The distinction between the military and law enforcement agencies has become increasingly more blurred in the last 50 years. With political movements, such as the War on Drugs, the use of military tactics in policing has become more prominent in American society. Paramilitary Patrol Units, or PPUs, have become increasingly more established in policing, and often are viewed as the elite police entity in our country. These units have become normalized in localities, and it has become evident that the use of PPUs has influenced American policing as an entirety. This paper will provide insight on the increased use of paramilitary units in the United States, the characteristics of PPUs, the tactics in which they operate, and their shift toward normalization.
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According to Kraska and Cubellis (1997), these militarized units display three specific characteristics which include (a) strict military command, structure and discipline; (b) have at the forefront of function to threaten or use collective use of force; (c) operate under a legitimate government authority (p.610). Each of these elements of militarization is essential to the function of PPUs in modern policing.
The use of militarized command, structure and discipline is not a new attribute to American policing. Law enforcement has always been militarized to some extent, and militarization is based on a continuum (Kraska, 2007). The continuum of militarization is an important aspect of the emergence of modern PPUs. On the lower end of the spectrum, the regular street-level patrol officer has the traditional function of peacekeeper and public servant. While on the other side of the spectrum the PPU officer, or SWAT member, has the necessary function to act and respond as a soldier at war when called upon for duty. The team structure of PPUs furthers the prominence of militarized structure due to the fact that these teams are modeled after military special operations teams, such as the Navy SEALS and the Army …show more content…
PPUs have expanded into more proactive roles such as warrant work, drug raids, and even patrol work. According to Kraska (1999), 20% of PPUs nationwide are used for proactive patrol work, even in small jurisdictions of less than 50,000 residents. These patrols are found more frequently in impoverished, disadvantaged, “crime-ridden” communities primarily occupied by minorities. Paul and Birzer (2008) claim that the paramilitary police environment creates a “warrior-like” mentality in which officers operate under the premises of domination as opposed to public
According to Kraska and Cubellis (1997), these militarized units display three specific characteristics which include (a) strict military command, structure and discipline; (b) have at the forefront of function to threaten or use collective use of force; (c) operate under a legitimate government authority (p.610). Each of these elements of militarization is essential to the function of PPUs in modern policing.
The use of militarized command, structure and discipline is not a new attribute to American policing. Law enforcement has always been militarized to some extent, and militarization is based on a continuum (Kraska, 2007). The continuum of militarization is an important aspect of the emergence of modern PPUs. On the lower end of the spectrum, the regular street-level patrol officer has the traditional function of peacekeeper and public servant. While on the other side of the spectrum the PPU officer, or SWAT member, has the necessary function to act and respond as a soldier at war when called upon for duty. The team structure of PPUs furthers the prominence of militarized structure due to the fact that these teams are modeled after military special operations teams, such as the Navy SEALS and the Army …show more content…
PPUs have expanded into more proactive roles such as warrant work, drug raids, and even patrol work. According to Kraska (1999), 20% of PPUs nationwide are used for proactive patrol work, even in small jurisdictions of less than 50,000 residents. These patrols are found more frequently in impoverished, disadvantaged, “crime-ridden” communities primarily occupied by minorities. Paul and Birzer (2008) claim that the paramilitary police environment creates a “warrior-like” mentality in which officers operate under the premises of domination as opposed to public