Jun 24, 2014 the aclu obtained most of its data used for the report by submitting public information requests to more than 260 police departments in 26 states, producing 3,844 records a snapshot of the. Each era in united states history has posed challenges of how to best maintain the safety and protection of the people. The excessive militarization of american policing, which details the problems associated with the militarization of police and the overuse of swat teams. Jul 22, 2019 yet the aclus recent report on police militarization, war comes home, found that swat teams, which were originally devised as special responders for emergency situations, are deployed for drug searches more than they are for all other purposes police militarization, aclu website. Raleigh after obtaining and analyzing thousands of documents from police departments around the country, today the american civil liberties union released the report war comes home.
Data obtained from open records requests for the years 201112 covers over 800 swat deployments in the report. The images on the news of police wearing helmets and masks, toting assault rifles, and riding in mineresistant armored vehicles are not isolated incidentsthey represent a nationwide trend of police militarization. Militarization fails to enhance police safety or reduce. The excessive militarization of american policing, is. The critique whats all the fuss with police militarization.
Stop sending weapons of war to our communities president trump just put thousands of militarygrade weapons back into the hands of police departments across our country. This is just one of americas highly militarized police forces, as detailed in a sobering report from the american civil liberties union that came out in june. The biggest question about police militarization obama. The case against police militarization university of michigan law.
The aclu is calling for the pentagon program to be. The militarization of law enforcement is also associated with intelligence agencystyle information. The aclu focused on more than 800 swat raids conducted by. The excessive militarization of american policing pdf reveals how heavily armed special weapons and tactics.
After over a year of investigation, surveying law enforcement agencies in 26 states, the aclu has now released its report on police militarization. Jurist increasing militarization of police forces is putting citizens at risk rather than protecting them, according to a report text, pdf released tuesday by the american civil liberties union aclu advocacy website. Across the country, heavily armed special weapons and tactics swat teams are forcing their way into peoples homes in the middle of the night, often deploying explosive devices such as flashbang grenades to temporarily blind and deafen residents, simply to serve a search warrant on the suspicion that someone may be in possession of a small amount of drugs. Public perceptions and support for police militarization.
As maplight points out quoting an aclu report on police militarization, 36% of the equipment transferred to law enforcement via the 1033 program is brand new. A sobering new report from the american civil liberties union reveals how the u. In preparing this report, the aclu of massachusetts filed numerous public records requests with massachusetts police departments, drug task force operations, and regional law enforcement councils, which operate regional swat teams. The conclusions of the aclu 2014 report were that as the war on drugs was a. Militarization of police the professional gunfighter. Vincenzo bove of the university of warwick, in england, and evelina gavrilova of the norwegian school of economics claim to find a causal relationship, whereby military aid negatively affects crime rates. Local democratic oversight of police militarization. Police excessive force american civil liberties union. This chapter includes discussion of the trends in pm and research on public perceptions of the practice. Stop sending weapons of war to our communities american. Border militarization and police militarization go hand in hand. Neighborhoods are not war zones, the report reads, and our police officers should not be treating us like wartime enemies. We documented this dangerous trend in our national report war comes home.
Aclu report on police militarization finds weapons and. Aclus public records investigation, this report examines the use of. The excessive militarization of american policing pdf reveals how heavily armed special weapons and. Militarization of police in massachusetts is shrouded in secrecy. In june of 2014, the aclu compiled a 98 page report pdf, titled war comes home. The acluwa will be releasing a report on police mili. This week, the american civil liberties union began examining the militarization of americas police forces by filing more than 255 public records requests in 23 states to determine the extent to which federal funding and support has fueled the militarization of state and local police departments, the aclu website states. The disproportionate, militarized police response to subsequent community protests in. Police militarization is out of control, and theres no. The aclu has grave concerns about police militarization. It provides a succinct introduction to how the federal government has supplied american police forces with military. Aclus public records investigation, this report examines the use of swat teams by. The militarization of police does not reduce crime pacific. Aclu to host panel on police militarization andrew steele times correspondent.
