The shooting in Ferguson, Missouri has called into question the validity of police militarization and, thanks to recent legislation passed by congress, police forces, like those patrolling Ferguson, have seen an influx of new weaponry, comparable to that used by the U.S. military.
If one were to wander the streets in the small town of Ferguson today, it could be easily mistaken for the streets of Baghdad, as Police forces patrol the streets in full military fatigues, accompanied by armored vehicles reminiscent of tanks.
While the militarization of police forces has been in the news recently, it is not a new concept. According to MSNBC, since 1996 as a “response to the war on drugs,” the department of defense has transferred nearly $4.3 billion in military equipment to local and state police forces.
In addition, after 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security made even more material available through federal funds for terrorism prevention.
“There’s so many teams, like specialized police forces teams that are equipped [well enough] to where basic officers should not have to be involved” said New Trier Police Liaison and former SWAT team member Officer Jeremy Walton. “I don’t think there is a need for increase in weaponry.”
Satirical news anchor John Oliver pointed out on his weekly television show, “Last Week Tonight,” that through this process, Keene, New Hampshire, a town of only 24,000 people, was equipped with a Bearcat, a military grade armored vehicle, citing that “The terrorism threat is far reaching and unseen.” The town noted in their application for the Bearcat, that their annual Pumpkin Festival was a possible target.
According to Oliver, it is cases like Keene that show the absurdity of the militarization of local police forces. As Walton observed, with SWAT teams and the National Guard to handle riots or civil unrest, there is no need to militarize simple patrol officers.
However, with America’s situation in the Middle East heating up thanks to the terrorist group ISIS, some Americans do feel that the arming of the police is a smart and realistic prevention tool.
“The program that allows local law enforcement or public safety agencies to receive surplus military gear has been around for many years, but since 9/11 it has been on steroids,” said Frank Scafidi, director of public affairs for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, in an interview with MintPress News.
“The ‘militarization’ of police departments is more the increased awareness among the population and the media that the surplused machines of war have found new life in domestic public safety organizations. If you go back and look at video of other major events, you’re likely to see all manner of former military vehicles providing some level of support to those events.”
While opinions like Scafidi’s have supporters, many Americans still believe that the militarization of local police forces is an overreaction.
“We have terrorism that does occur at home,” noted Walton. “But we have teams for that. Just because there’s been a spike doesn’t mean we need more.”
Oliver also pointed out the absurdity of police forces in Ferguson, Missouri right now who are donning military fatigues and not following military protocol that guns should not be pointed at anyone unless you intend to fire. “The point is,” said Oliver. “That if you are a cop in the United States, you should dress for the job you have, not the one you want.”
Al Jazeera also introduced some startling facts regarding SWAT activity, citing that SWAT raids are up nearly 1400% since the 1980s, and an estimated 15,000 take place each year. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) added “79% of SWAT deployments the ACLU studied were for the purpose of executing search warrants, most commonly in drug investigations.”
The affects of militarization can be seen in the small town of Ferguson, Missouri, which has been the center of police concern over the past two months.
After the shooting and subsequent death of Michael Brown, an 18 year old African-American, at the hands of white Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, Ferguson was thrust into a state of civil unrest, causing race riots across the town and sparking an investigation into whether racial profiling was involved in the fatal shooting.
“All police are equipped with what they need” said Walton. “If [a patrol officer] cannot control the situation by themselves then they should call for backup. Good old fashioned police work.”