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While these protests continue, I think this is an important time to shed light the rise police militarization in the US over the last two decades. Our police departments have turned into paramilitary organizations that abuse our citizens, especially minority communities.
The 1997 National Defense Authorization Act approved the 1033 Program, which instructed the Pentagon to make surplus military goods available to the nations police departments. With the help of the 'War on Terror' police departments have had access to a litany of military goods.
Between 1997 and 2014, $5.1 billion of military material was transferred between the Department of Defense and local police departments. Nearly 8,000 law enforcement agencies across the nation have received military equipment that was meant for overseas combat.
This equipment includes things like armored vehicles, aircraft, rifles, ammunition, and protective gear.
The same equipment that was designed to raise havoc on the streets of Kabul and Baghdad, is being used to terrorize American civilians.
The same equipment that was designed to raise havoc on the streets of Kabul and Baghdad, is being used to terrorize American civilians.
The militarization of the police furthers the psychological divide between police and civilians. Instead of citizens feeling protected, they are treated as enemy combatants. Citizens are increasingly depersonalized and seen as beings to be acted upon.
Police squads have turned into occupying forces, ready to turn the full force of the 'War on Terror' against non-violent drug criminals. Let me use Maryland as an example. From 2010 to 2014, nearly 8,200 SWAT raids were conducted in Maryland.
92% of these raids were for the express purpose of either executing search or arrest warrants. The original purpose of SWAT is to manage lethal hostage type situations NOT to issue standard warrants. Minority communities especially are treated as combat zones.
While most of this equipment comes free from the DoD, police departments must pay for transportation, storage, and maintenance. A lot of this money has come through the practice of Civil Asset Forfeiture (CAF). CAF allows police to seize discovered money from suspected criminals.
The practice of CAF amounts to legal theft by our law enforcement. CAF combined with the drug war stands to increase the gains police departments can receive from drug raids. The police profit from terrorizing their constituents, which only increases their ability to militarize.
So what can you do?
1. Call on your national representatives to repeal the 1033 program under the National Defense Authorization Act
2. Call on your state representatives to either abolish or reform CAF laws
3. Call on your local PD to be transparent on the equipment they take
1. Call on your national representatives to repeal the 1033 program under the National Defense Authorization Act
2. Call on your state representatives to either abolish or reform CAF laws
3. Call on your local PD to be transparent on the equipment they take