The excessive militarization of american policing from aclu nationals websiteall across the country, heavilyarmed swat teams are raiding peoples homes in the middle of the night, often just to search for drugs. The american civil liberties union report, war comes home. New aclu report takes a snapshot of police militarization in. City and county police forces look more and more like armies, as the federal government donates or sells old military equipment to local law enforcement. Analyzing both existing secondary source materials and primary source data uncovered through the aclus public records investigation, this report examines the use of swat teams by state and local law enforcement agencies and other aspects of militaristic policing. The excessive militarization of american policing, analyzed data from 800 swat.
Portland strongly values civil liberties and freedoms, and prides itself on progressive values and robust first amendment activity. Soon after the reports release, a ferguson municipal judge and several. News and events from the aclu of washington fall 2014. For example, over 600 police departments throughout the country have received mraps mine resistant ambush protected vehiclestanks built to withstand armorpiercing roadside bombs. In a country devastated by the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people, many of them unarmed, at the hands of police officers, drastic changes are needed in our approach to public safety. The militarization of americas police may reduce crime. Limits on militarization of police local approval aclu. We must address the specific ways that black and brown lives are impacted by racial profiling and excessive use of police force.
Aug 14, 2014 kara dansky, a senior counsel at the aclu s center for justice, is the author of war comes home. Does the militarization of american police help them serve. Aug 19, 2014 crime is way down and police are more heavilyarmed and wellprotected than ever. Nearly 80% of the swat raids the aclu studied were conducted to serve search warrants, usually in drug cases. The imperfections in police militarization are not recent phenomena. In preparing this report, the aclu of massachusetts. The images depicted various degrees of militarization, ranging from one in which five officers stand in traditional uniforms to another featuring cops in riot gear posing with an armored vehicle. Norm stamper, paramilitary policing from seattle to occupy. In an interview with johns hopkins magazine, dansky elaborates upon how the public and the press is now beginning to understand the concerns of the aclu over the militarization of the police. Such excessive force by police is particularly disturbing given its disproportionate impact on people of color. The irony is that the goal of the police is to protect the rights of citizens, while in reality, the police has come to violate those same rights.
Militarization fails to enhance police safety or reduce crime. Militarization of police turning communities of color. Federal programs providing surplus military equipment, along with departments own purchases, have outfitted officers with firepower that is often far beyond what. Sep 11, 2018 police militarization is a continuum defined by a combination of equipment, tactics, and culture that centers on violent conflict 7, 15, 16. Local democratic oversight of police militarization harvard law. Pdf a conceptualization of militarization in domestic policing. The aclu focused on more than 800 swat raids conducted by law enforcement agencies in 20 states including utah and on the agencies acquisition of military weaponry. Promising efforts to demilitarize police departments policylink.
The excessive militarization of american policing, an aclu report released last summer. Aclu to host panel on police militarization local news. The survey included a question that asked respondents their views regarding the relationship between various aspects of policing and the militarization of agencies. Aclu investigates militarization of us police forces reveal. Clrp envisions and fights for a country where law enforcement treats all. The excessive militarization of american policing, analyzed data from 800 swat deployments conducted by 20 law enforcement. After obtaining and analyzing thousands of documents from police departments around the country, today the american civil liberties union released the report war comes home.
The rapid militarization of american police forces is turning our communities into war zones with tactics of war used disproportionately against people of color, charged a new report by the aclu on tuesday. In rescinding an obamaera executive order, trump removed restrictions and oversight of the weapons of war the federal government gives to local law enforcement. Part of it is defense contractors making sure theres still a growing market for their wares. Despite the increasing trend of violence in recent police civilian encounters, the militarization of the police is a process that has been a concern for decades. The american civil liberties union has released a report on the militarization of local law enforcement in the united states, which shows how the vast majority of special weapons and tactics swat. Aclu report on police militarization business insider. Thats why we are working to curb racial profiling and police violence in california.
