The Militarization of Law Enforcement - “We’re Not in Mayberry Anymore”

Townhall.com ^ | December 11, 2013 | Bob Barr

[Kaslin]

The University of the Incarnate Word is a highly-rated Catholic college in San Antonio, Texas. It is hardly a hot bed of campus violence. When senior Robert Cameron Redus was pulled-over last Friday by campus police for “erratically speeding,” it is unlikely he had any clue of how tragically the stop would end. The campus police department contends Redus, an honors student set to graduate in May, grabbed the officer’s steel baton during a struggle. Not in dispute, however, is that Redus was shot five times by the officer, at close range, leaving him dead and the University scrambling to explain why lethal force was needed to subdue a single college student.

Police-involved shootings are on the rise from New York City to Anaheim, California and crime data suggests incidents involving questionable use of police force -- once a problem primarily limited to large, inner-city areas -- are occurring with greater frequency in smaller towns across the country. For civil liberties watchdogs, this disturbing trend should come as no surprise; much like their federal counterparts, local police and prosecutors are demanding greater power to “pursue criminals,” even if such power may overstep constitutional limitation; and regardless of whether such an approach makes practical sense in low-crime communities or in many non-violent situations in which police officers are involved.

A major factor accounting for this trend is the massive infusion of federal “anti-terrorism” money being funneled from the Department of Homeland Security to local police departments. These billions are turning many neighborhood cops into paramilitary personnel -- equipped with vehicles and weapons intended for use in the world’s most violent warzones. The over- militarization of small-town America is turning Mayberry into the Middle East; with Andy Griffith monitoring a license plate camera while Don Knotts patrols the streets carrying an MP5. Officers now have military-style armored vehicles parked in their lots along side their Crown Victoria patrol cars. This has created such unusual scenarios as Ohio State University’s 40,000-pound, armored Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, and sophisticated license plate readers in a town of 333 people.

More than simply increasing the likelihood of abuse or disaster, such militarization tends to change the psyche of the American police officer -- the more he is equipped like a soldier, the more he begins to act like one. This, coupled with today’s crime-speak that treats all crimes as if they were acts of terrorism, puts police officers mentally on the offensive; changing their perspective from “serve and protect,” to “find and prosecute.”

Perhaps this is why earlier this year, Virginia Alcohol Control Board agents pulled their guns on a frightened, 20-year-old college student. After mistaking her purchase of bottled water for alcohol, plainclothes officers surrounded her vehicle, and one agent jumped on her hood. Understandably frightened after being ambushed in a dark parking lot, the student tried to drive away as agents drew their guns and tried breaking her windows. Fortunately, the student was not shot. She was, however, forced to spend the night in jail and charged with three felony offenses. The District Attorney decided not to prosecute the case, but stood by officers’ decision to file charges against the student.

In a country where buying a bottle of water can escalate quickly into a potential five-year prison term, the once-common refrain of “you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide,” has become esoteric. Reports emerge daily about new details of the Obama Administration’s domestic spying programs. Recent court documents reveal the FBI’s ability to activate computer cameras without alerting users. Government agencies at all levels share our personal data with each other -- even data illegally stolen from commercial sites.

The entire attitude of the criminal justice system is shifting towards treating all citizens -- regardless of guilt -- as suspects. There is no more burden of proof. There is no more assumption of innocence. Your only “right” is to obey; just try to board an airline with a two-inch toy gun in a child’s back pack.

The best hope we have to undoing this statutory and regulatory nightmare created in recent years is to fight back through the ballot box and in court. Fortunately, organizations from across the ideological spectrum -- from the Institute for Justice to the American Civil Liberties Union, and many others – are actively helping to protect citizens from government abuse in all its forms.

All this is not to say there are not very real and very serious threats in communities across the country. Adam Lanza reminded us of that a year ago in Newtown, CT. These threats and incidents must be dealt with using a sound combination of good policing and new technology. But militarizing police forces in communities large and small, and treating all citizens as enemies, is not reasonable, necessary or American.

[Hugin]

The officer’s own report states that he “reacquired” his baton. Once he had his baton back, why would he not use IT to subdue the suspect?

Like I said, there are a lot of cops who simply aren't up to physically subduing a big, strong opponent. He may have simply panicked. Either way, I don't think it's an example of militarization of police. There are plenty of other examples of that that can be cited, which was my original point.

[Disambiguator]

And, ‘militarized’ is having a patrol rifle in your cruiser?

The AR-15 looks scarier than a wood-stocked Mini-14.

/s

[Iscool]

Redus successfully wrestled Carter’s police baton out of his hands, and started beating him over the head with it.

Carter reacquired the baton, and told Redus that he would open fire if the student refused to surrender

So a person just grabs a steel baton out of a cop's hands...I doubt it...It likely was already used on the driver...

And the cop gets beat over the head repeatedly with a steel baton and then takes it away from the guy wielding it??? Bruce Willis, maybe...

[bgill]

Five bullets into a guy at close range who isn’t going anywhere is not justified.

Redus was heard saying, “so, you’re gonna shoot me now?” doesn’t fit the campus cop’s story.

