Thread by @ProfPaulPoast, Did Iraq & Afghanistan Wars contribute to the militarization of US police [...]

Did Iraq & Afghanistan Wars contribute to the militarization of US police departments?

Data are pretty clear.

Surplus military equipment transferred to local law enforcement (via 1033 program) steadily rose starting in mid-00s, followed by spikes after 2010.

Data from DOD DLA Dispositional Services. Acquired by @MarshallProj.

Source: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2014/12/03/the-pentagon-finally-details-its-weapons-for-cops-giveaway

The Pentagon Finally Details its Weapons-for-Cops Giveaway

Bellying up to the arsenal.

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2014/12/03/the-pentagon-finally-details-its-weapons-for-cops-giveaway

Yet another reason it is important for scholars to study the political economy of security.

h/t @PatPorter76 & @SevaUT

Addendum 1: To learn more on the relationship between US military operations abroad and the militarization of police in the US, there are some excellent books by...

... @stschrader1 w/ @ucpress ... https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520295629/badges-without-borders

Badges without Borders

From the Cold War through today, the U.S. has quietly assisted dozens of regimes around the world in suppressing civil unrest and securing the conditions for the smooth operation of capitalism....

https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520295629/badges-without-borders

... & @kathleen_belew w/ @Harvard_Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674286078

Bring the War Home — Kathleen Belew | Harvard University Press

The white power movement has declared war against the United States and has carried out -- with military precision -- an escalating campaign of terror against the American public. Kathleen Belew...

https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674286078

Addendum 2: To learn more about 1033 program, there are useful papers by ...

... @CaseyDelehanty & co-authors in @Res_Pol ... https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2053168017712885

Militarization and police violence: The case of the 1033 program - Casey Delehanty, Jack Mewhirter,...

Does increased militarization of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) lead to an increase in violent behavior among officers? We theorize that the receipt of militar...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2053168017712885

... @socsteidley & @NittanyBuckeye in Criminology. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9125.12193

POLICING THROUGH SUBSIDIZED FIREPOWER: AN ASSESSMENT OF RATIONAL CHOICE AND MINORITY THREAT...

There is a popular belief that the use of military equipment can improve police efforts at social control. Recent protests and riots across the country, however, have piqued public concern about...

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1745-9125.12193

Addendum 3: To learn more about the use & effects of these weapons, highly recommend this piece by @jonmummolo in @PNASNews. https://www.pnas.org/content/115/37/9181

Militarization fails to enhance police safety or reduce crime but may harm police reputation

National debates over heavy-handed police tactics, including so-called “militarized” policing, are often framed as a trade-off between civil liberties and public safety, but the costs and benefits of...

https://www.pnas.org/content/115/37/9181

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