The aclu focused on more than 800 swat raids conducted by law enforcement agencies in 20 states including utah and on the agencies acquisition of military. The rapid militarization of american police forces is turning our communities into war zones with tactics of war used disproportionately against people of color, charged a new report by the aclu. Report shows injustice, suffering, caused by swat teams deployed for lowlevel police work, not crises. Jun 24, 2014 the american civil liberties union has released the results of its yearlong study of police militarization. The study looked at 800 deployments of swat teams among 20 local, state and federal. Aclus report on police militarization finds weapons and. Aclunj lauds njs firstinthenation police militarization law testimony in support of s2364s2365, december 11, 2014 pdf limits on militarization of police ag oversight and reporting. Aug 20, 2018 the report was paired with a one of four photos featuring a group of policemen standing guard during a local protest. The aclu of northern california believes in protecting all of californias communities.
The irony is that the goal of the police is to protect the rights of citizens, while in. The history of police militarization in the us in 12. Asset forfeitures are funding police militarization. Nearly 60 percent agreed or strongly agreed that a police department becomes more militarized when possessing an armored.
Aclu launches nationwide police militarization investigation. New aclu report on police militarization highlights. Jun 19, 2018 local police have effectively been stockpiling wartime arsenals, with lowincome people and people of color bearing the brunt of this militarization over the years. American cities are not arenas of war, and when local police use military technology against their communities, they have been known to use more force than read more. This includes the use of armored personnel carriers, assault rifles, submachine guns, flashbang grenades, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, and special weapons and tactics swat teams. Further, using nationwide panel data on local police militarization. With public support for the war on drugs at an alltime low, police are using hyperaggressive, wartime tools and tactics to fight a war that has lost its public mandate. Aclu report on militarization of police business insider. Technology center, federal property and equipment manual. Aclu report criticizes increased police militarization. Today, the militarization of law enforcement provides an exception to that law through the creation of an ad hock military presence. War comes home excessive militarization of american policing, aclu, 2014 july 29, 2016 locations.
The aclu focused on more than 800 swat raids conducted by law enforcement agencies in 20 states and on the. Jurist increasing militarization of police forces is putting citizens at risk rather than protecting them, according to a report text, pdf released. This does not mean the dods 1033 program is organized or administered properly or even well and it certainly doesnt mean there arent some things that could stand a hard eye. Is the militarization of the police, under the 1033 program, compatible with the community policing paradigm. War comes home excessive militarization of american. Written statement of the american civil liberties union. Some truth about the militarization of police breach. Police militarization policy changes and stakeholders opinions in. Jun 24, 2014 the rapid militarization of american police forces is turning our communities into war zones with tactics of war used disproportionately against people of color, charged a new report by the aclu on tuesday.
Police militarization american civil liberties union. Aug 30, 20 their writings, and subsequent conclusions about militarization of police, are based on cherrypicking of data, a demonstrated willingness to use incomplete source material such as preliminary or anecdotal reports of police misconduct vs. The excessive militarization of american policing, which the white house cited in recommendations on how federal law enforcement agencies can support local agencies appropriate acquisition of equipment. The excessive militarization of american policing, an aclu report. Bluf we think a helluva lot of what the militarization of the police doomsayers and critics is just errant fuckery. The aclu focused on more than 800 swat raids conducted by law enforcement agencies in 20 states, including north carolina, and on the agencies acquisition of. New yorkafter obtaining and analyzing thousands of documents from police departments around the country, today the american civil liberties union released the report war comes home.
Anaheim police department use of force report 2017 aclu. A conceptualization of militarization in domestic policing. Aug 10, 2017 the effect of police militarization on crime, in american economic journal, 2017. In recent decades, local police agencies have militarized their departments to varying degrees, adopting weapons, attire, tactics, and organizational structures developed for theaters of war. However, the aclu encountered this type of story over and over when studying the militarization of state and local law enforcement agencies. Aug 14, 2017 police militarization has become an important consideration for departments across the united states, and agencies face questions about the seemingly routine use of military tactics and equipment. Militarization fails to enhance police safety or reduce crime but may.
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