"Hypermilitarized police departments are more dangerous than whatever they fight."

[hatt]

Historians looking back at this period in America’s development will consider it to be profoundly odd that at the exact moment when violent crime hit a 50-year low, the nation’s police departments began to gear up as if the country were expecting invasion — and, on occasion, to behave as if one were underway.

The Right’s silence on the issue is vexing indeed, the admirable attempts of a few libertarians notwithstanding.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articl...rles-c-w-cooke

[hatt]

Massachusetts SWAT teams claim they’re private corporations, immune from open records laws

Some of these LECs have also apparently incorporated as 501(c)(3) organizations. And it’s here that we run into problems. According to the ACLU, the LECs are claiming that the 501(c)(3) status means that they’re private corporations, not government agencies. And therefore, they say they’re immune from open records requests.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/t...-records-laws/

[Irish]

The baby getting a flash bang grenade thrown into it's crib is heartbreaking.

[ABNAK]

If I were chief of a local popo department I would immediately institute the following (funds allowing of course):

1) No more fatigues, no more bloused pants in boots.

2) Button-down "dress" style shirt with no sewn-on name tags. Departmental patch allowed on sleeve, all other accoutrements would be shiny badge and nameplate. Kind of an Adam-12 look.

3) All windows of cruisers would be untinted; if the state prevents regular citizens from having excessive tint then you're not special. The "intimidation" factor needs to be flushed out.

4) Long gun (AR) allowed in trunk of cruiser, otherwise it's sidearm and shotgun only for public view.

5) I would personally review any complaints of untoward behavior. Unnecessary dog shootings would be a pet peeve (yeah, I'm serious).

6) All officers would be very aware of the fact that courtesy is paramount and that yes, you do indeed work for these folks, criminals notwithstanding.

7) Officers appearing to be or reported as being a little too "gung-ho" would have their heels locked in my office the first time, suspended the next.

8) Any tac-team would be on a short leash. You're not in Fallujah or Ramadi. Warrants served by such would be triple-checked for accuracy and scrutinized for proper action.

9) If I heard the word "civilian" used in regards to the public you'd be shit-canned on the spot. It's a mindset focus, not an exercise in semantics. Eliminate the "us versus them" mentality.



An environment and/or culture change would need to be cultivated and would not happen overnight. The arrogance often associated with cops would have to be bred out, or at least made to be non-politically correct in my department. The simplest way to put it would be this: while all the criminals are citizens, all citizens are not criminals and therefore suspicion (not a healthy suspicion, the automatic type) should be applied conservatively.

Perhaps, like the DoD is often headed by someone who wasn't a military man, PD's might want to consider putting non-LEO citizens in charge. Someone rising from within the ranks with an attitude and salty chip on their shoulders would no doubt reflect that and condone it on the part of his officers.

[graffex]

Agree with everything posted in here. All extremely valid and good points. In before the mindless "nothing is wrong with police in this country, you guys are just police bashers" and the thread get closed down.

[TehLlama]

Agree with everything posted in here. All extremely valid and good points. In before the mindless "nothing is wrong with police in this country, you guys are just police bashers" and the thread get closed down.

The issue with these has always been leadership, and it always turns into that sort of mindless bashing if capability isn't significantly distinguished from leadership and implementation.

[MarkG]

Great article in the Economist on this very subject.

Paramilitary Police

[hatt]

This "incorporating" nonsense is very concerning. First I've ever heard of such a thing.

[Moose-Knuckle]

There has defiantly been a “militarization” of domestic law enforcement over the last several decades. What is more concerning to me however are the Executive Orders that have been signed into law by multiple Presidents across both sides of the political aisle that once enacted will suspend the Constitution and morph the United States into a perpetual Police State. The infrastructure is being put in place and when one peeks behind the curtain and learns of the COG plans that are already on the books its not hard to see where all this is going.




I ran across this just the other day (not to derail the thread on yet another MRAP discussion).

[bighawk]

I was in a class the other taught by one of the metro swat guys and he used the word "operator" when talking about his team mates multiple times.

It took a lot of effort to keep my opinion on that to myself.