Militarization of Police, part 2

If only the "militarization of police" would include instilling the discipline and professionalism that our military has, and our civilian law enforcement agencies so often show that they are lacking.

When soldiers and Marines in combat zones have more restrictive rules of engagement for dealing with armed enemy combatants than police officers in our own cities do for dealing with citizens suspected of criminal acts, there is a problem.

When military members step over the line and do illegal things, we tend to find out about it, because other military members step forward. Remember Abu Ghraib? When those reservists, most of whom were also civilian LEOS (cops and corrections officers) mistreated prisoners, another soldier notified his congressman and the press.

When civilian cops commit felonies - like assaulting a cameraman in a McDonald's, for instance - other civilian cops aid and abet them in that crime by not only refusing to arrest them for the felonies committed right in front of them, but also by helping them to hide their identities. At that point, every cop in that McDonald's needs to be arrested, stripped of their badge, gun, uniform, and pension, and put on trial for felony assault, false imprisonment/unlawful confinement/kidnapping, and other crimes (those who stood and allowed it to happen need to be charged as accomplices/accessories, as well as with criminal negligence, with depraved indifference) - all committed under color of authority, thus increasing the severity of the offenses.

Lessons from Ferguson, MO: Philosphy of Policing

We have seen two different approaches to police work in action in Ferguson, Missouri this week.

The first had the city and county cops playing soldier. They used dogs, tear gas, armored vehicles, and heavily armed officers with their uniforms, names, and badges hidden by mounds of tactical gear to disrupt and try to shut down what was a peaceful, but angry protest. Their actions escalated tensions, and their disruption of the protest event created confusion and chaos which allowed some people to riot and loot, while neither protest organizers or the police could effectively communicate with, or control them.

These same local agencies treated the media as a hostile presence, gassing TV crews and arresting and roughing up reporters.

People in the community - and all over the nation - lost a lot of respect for law enforcement due to the poor choices made by the Ferguson and St. Louis County Police.


Then, a professional police agency was brought in to restore order and rebuild public confidence and trust. With a smart leader, the Missouri State Police entered Ferguson wearing regular police uniforms, with their badges and name tags showing.- no dogs, no tear gas, no gas masks, no tactical gear, no armored vehicles, no "Rambo"s.

These officers mingled with the crowds, marched with the protesters, and told them that they could protest all night, as long as people didn't start burning or looting. The violence stopped as soon as the police started acting as peace officers and stopped provoking the citizens and escalating (if not causing) the tension and violence..


Time and time again, I have seen bad things happen when cops start covering up their badges and name tags. At that point, they become a faceless part of an occupying force, able and willing to break the law with little chance of ever facing the consequences of their actions, instead of police officers who people can deal with as human beings.