I admit up front that I have not had the time to research this as thoroughly as I would like. I will also admit that a book written by someone formerly from the liberal Huffington-Puffington Post should be suspect simply due to those credentials. However, he does make some good points that agree with observations I have been making, especially watching the coverage of the warrentless searches by highly militarized LEOs in the immediate aftermath of the Boston Bombing.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
In a troubling new book called Rise of the Warrior Cop, Balko tackles a subject of growing controversy in communities across the United States: the militarization of police forces. Drones, enormous armored transports, Army-issued helicopters — equipment manufactured for and used by the U.S. military in times of war is finding its way more and more into the SWAT teams of police departments across the country.
"This is just gear that was not designed for use in a civilian, domestic environment. It was designed for use on a battlefield," Balko says. "When you put on garb that was designed for a soldier to wear, it can and often does give you the mentality of a soldier or encourage you to assume that mentality."
Here is a link to the article:
In Rise of the Warrior Cop, Radley Balko tackles the dangers of militarized police units run amok on U.S. soil | City Limits | Nashville Scene
Here is an excerpt from the article:
In a troubling new book called Rise of the Warrior Cop, Balko tackles a subject of growing controversy in communities across the United States: the militarization of police forces. Drones, enormous armored transports, Army-issued helicopters — equipment manufactured for and used by the U.S. military in times of war is finding its way more and more into the SWAT teams of police departments across the country.
"This is just gear that was not designed for use in a civilian, domestic environment. It was designed for use on a battlefield," Balko says. "When you put on garb that was designed for a soldier to wear, it can and often does give you the mentality of a soldier or encourage you to assume that mentality."
Here is a link to the article:
In Rise of the Warrior Cop, Radley Balko tackles the dangers of militarized police units run amok on U.S. soil | City Limits | Nashville Scene