Just a little police bashing.

[thundley4]

Bonobo   (1000+ posts)           Sat Jun-26-10 03:25 AM
Original message
Our Militarized Police Departments
   
Our Militarized Police Departments


Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Crime

http://reason.com/archives/2007/07/02/our-militarized-p...

We’re not talking just about computers and office equipment. Military-grade semi-automatic weapons, armored personnel vehicles, tanks, helicopters, airplanes, and all manner of other equipment designed for use on the battlefield is now being used on American streets, against American citizens.

Academic criminologists credit these transfers with the dramatic rise in paramilitary SWAT teams over the last quarter century.

SWAT teams were originally designed to be used in violent, emergency situations like hostage takings, acts of terrorism, or bank robberies. From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, that’s primarily how they were used, and they performed marvelously.

But beginning in the early 1980s, they’ve been increasingly used for routine warrant service in drug cases and other nonviolent crimes. And thanks to the Pentagon transfer programs, there are now a lot more of them.

But when you’re dealing with nonviolent drug offenders, paramilitary police actions create violence instead of defusing it. Whether you’re an innocent family startled by a police invasion that inadvertently targeted the wrong home or a drug dealer who mistakes raiding police officers for a rival drug dealer, forced entry into someone’s home creates confrontation. It rouses the basest, most fundamental instincts we have in us – those of self-preservation – to fight when flight isn’t an option.

Peter Kraska, a criminologist at the University of Eastern Kentucky, estimates we’ve seen a startling 1,500 percent increase in the use of SWAT teams in this country from the early 80s until the early 2000s. And the vast majority of these SWAT raids are for routine warrant service.

These violent raids on American homes, when coupled with the imperfect, often ugly methods used in drug policing, have set the stage for disturbingly frequent cases of police raiding the homes not only of recreational, nonviolent drug users, but the homes of people completely innocent of any crime at all.

Take a look at the map on the monitor (http://www.cato.org/raidmap ). This is a map of the botched paramilitary police raids I found while researching a paper for the Cato Institute last summer. It is by no means inclusive. It only includes those cases for which I was able to find a newspaper account or court record. Based on my research, I’m convinced that the vast majority of victims of mistaken raids are to afraid, intimidated, embarrassed, or concerned about retaliation to report what happened to them.

 Lots of police bashing.

USArmyParatrooper   (429 posts)           Sat Jun-26-10 04:05 AM
Response to Reply #3
5. Do you have examples of equipment that killed innocent people
   
that would not have resulted from a pistol? High powered rifles are far more accurate at close range and long distances.

The noob defends the police. Makes me wonder if he believes in reincarnation.  It's a fair sized bonfire.

[Gratiot]

I believe that Reason magazine recently wrote an illuminating article on the startling increased usage of para-military SWAT teams.  There is some very justifiable reasons to bash police forces for how they're utilizing SWAT teams now.  Granted, the police are not the enemy, they're just normal people.   

[thundley4]

I believe that Reason magazine recently wrote an illuminating article on the startling increased usage of para-military SWAT teams.  There is some very justifiable reasons to bash police forces for how they're utilizing SWAT teams now.  Granted, the police are not the enemy, they're just normal people.   

I think SWAT teams may be overused, but it is because the force wants to show that it is needed.  They have to do that to keep funding.

[Gratiot]

I think SWAT teams may be overused, but it is because the force wants to show that it is needed.  They have to do that to keep funding.

Agreed, and that leads police forces down a very slippery slope IMHO. 

[AllosaursRus]

For the most part, the increase is do to our guys on the street being outgunned by Mexican Drug Cartels.

I know that's a pretty simple answer, but it is also the frikkin' truth!

****in' DUmmies would rather see our officers killed than see them protect themselves. Makes me want to know where they live so I could deliver a personal smack down!

