This criminal justice analysis examines the increasing militarization of American police forces, exploring how federal programs have equipped local departments with surplus military equipment. The essay analyzes the balance between enhanced public safety capabilities and concerns about excessive force, civil rights violations, and community relations. Key focus areas include SWAT force expansion, equipment acquisition programs, and the impact on police-community dynamics.
It could be inferred that America’s police are becoming militarized since the types of crimes and the way they are committed to having evolved. It seems criminals are becoming more intelligent and the police cannot predict how the criminal might attack them despite having a fully armed SWAT force entering a house and risking their lives each day. Despite the rate of crime falling in some of the areas, the SWAT forces have still increased with the fear of not being left behind (Business Insider, 2014). Through federal program funding, the military fleet trucks are now commonly used by police departments, especially in suburban areas with additional billion dollars being invested in guns (NJ Spotlight News, 2017). Moreover, excessive armed police have given rise to unwanted violence in the behavior of police officers as well, who probably was on duty to raid a place for drug dealing, however, had to forcefully enter a house in the middle of the night with ‘knock and announce’ technique (Liberty Pen, 2014). Rather than using this strategy to protect the common public and maintain peace in the area, this created fear in the public’s minds by seeing extra weapons and sometimes property destruction without a sound reason. Similarly, the shootouts create more harm for the public when they are carried out with modernized weapons between the criminals and police department in a bank robbery, for example, rather than ensuring public safety, creating suspicions on the law enforcement agencies of the particular city (Rbtelee1, 2018; RebRulez, 2008).
Crime sophistication has increased, and so do the methods of preventing it. In terrorist attacks, such as the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014, the police departments have to rely on better protection arms to prioritize public safety, which has worked (The Heritage Foundation, 2017). The surplus military equipment supplied in Ferguson in 2014, which was previously used in the Iraq mission, raised eyebrows for the government programs (Gabrielle, 2014). Although it comes down to intelligent decision-making of law enforcement officers before the actual raid of armed forces is initiated, the police raid going wrong creates a massive public outrage as the police might hurt their civic rights instead of protecting them, gaining further spotlight in the media as well.
Business Insider. (2014, March 21). Why America’s police are becoming so militarized. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-americas-police-are-becoming-so-militarized-2014-3
Gabrielle, L. (2014, August 19). A look at the weapons, police tactics used in Ferguson [Video]. YouTube. https://video.foxnews.com/v/3738664737001#sp=show-clips
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