Is Law Enforcement Turning Against Us?
In May 2014, a family was attacked by a SWAT team with assault rifles and threw a grenade despite the presence of toys that were found in the front yard of the home, according to Kane. The SWAT team invaded the home because they were in the search for the father’s nephew who was charged possession of illegal drugs, but turns out he was not present at the time. A grenade was landed in the crib of a 19-month-old named Bou Bou who suffered third-degree burns and was put in a medically induced coma all because the SWAT team failed to determine another way to approach the situation in a less violent manner. This is one of the many incidents in which excessive police militarization has had a negative impact on the United States and will make people question: Will police militarization bring …show more content…
There is significant controversy whether allowing police officers access to military weapons would bring safety to the nation, but then victims and their families argue that police brutality is an outcome of militarization. The issue first arose when reformers, such as August Vollmer, wanted to professionalize the police in the beginning of the 20th century after the 9/11 attacks in New York, according to Schultz. Militarization of police includes the use of military equipment and tactics by law enforcement officers. In other words, officers are able to obtain weapons, such as rifles, and also transportation for themselves. This means they carry a huge responsibility to use these weapons when necessary in order to resolve any issues confronted. Although government officials and officers would argue that police militarization would be beneficial to the public safety because it empowers them to protect. However, providing military equipment to law enforcement is dangerous because it leads to violence, controversial laws, and a
In May 2014, a family was attacked by a SWAT team with assault rifles and threw a grenade despite the presence of toys that were found in the front yard of the home, according to Kane. The SWAT team invaded the home because they were in the search for the father’s nephew who was charged possession of illegal drugs, but turns out he was not present at the time. A grenade was landed in the crib of a 19-month-old named Bou Bou who suffered third-degree burns and was put in a medically induced coma all because the SWAT team failed to determine another way to approach the situation in a less violent manner. This is one of the many incidents in which excessive police militarization has had a negative impact on the United States and will make people question: Will police militarization bring …show more content…
There is significant controversy whether allowing police officers access to military weapons would bring safety to the nation, but then victims and their families argue that police brutality is an outcome of militarization. The issue first arose when reformers, such as August Vollmer, wanted to professionalize the police in the beginning of the 20th century after the 9/11 attacks in New York, according to Schultz. Militarization of police includes the use of military equipment and tactics by law enforcement officers. In other words, officers are able to obtain weapons, such as rifles, and also transportation for themselves. This means they carry a huge responsibility to use these weapons when necessary in order to resolve any issues confronted. Although government officials and officers would argue that police militarization would be beneficial to the public safety because it empowers them to protect. However, providing military equipment to law enforcement is dangerous because it leads to violence, controversial laws, and a