ETA:

I know quite a few cops, many by their first names in three states. I see where there are those here debating the increased use of SWAT. Ya want to know how many calls these guys go on that sound like a domestic or a outstanding warrant and get met with firepower they can't deal with? Especially if the last name is of Latino descent!

Arizona is not the only place the local establishments are noticing an upgrade in armament with criminals.

[Vagabond]

Al, I'm of the opinion that if a gun is used during the commission of the crime, even the criminal just mentioning that they have a gun, then they should get the gallows.

That being said, the instances of overuse of tactical entry teams is disturbing.  I'm also not interested in excuses when a SWAT team kicks down a door, shoots the family pet, and then proceeds to handcuff the entire family including the kids, then ransack the house, if they haven't actually managed to shoot somebody only to discover they raided the wrong house, then threaten the homeowner with arrest for non-cooperation of he complains about it.   

Police departments are dangerous tools, and at current they are not always properly constrained.

[PatriotGame]

For the most part, the increase is do to our guys on the street being outgunned by Mexican Drug Cartels.

I know that's a pretty simple answer, but it is also the frikkin' truth!

****in' DUmmies would rather see our officers killed than see them protect themselves. Makes me want to know where they live so I could deliver a personal smack down!

ETA:

I know quite a few cops, many by their first names in three states. I see where there are those here debating the increased use of SWAT. Ya want to know how many calls these guys go on that sound like a domestic or a outstanding warrant and get met with firepower they can't deal with? Especially if the last name is of Latino descent!

Arizona is not the only place the local establishments are noticing an upgrade in armament with criminals.

Precisely!
The increase in police force is a direct result of the increase of criminal resistance. The DUmmys try to make it out like a 67 year-old hippie, is sitting in his hovel, sucking on his bong, peacefully, when the pigs kick the door down with "guns-a-blazing"!

[Gratiot]

Precisely!  The increase in police force is a direct result of the increase of criminal resistance. The DUmmys try to make it out like a 67 year-old hippie, is sitting in his hovel, sucking on his bong, peacefully, when the pigs kick the door down with "guns-a-blazing"!

Unfortunately, many see the statistics as not falling in line with that train of thought.  I'm pretty sure Reason magazine, John Stossel, and Stephen Levitt have all pointed out that the statistics of SWAT usage is a direct result of how funding is handled rather than an increase of criminal resistance. 

Even more unfortunately, there's more than just a few incidents where essentially the situation you've described has happened. 

[PatriotGame]

Unfortunately, many see the statistics as not falling in line with that train of thought.  I'm pretty sure Reason magazine, John Stossel, and Stephen Levitt have all pointed out that the statistics of SWAT usage is a direct result of how funding is handled rather than an increase of criminal resistance. 

Even more unfortunately, there's more than just a few incidents where essentially the situation you've described has happened. 

Yea - bullshit!


Keep telling yourself that - stay stuck on stupid...

[AllosaursRus]

Unfortunately, many see the statistics as not falling in line with that train of thought.  I'm pretty sure Reason magazine, John Stossel, and Stephen Levitt have all pointed out that the statistics of SWAT usage is a direct result of how funding is handled rather than an increase of criminal resistance.  

Even more unfortunately, there's more than just a few incidents where essentially the situation you've described has happened.  

Yeah? Okay tell that to the loved ones of these officers!

Honoring Officers Killed in the Line of Duty 2010 This is just the first 6 months!!!!!!!!!


ETA:

Check out how many are by vehicular assault and gunfire, then tell me again the criminals aren't better armed or just plain not respecting law enforcement!

[JohnnyReb]

Hey, I'm old enough to remember when black folks carried a razor and cut each other up....then they got equal rights and aquired some old guns and started shooting each other.....and then they got into selling drugs and got better weapons......and then started wars with rival gangs using fully automatic weapons.....and now they're equal with the white folks or maybe a little ahead....it's a civil right.

No joking here, the cops are just trying to keep up. The prisons and court system aren't taking bad people off the streets like they used too.