ACLU launches nationwide look into police 'militarization'

[Trooper]

By Radley Balko
The Huffington Post



WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has launched a nationwide campaign to assess police militarization in the United States. Starting Wednesday, ACLU affiliates in 23 states are sending open records requests to hundreds of state and local police agencies requesting information about their SWAT teams, such as how often and for what reasons they're deployed, what types of weapons they use, how often citizens are injured during SWAT raids, and how they're funded. More affiliates may join the effort in the coming weeks.

Additionally, the affiliates will ask for information about drones, GPS tracking devices, how much military equipment the police agencies have obtained through programs run through the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, and how often and for what purpose state National Guards are participating in enforcement of drug laws.

"We've known for a while now that American neighborhoods are increasingly being policed by cops armed with the weapons and tactics of war," said Kara Dansky, senior counsel at the ACLU's Center for Justice, which is coordinating the investigation. "The aim of this investigation is to find out just how pervasive this is, and to what extent federal funding is incentivizing this trend."

Full Story: ACLU Launches Nationwide Police Militarization Investigation http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06...13334.html

http://www.policeone.com/SWAT/articles/6...arization/

The problem is that while many gun owners are fearful of a militarized police, minorities deal with it far more frequently.

[bwaites]

Wonder if they'll ask why Homeland Security needs 2500 armored anti-mine vehicles?

[skyfish]

This has been my biggest concern with police over the last decade or so. It seems to go hand in hand with the me verse them. Or police vs civilian.

I'm a big believer in police are civilians, hired by civilians, to enforce the laws of civilians.

[JASmith]

I know that WE are worried about the civil rights consequences of the militarisation of law enforcement.

Looking at thee flip side, how should the police respond when confronted with well-armed organized gangs who are increasingly populated with folks possessing military training?

Our issue is that we don't trust the government and seeing an accelerating trend toward law-enforcement acting as an occupying force gives credence to the mistrust.

[smoke13]

...Our issue is that we don't trust the government and seeing an accelerating trend toward law-enforcement acting as an occupying force gives credence to the mistrust.

agreed

[Variable]

agreed

Ditto.

[Variable]

Wonder if they'll ask why Homeland Security needs 2500 armored anti-mine vehicles?

What? You haven't heard about all the violent poker games being broken up by RPG wielding card players?

What about all the explosively formed penetrator ambushes being launched during traffic stops???

[Deer Hunter]

Wonder if they'll ask why Homeland Security needs 2500 armored anti-mine vehicles?

2700

[Joseph5]

I am all for the police having what they need to deal with the level of threat they are facing. If they infringe upon the constitutional rights of law abiding citizens that is a different story. Where I live there is 1 sheriff and 1 sheriffs deputy in an area that is 70 miles east to west and 100 miles north to south with the ocasional highway patrol passing through. I never go anywhere unarmed and would back up any law enforcement officer in a heartbeat because help is few and far between out here. By that same token, I would like to think if the order came down from above to inventory or confiscate anything a reasonable person would deam covered by the second amendment, that the local law enforcement would have the good sense to decide that it was not in their best interest and not a lawful order but time will tell. I guess it depends what your definition of a reasonable person is. Joseph

[davidj]

Wonder if they'll ask why Homeland Security needs 2500 armored anti-mine vehicles?

It would be interesting to know which Obaba donor got the contract for this.

[LR1955]

It would be interesting to know which Obaba donor got the contract for this.

DJ:

Don't worry, when these LEAs figure out how much it costs to operate and maintain one of these white elephants, they will dance to a different tune.

LR1955

[davidj]

DJ:

Don't worry, when these LEAs figure out how much it costs to operate and maintain one of these white elephants, they will dance to a different tune.

LR1955

I don't really worry about this type of thing....Hell the New Mexico LEs have trouble driving cars!
e

[shotgun_wedding]

Don't worry, when these LEAs figure out how much it costs to operate and maintain one of these white elephants, they will dance to a different tune.

They will still be able to afford the fuel to drive them to the local fair.

[TheOTHERmaninblack]

I will admit that the news of the MRAPs made me go a little grey, but when I told an Air Force missile cop friend of mine about it, he laughed. I guess they've got a shit ton of them mothballed on base because they're too heavy to go over most of the rural bridges. So they drive UA'ed hummvees.

Still a scary trend, but now you know what to do if they come a'roarin' after you in one. Just go over one of them 2 ton bridges and watch the MRAP crush it in your rearview.

[LRRPF52]

MRAPs have a very terrible record with submersion survivability. I know of one crew that has survived an MRAP submersion, and they barely made it out alive. To that point, all others drowned. Driving on unstable roads near even shallow bodies of water, like streams, can be fatal for a crew in an MRAP.