America’s Militarized Police

Key Takeaways

U.S. police militarization, originating in the 1960s, involves equipment and an adversarial attitude towards citizens.
Key drivers included 1960s urban riots, the
war on crime,
and the later
war on drugs.
Federal policies, like the 1965 LEAA and 1997 1033 program, funded military-grade equipment for local police.
SWAT teams became widespread due to high-profile incidents, federal incentives, and cultural influences.
Studies question police militarization's effectiveness, noting it can escalate situations and erode public trust.
Despite reforms under Obama and Biden, programs transferring military equipment to police persist.

Police militarization includes military-grade equipment like MRAPs and a shift in attitude, viewing citizens as the enemy and police as an occupying force.
Policing evolved from 19th-century patronage systems to a professional movement, aiming to separate police from politics, but creating a siloed force.
Early police chief August Vollmer, despite advocating military-like approaches, also pioneered professional training, de-escalation, and diverse hiring.

The 1967 Kerner Commission investigated the causes of the 1960s riots, including those in Watts (1965), Newark, and Detroit (1967).
The report identified institutional racism as a root cause and recommended against equipping police with mass destructive weapons.
Its findings were largely ignored by the government, including President Johnson, even as public concern about crime led to calls for increased police power.

Richard Nixon's 1971
war on drugs
declared drug abuse
public enemy number one
and increased drug deaths during the 1970s.
Nixon's strategy involved associating anti-war and Black activist groups with drugs to criminalize and disrupt these communities.
This initiative led to aggressive policing tactics, including the establishment of the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODAL) and the introduction of no-knock warrants.
ODAL conducted nearly 1,500 no-knock raids in a 13-month period, which were criticized for property destruction and potential injury from flashbang grenades.

The rise of SWAT teams was spurred by high-profile incidents like shootouts with the Black Panthers and Symbionese Liberation Army.
The TV show 'SWAT' also popularized the concept, contributing to an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 SWAT raids annually in the U.S.
Federal policies from various administrations, including the 1984 crime bill's expansion of civil forfeiture, incentivized police departments to acquire and utilize SWAT teams.
The 1033 program, established in 1997, permanently authorized the transfer of military-grade equipment to local police departments.

Following the 2000s, the Department of Homeland Security and a 2003 grant program provided funding and justification for police militarization, ostensibly for counter-terrorism.
This led to an increase in SWAT raids for minor offenses, such as unlicensed barbershops or small gambling operations.
The availability of military equipment and legal precedents like Hudson v. Michigan (2006), allowing evidence from unannounced searches, fueled this trend.

The military typically does not engage in domestic law enforcement to maintain democracy and civilian rule, a separation eroded by police militarization.
This militarization risks the military running the government by blurring the lines between domestic affairs and military functions.
Smartphones have significantly increased public awareness of police militarization, amplifying incidents like the 2014 Ferguson protests.

Following Ferguson protests, the Obama administration implemented 1033 program restrictions, banning military equipment like tanks and grenade launchers for local police.
These reforms were subsequently rolled back by the following administration, leading to increased use of paramilitary forces for protests and federal property guarding.
In 2022, President Biden reinstated and expanded 1033 reforms, including limiting no-knock entries, though their effectiveness remains questioned.
Despite public focus on police militarization after George Floyd's murder, the 1033 program continued, demonstrating resistance to deep-rooted reform.

Heavily equipped police presence, as seen in Ferguson, can escalate situations, with non-confrontational approaches proving more effective.
U.S. police killed more citizens in one month of 2015 than UK police did in 24 years, highlighting a significant disparity in lethal force.
Research indicates police militarization is counterproductive, harming public perception and reducing support for police budget increases.
A 2020 Emory University study re-examined earlier research, concluding it lacked sufficient data due to inconsistent state reporting on SWAT usage.