Posted on 08/11/2008 7:48:29 AM PDT by Robbin
I saw the local police are angry about the swat team going into the Mayors house. Not only are they Friends of the mayor, the local Police Chief said that if one of his guys had been driving by when 5 heavily armed men in plain clothes and masks were kicking in the Mayor’s front door, they would have been fired on them thinking they were terrorists attacking the mayor’s home.
Besides the shooting of dogs for no reason, which is bad enough, why do they have masks over their faces? Bad guys were masks so they can’t be identified after they rape and kill. How is a home owner suppose to know they are cops? No uniforms and Masks on their faces???? So I’m suppose to take their word for it when they yell “Police Officer” over the sound of gun fire in my house while they kill my dogs?
Now I expect an excuse that only a cop, protecting another cops actions could believe, but there has to be SOME logic behind wearing masks while serving a KNOCK warrant. I mean surly the average citizen would throw open the door to five armed men in plain cloths wearing masks because they said they had a warrant wouldn’t they??? There are a lot of cops on the board, So what is it? Why would cops serving a warrant wear MASKS?
Robbin
Let’s see. Wearing a mask so that one might avoid prosecution is a valid excuse, but wearing a mask so as not to compromise the identity of an undercover officer is claptrap. And the officer is a thug as well as the perp. My, what a thrilling journey into the land of moral relativism! Next time you’re in trouble I suggest you call a Libertarian or the ACLU. Then you can kiss your ass good-bye with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
They wear masks so you cannot identify them and sue them for their Nazi SS actions. Or bring them up on charges for that matter.
Were they masks or just the typical face shields?
The face shields are normal.
Masks, not so much...
Sorry about misspellings and lack of spaces, keyboard not working right and didn’t proof read.
I always poof read.
I certainly don't expect the police to protect me. Thats a pipe dream. Arm and protect yourself if you want to live.
Tactical entry teams are mostly made up of sworn personnel throughout the agency. In smaller agencies, many tactical teams are made up of representatives of several agencies. Few police departments have full time tactical. Even the Michigan State Police use officers from around the State that are normally assigned other duties until a call out.
So, in light of the above, it is not unusual to have someone on the tactical team also be on a drug team. It happens all the time. Few agencies are big enough to allow this level of specialization.
However, since this was a drug related arrest most likely the masks were worn to conceal the identity of the undercover officers. My confusion to this entire event is that this was intially reported as a tactical team entry.
By the way, the masks do protect the face from flying glass and other things that can go wrong on a dynamic entry.
I do agree with the one poster that suggests that the tactical team entry flies in the face of the community policing concept.
I was raised to believe and support local law enforcement because it is only at this level that any community control can exist. We are rapidly headed towards more regional law enforcement. As this happens, incidents like this will occur. The locals know where the mayor lives out of towners do not.
My hubby was part of a swat team years ago and I believe they wear masks for two reasons. To protect their faces from flying debris and intimidation.
There is no good excuse for wearing a mask while enforcing the law. None. Yes, there needs to be some safeguards for informants (properly vetted) and narcotics officers but very strict safeguards. Nobody said that it was gonna be easy guys... Masked LEOs look and act like terrorists, one day that will backfire especially in today’s climate.
PDs and SOs need to get back to tried and true civilian law enforcement techniques. Body armor? Well sure, under uniforms that are clearly marked, faces unmasked. Warrants served properly, above board. Now “dynamic entries” are used for the least excuse instead of major incidents such as hostage situations.
High-powered weaponry? Sure, but in the cruiser, handy and ready (not locked in the trunk like LAPD policy) in case of situations like the Bank of America shootout. And of course, only with proper and certifiable (plus minimum bi-annual) training with those weapons.
Meanwhile Mr. Mayor and family are terrorized, family pets shot down in their own house in front of them, at the very least in this situation, these were folks that all LEOs of that town ARE SUPPOSED TO KNOW and there were many, many opportunities to make their case without terror tactics—if they had a case...
Their peace of mind and feeling of security is no more, a very heavy price to pay and for what?
If that is true, why isn't he dead?
I think your post represents 98.5% of America.
Thats quite a stretch. Keep it simple. They wear masks because they think they are Lone Rangers. Only they don’t just shoot the gun out of the bad guys hand.
A lot of the ‘masks” you see are actually flash hoods. They are cotton, wool, or Nomex hoods that protect the wearer from being burned by the flash from an explosion. Flash Bangs, booby traps, a weapons discharge, drug labs are all dangers that are faced by officers making a dynamic entry.
You answered your own question right there.
Because thats what the cops in all the cool tv shows and action movies do.
Nope, they wear full body armor during an entry and wearing a mask creates one solid target where someone would aim center of mass, a bare face creates a vulnerable target.
The libertarian can give you the gun training you need and the ACLU man knows all the good lawyers. The cops are too busy seizing people's cash to concern themselves with your penny-ante robbery call.
Yes, and as we all know, when a rapist/murderer is inside your house, a call to 911 will bring the police to your house in time to save you and/or your life.
Or, not.
How fast they arrive depends upon just how fresh the coffee and donuts are at the local hangout.
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