that line them are vital to the U.S. energy supply, and must be protected. We hope that as local law enforcement supplements the work of the Coast Guard and other federal agencies charged with protecting the homeland, attention and resources aren’t diverted from their other important law enforcement duties.