Thanks for the heads up Calico Jack!
When you have main stream military blogs like Black Five taking notice of the MRAP purchases then you know something is a bit "funny" (not ha ha funny, but curious funny). Quite honestly this story was big on the prepping blogs and talked about in that community last Sept.
But like I said. B5 and others are now becoming alarmed at what we saw long ago.
Note: The Team Leader refers to his guys as "Operators"...since when have SWAT Team Members been known as Operators? Militarization of Law Enforcement anyone? Not only militarization but they also consider themselves on par with Special Operations!
When you have main stream military blogs like Black Five taking notice of the MRAP purchases then you know something is a bit "funny" (not ha ha funny, but curious funny). Quite honestly this story was big on the prepping blogs and talked about in that community last Sept.
But like I said. B5 and others are now becoming alarmed at what we saw long ago.
Note: The Team Leader refers to his guys as "Operators"...since when have SWAT Team Members been known as Operators? Militarization of Law Enforcement anyone? Not only militarization but they also consider themselves on par with Special Operations!
Heck, when airsofters are buying gear that most SWAT teams would envy, are we surprised SWAT teams equip themselves like the military?
ReplyDeleteWe've been at war for 12 years in a 24/7 media infotainment where there is a lot of cultural carryover from the military and the aesthetics of it have been embraced by various elements of our society.
This is a marriage of convenience between a cash-starved military looking to dispose of hundreds of MRAPs and the increasingly militarized US law enforcement community.
While there are instances, though extremely rare, when such vehicles are needed e.g. NY, Ark and Dorner in Big Bear, having SWAT teams to execute warrants seems overkill and is a hold-over from the Drug Wars when agencies wanted to look effective in the face of the crack epidemic. It looks bad-ass and maybe your agency winds up on some cable reality tv show, but it is way too much capability in 99% of what they do.
what kills me is that we could be outfitting some African countries with those same MRAPs instead of humvees and they'd be kissing our feet thanking us for saving their soldiers lives.
Deleteinstead we're arming the police to conduct war against its citizens. your points about the war and the largest number of veterans in our nations history is also noteworthy but the militarizing police points to something else entirely in my opinion.
quite honestly DHS is becoming a national police force and no one is calling them on it.
I forgot to mention that many local LE officers are either reservists or have been in the military. Cross-pollination of training, equipment, etc. is going to happen.
ReplyDeleteit shouldn't happen. police tactics and military tactics are two different...completely different things.
DeleteYes, I agree it shouldn't happen, but it takes leadership within the dept. and oversight by civilians who too frequently defer to the judgement of their Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Who even teaches or brings up the subject of the danger of militarization within the LE or at LE academies? You'd be denounced as some sort of pinko commie civil rights type.
ReplyDeleteThe way some LE depts in the US deal with certain neighborhoods, they behave as occupying powers and are not welcome. While LE might be aware the people in these areas resent it, are LE agencies critical of themselves enough to be aware of the corrosive effects of trying to act as an occupier upon their agencies or their officers?
And really, this has been going on for decades. It's just been limited to the 'Hood we didn't bother noticing it much less care. Stop and frisk policies are very troublesome.
And I think you are also right about giving these as military aid. We could be handing these over for pennies on the dollar to Mali, Kenya, etc. We are insisting that ECOWAS or African union troops be involved in Mali or Somalia, so why don't we equip them?
spot on. thats part of the reason why Republicans have failed. the black community is naturally conservative but has been allowed to be co-opted by liberals because of lack of outreach.
Deletethe black church is a powerful influence in the community. instead of working with them to find better ways to fight crime in the community which they were crying out for, instead we set up occupying forces. we can and should do better. but it won't happen in my life time. too much ignorance, hatred and money to be made in the current system.
CHECK THIS out
ReplyDeletehttp://www.businessinsider.com/local-police-military-weapons-tactics-2013-3