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The editors at Top Criminal Justice Degrees decided to research the topic of: The Militarization of the PoliceAre we living in a police state? - There has been a 4000% increase in "no knock," militarily-armed swat team raids over the past thirty years. - Mid 80's: 2,000-3,000 raids per year[1] - Present day: 80,000 raid estimate[1] - ------------------ - Pros: - --Element of Surprise - --Suspect can't destroy evidence - Cons: - --Invasion of privacy - --Seconds for suspect to decide if these or cops or break in. - --Faulty intelligence - ------------ Case Study- Basics:[4] - Ogden, Utah. 1/4/12 8:40 pm. - Local swat team battered down Matthew David Stewart's door with no warning. Thinking his home was being invaded, Stewart readied his pistol. - Stewart: 31 rounds fired - Swat: 250 rounds fired - Tip: Stewart's girlfriend saying he might be growing weed. - Previous record: Clean, veteran. - Result: 6 wounded swat. 1 killed. Stewart shot twice. - Findings: 16 small pot plants. No intent to sell. - Outcome: Upon losing hearing about search warrent legality. Stewart hangs himself in jail cell. - ------------- And that's just one of potentially hundreds of similar tragedies. - Spotlight: NY - 1994: 1,447 swat style drug raids - 2002: 5,117 - "I have my own army in the NYPD--the seventh largest army in the world." Michael Bloomberg - ------------ - Swat Armament:[3] - Submachine Guns - Automatic Weapons - Breaching Shotguns - Sniper Rifles - Stun Grenades - Heavy Body Armor - Motion Detectors - Advanced Night Vision Wear - Armored Personal Carriers - "From the Gulf war to the drug war--Battle proven" Heckler and Koch's slogan for the M5[6] - ------------- These "criminals" are heavily armed too, right? - WRONG: - [Weapon used in violent crime: %] - Gun: 12.7% - Knife: 10.1% - Other: 12.1% - Unknown weapon: 1.8% - None: 55.8% - Don't Know: 5.8% - ---- - So how can we allow this? The fact is, we don't. - 1970: The "no-knock" law is passed with the beginning of the war on drugs. - 1974: The law was repealed. - Today: "No knock" happens ALL THE TIME. - ------ - Leading to more and more unecessary, intrusive, illegal, and deadly SWAT raids. - Raids leading to civilian injuries, death, or intrusion of the privacy of innocents. - While injuries from "no knock" raids have been around since the inception of the swat team. Paramilitary like brutality has become a feature of the increasing armed SWAT of the last 10 years. - Using the military in civic life is like using a hammer when you need a butter knife. There's bound to be collateral damage. It could happen to you, your neighbors, your friends, or your family. Speak out against the militarization of the police. Citations- http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-14-noknock14_ST_N.htm - https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform-free-speech-technology-and-liberty/too-many-cops-are-told-theyre-soldiers - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWAT - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323848804578608040780519904.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories - http://www.cato.org/raidmap ![]() |