Effects Of Militarization On Police Shootings

Not only is police militarization condoned by law, it is also protected from outside criticism. Steven Greenhut, a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune, was declined access to two reports of two police shootings from 2001 and 2004 in Huntington Beach, California, after requesting to see them. “Well, the [Huntington Beach Police Department] said I could have neither report because both are exempt from the California Public Records Act. What a great Catch-22: the public has no right to comment on police shootings until the investigation is complete, but once it is complete the public has no right to see the report”. This level of confidentiality is unacceptable. The public should be able to view police reports, let alone those of such controversy. The …show more content…
To pretend that militarization is the sole disrupting force causing instability in the relationship between law enforcement and communities of people of color is inconsistent with past struggles with the police. Militarization has been built into pre-existing violence. It heightens the detriment already caused by over-policing and …show more content…
The prioritized war on drugs and war on crime has fueled the growth of the number of police paramilitary units. These modern police forces have developed the “us vs. them” mindset of a soldier, which has been fostered by both federal and state governments through a series of programs supplying legal and financial support and defending law enforcement from criticism. The violence against people of color and the isolation of the urban poor is in turn intensified. Moving forward, demilitarization and disarmament of law enforcement is necessary for the safety of civilians, notably people of