[Jack Hydrazine]

[cizinec]

You lose the moral high ground as soon as you profit from civil forfeiture (theft). This happens all over the country in almost all police departments. The police have conducted no-knock raids on wrong houses, have begun using “tower dumps” to collect information on all mobile phone traffic in an area without warrants, used grenades in wrong houses that have killed those who they were supposed to protect and serve, have been caught shoving over pedestrians in New York, in Dallas caught planting fake evidence for decades before they are finally brought to justice thanks to the work of groups OUTSIDE the police, etc. etc. etc.

My dad was a cop in the 1970s. He knows Jiu-Jitsu well enough to still give me a run for my money. He quit when the new guys weren't required to learn anything. He doesn't trust the local PD. Considering the above, why should we? You violate our rights by spying on us, invade our homes without warrants and steal our property, all for *our* own good. Now a kid gets shot and OOPS the camera was off. Excuse me if I don't believe an organization that holds itself above the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God.

[Cap'n Crunch]

When was the last time you looked outside and saw a cop patrolling in an ‘amwrap’ or armored vehicle? I’m willing to be you haven’t.

Other than swat or active shooter situations, how many ‘militarized’ cops have you seen? What exactly is a militarized cop anyway? A cop, as this article says, with an MP5?

I will agree with you on the better video and audio equipment, what we have is junk, but it does work. In fact it’s got more than a few of our guys out of being falsely accused.

The reason we got AR15’s was a study was performed in which the round fired from it did not penetrate walls as much as other caliber weapons.

I don’t even have one, I’ve got a 12 gauge. It’s strong evidence that the cops are militarized because I called an AR a patrol rifle? That sounds like the media calling an AR an assault rifle.

[Hugin]

Close range is the only time it would be justified. You don’t shoot someone because they’re running away, And “so, you’re gonna shoot me now?” sounds like it could be a taunt to me. The cop could have been afraid the guy was going to take his gun. Or maybe not.

[SgtHooper]

I think there was a time, perhaps over 40 years ago when they were much closer to being peace ossifers. However, I think it is clear that the number of scum in society has dramatically increased, to the point that the LEO’s are treating most everyone like scum, before actually determining we are not. Guilt before innocence. To some small extent, I cannot blame the LEO from becoming more concerned (defensive) about would should be a routine stop, but it seems to be escalating way beyond this.

[OneWingedShark]

If the guy took the officer’s baton and beat him with it, the officer has a right to defend himself.

So then, does the [alleged] perpetrator have the right to defend himself from a police officer with a baton?

[Cap'n Crunch]

I’ve posted/warned a lot here about the IACP. That is the International Association of LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE Chief’s of Police, like that douche chief in San Diego. I’ve written to several liberal police chief’s telling them what I thought of them. Including that one.

I agree with you, voting is starting to be a useless exercise with RINO’s like McCain.

Believe me, there are plenty of police officers that are as sick and tired of the communist scum in office as people are here. You just don’t hear about those cops because they are the ones that go to work, do their job and go home. They don’t get many complaints filed against them and they aren’t out there doing stupid shit.

I told one of my anti gun captains that I would shoot him if he ever came to my house trying to get my guns. And I meant it.

[bruoz]

"How many family pets have you killed during your career???"

None.

[Hugin]

Other than swat or active shooter situations, how many ‘militarized’ cops have you seen?

I try not to be knee jerk about this one way or the other, but it seems to me a lot of PDs have decided serving routine warrants requires a SWAT squad, breaking down doors in the middle of the night, and shooting the family dog.

It's human nature. Once they have all those cool federally funded toys, they find a reason to use them.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Yeah, I guess. I think I’d rather take my chances getting hit with a .223 round than one of those 12 gauge slugs.

I understand the concern but I’m not seeing militarization where I’m at. I’ll be the first to holler about it when I do.

[Hugin]

So then, does the [alleged] perpetrator have the right to defend himself from a police officer with a baton?

If he's attacked for no reason while complying with the officer's legitimate orders, of course. If he started it, then no.

[Cboldt]

This, coupled with today's crime-speak that treats all crimes as if they were acts of terrorism, puts police officers mentally on the offensive; changing their perspective from "serve and protect," to "find and prosecute."

Terrorism or not, the "us vs. them" attitude was common long before the police were militarized, and advancement is often based on the number and seriousness of busts. IOW, it's long been an attitude of "find and prosecute," and all non-police are viewed as "them," more particularly, "potential criminals."

[showme_the_Glory]

Picturing Barney Fife loading a 30 shot magazine before heading off to make an arrest.

Andy only let him have 1 bullet.

[Cap'n Crunch]

The mindset? Come on. Are you in the mind of every police officer in America?

[Carry_Okie]

Every FReeper needs to read Radley Balko's book: The Rise of the Warrior Cop. It is both balanced and thoroughly documented.

[elkfersupper]

You know what I got? A pair of 10 power Bushnell binoculars and a few ammo cans.

Too much.

I recently moved back to the small town I was born, raised, educated and married in

The population now is almost exactly the same now as it was then.

Then, we had 4 cops sharing 2 marked cop cars. Now, we have 82 cops, 94 cop cars, an APC and a "mobile crime lab".

All the prisoners used to be housed on the 3rd floor of the Court House. Now, the city/county jail is 2.5 square city blocks, with additional prisoners jailed out-of-state and growing.

We have more people incarcerated per capita in this country than almost all other "civilized" nations combined.

Too many laws. Too many cops. Too many jails. Too many prisoners. Too much suppression.