WSJ Article - Rise of the Warrior Cop - the militarization of police

[beaker]

Rise of the Warrior Cop
Is it time to reconsider the militarization of American policing?

Yes, I think so. Given the corruption level of local, state and federal governments I definitely think so.

What say you all?

Pretty good article, worth a read, and mainstream...

The number of raids conducted by SWAT-like police units has grown accordingly. In the 1970s, there were just a few hundred a year; by the early 1980s, there were some 3,000 a year. In 2005 (the last year for which Dr. Kraska collected data), there were approximately 50,000 raids.

A number of federal agencies also now have their own SWAT teams, including the Fish & Wildlife Service, NASA, the Consumer Products Safety Commission and the Department of the Interior. In 2011, the Department of Education's SWAT team bungled a raid on a woman who was initially reported to be under investigation for not paying her student loans, though the agency later said she was suspected of defrauding the federal student loan program.

Now Why the **** does the consumer products safety commisison and the Department of Education need SWAT teams? Jeebus...

 

[Duece]

Don't know about anyone else, I believe we have allowed it to go too far in militarizing our civilian police force

 

[ivarr]

Now Why the **** does the consumer products safety commisison and the Department of Education need SWAT teams? Jeebus...

for the upcoming declaration of martial law coming soon to a neighborhood near you

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Now Why the **** does the consumer products safety commisison and the Department of Education need SWAT teams? Jeebus...

Symbol of power and authority - same reason federal LEOs whose need for a defensive sidearm barely, if at all, exceeds that of a member of the general public (think poultry inspectors).

 

[Stryker]

The NASA SWAT team - Im sure they see a lot of action.

 

[goodlife30]

Nothing like a vet and his pistol to fend off a fully armed SWAT Team. Probably easier to call him on the phone next time.

 

[Tackdriver VillenTactical]

Most of these are not SWAT like LAPD SWAT, they are a group of officers together for serving warrants and the like. I suspect if an agency called its warrant team SWAT then they get Federal and state grants. (Like community policing grants, which a department won't get if they don't have a community policing entity.)

If every time a warrant is served by a team that is designated SWAT (even though they are not SWAT in the traditional sense) that gets counted for a SWAT raid even though it is far from one.

Dave

 

[GunGrey]

just saying

what do you expect when we have ex military becoming police officers?

 

[ochmude]

Nothing like a vet and his pistol to fend off a fully armed SWAT Team. Probably easier to call him on the phone next time.

Who do you think is on those SWAT teams? Several of our recent academy classes consisted of 100% veterans.

 

[MaverickNH]

Turns out I'm reading that book right now. The WSJ article is a very good synopsis.

Having taken the "Responsible Firearms Ownership/Use of Force" seminar by the BLUE-U SWAT/LEO team from Jaffrey, NH, I became more interested in how law enforcement has evolved into a paramilitary arm of the government. NES was featured in their blog as the kind of people that give a bad name to responsible gun owners. Their department was one that got an armored vehicle to play with on SWAT maneuvers.

BTW - has anyone non-LEO walked into the LEO Supply building behind Riley's in Hooksett, NH? It's a private business, so that's their choice, I guess. My choice is to go to Shooters Outpost.

 

[Woodstone]

Great read...some notes...

Department of Education's SWAT team bungled a raid on a woman who was initially reported to be under investigation for not paying her student loans.

In 2006, 38-year-old optometrist Sal Culosi was shot and killed by a Fairfax County, Va., SWAT officer. The investigation began when an undercover detective overheard Mr. Culosi wagering on college football games with some buddies at a bar.

For sheer absurdity, it is hard to beat the 2006 story about the Tibetan monks who had overstayed their visas while visiting America on a peace mission. In Iowa, the hapless holy men were apprehended by a SWAT team in full gear.

Really...raided for not paying loads...sh!t bag, yes, but raided?

Raided for wagering with some buddies?

Monks on a peace mission?

WAY overboard.

 

[goodlife30]

Who do you think is on those SWAT teams? Several of our recent academy classes consisted of 100% veterans.

Well poor showing by the "veterans" on the SWAT Team. So they kick down this guys door in the middle of the night wearing body armor, each armed with flash bangs, rifles, pistols, and probaby some other tatcial toys and a guy wearing underwear grabs his 9mm and sends six to the hospital. I have found that there are two types of veterans, those that actually fought and those that had 3 year deployments (paid vacations) to places such as San Diego and Europe. I think the three year vacationers met the solider from Iraq and it showed.

 

[taz-2005]

It's funny that cops for,the most part, look down on wannabe's then they go around wishing they were SEALS or Delta Force.

I remember growing up in the 80's and everyone liked and knew the local cops. The county sheriffs, Cook County in this case, were always known as the *******s and "tough guys". The locals never liked the counties.

Now a days they all wear BDU's and seem quick to exert their authority, gone is the friendly local image. IMO anyway.

 

[TOM1960]

Don't know about anyone else, I believe we have allowed it to go too far in militarizing our civilian police force

Army was selling M16 and M14 rifles to campus police departments and privately-owned RR police departments in MA? How do I know? I was there! Privately owned RR police departments can possess government issued full-auto weapons. Insane, eh?

 

[Brezzy]

Don't know about anyone else, I believe we have allowed it to go too far in militarizing our civilian police force

We absolutely have done. The worst part for is what an absolute waste of money it is. We shouldn't be spending $50B a year in all of this stuff police departments are most likely never going to need when the country has a deficit of around a trillion dollars.

 

[Hush]

BTW - has anyone non-LEO walked into the LEO Supply building behind Riley's in Hooksett, NH? It's a private business, so that's their choice, I guess. My choice is to go to Shooters Outpost.

Yes, many times. And made a few purchases. Never been asked where I worked, or had a problem. Nothing too exciting. Duty holsters, uniform items, expensive body armor. Give it a look sometime, not that mysterious.

 

[Kaldone]

BTW - has anyone non-LEO walked into the LEO Supply building behind Riley's in Hooksett, NH? It's a private business, so that's their choice, I guess. My choice is to go to Shooters Outpost.

I asked them about that they said anyone is welcome back there.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Army was selling M16 and M14 rifles to campus police departments and privately-owned RR police departments in MA? How do I know? I was there! Privately owned RR police departments can possess government issued full-auto weapons. Insane, eh?

Yes, but RR PDs could not get >10 round mags from 1994-2004 since their officers were not govt employees or guarding nuclear material. I saw the request from an RR pd and the ATF denial letter.

 

[TOM1960]

Yes, but RR PDs could not get >10 round mags from 1994-2004 since their officers were not govt employees or guarding nuclear material. I saw the request from an RR pd and the ATF denial letter.

Excuse me? Our guys got 20 round M14 magazines and 15 round Glock 22 .40 S&W magazines. I was responsible for providing the accounting codes (journal entry numbers) and doing the journal entries for the receipts. They also got .40 S&W ammo and hi-cap mags for no federal or state excise tax. Once again, I did the journal entries. I did this from 1989 through my layoff date of 2013. I know better than most, believe me!

 

[PineTar]

Here's a longer excerpt:

?Why did you shoot me? I was reading a book?: The new warrior cop is out of control - Salon.com

 

[Navy Moose]

Consumer Product Safety Commisson needs a SWAT team? NASA deals with sensitive items and would be a target for foreign countries. CPSC, do they even serve criminal warrants? Middlesex County Sheriff has an MRAP, I do not like any police agency having that kind of hardware.