Militarization of Police - Yes or No?

[Burn-E]

Where does militarization and excessive use of force by the local police lead us?  When weapons are drawn and fired rather than efforts being made to build connections within the community does the latent hostility lead to the distrust and destruction we seem to see on lather, rinse, repeat cycles?  Or is this just an example of overreaction by the community and should be treated as nothing to look at here, move along?  Did Sandra Bland have it coming to her? What about John Geer?  Do the police overreact in their focus of protecting themselves while forgetting that their role is to serve and protect the community? 

So a former Army infantryman shares his experience from the other side of a home raid by armed officers and compare the experience and outcome with how actions by officers lead to reactions by the community.

In Iraq, I raided insurgents. In Virginia, the police raided me.

The money quote is this:

Of course, officers’ safety is vital, and they’re entitled to defend themselves and the communities they serve. But they’re failing to see the connection between their aggressive postures and the hostility they’ve encountered in Ferguson, Mo., Baltimore and other communities. When you level assault rifles at protesters, you create animosity. When you kill an unarmed man on his own property while his hands are raised — as Fairfax County police did in 2013 — you sow distrust. And when you threaten to Taser a woman during a routine traffic stop (as happened to 28-year-old Sandra Bland, who died in a Texas jail this month), you cultivate a fear of police. This makes policing more dangerous for everyone.

 

[flyfishing3]

i could care less if i was pulled over by a tank.

 

If i did nothing wrong, i should be able to make my case, either on the side of the road or in court.  If i did something wrong, i need to be prepared for the consequences.  

 

bland was piping off and it escalated quickly.  

[caanglin]

If i did nothing wrong, i should be able to make my case,

Spoken like a true white person. 

[Burn-E]

So Mike, what exactly did Samuel Dubose do?

http://heavy.com/news/2015/07/ray-tensing-samuel-dubose-criminal-record-cincinnati-police-shooting-victim-cop/

Your attitude, which perpetuates across much of society, is part of the problem.

[caanglin]

[Fudge_Brownie]

i could care less if i was pulled over by a tank.

 

bland was piping off and it escalated quickly.  

How bout if the Officer approached you with gun drawn, in your face? Would you be okay with that? I'm really surprised a guy so strongly against guns in civilian hands is so happy with police being trusted with a tank for a traffic stop.

Bland was acting clearly irritated, however, she did answer the officer's questions up till he asked her to put her cigarette out in what was clearly a retaliatory "you wanna act mad, I will too" move. That's not good peace keeping. Now after the request to put the cigarette out, she screwed up over and over again, and arguably earned the arrest.

[Kevin.]

the mindset of "I did nothing wrong and I have nothing to hide so do what you want" is so backwards it makes my head hurt

[Piston Slapper]

I'm really surprised a guy so strongly against guns in civilian hands is so happy with police being trusted with a tank for a traffic stop.

He thinks he's "anti-gun", but he's really just 'pro-police-monopoly-on-power'

[flyfishing3]

I typed out a response and its gone.  Let me try to remember what i typed. lol

 

The vid: the guy would not answer the question.  He knew he didn't have a license on himself.  Thats absurd to be driving around with out it unless something was wrong.  Bottle of booze in footwell.  The quick move to start car and take off.  What if he would of gotten into a high speed chase and killed your family.  I'm not for shooting every law breaker and this was unfortunate.  Lets look at hiring practices and training instead of blaming all cops.

 

Spoken like a person not up shenanigans

I've said my position on arming police before.

 

Kev, i do not want the police to just walk in my house, and if they have a justified reason to come in, Ok.

 

Why would an officer approach me with his gun drawn?

[Burn-E]

 

Why would an officer approach me with his gun drawn?

Because you are easily confused for a small bear? 

Like fivex84 said, that's a luxury a white man enjoys not worrying about.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Burn-E

[flyfishing3]

 

Because you are easily confused for a small bear? 

 

i Laughed out loud.

[caanglin]

Why would an officer approach me with his gun drawn?

Granted open carry is stupid but this is a funny comparison. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvW_zBvJlsA

[Burn-E]

Let me tell you a story Mike.  Six years ago we acquired a brand new Honda Odyssey and a week later as I was driving down a back country road I was pulled over.  The officer sits in his car for a a few moments and then another trooper comes racing up on the other side.  They both approach my car, my kids are kind of freaking out, the officers are approaching with hands on weapons.  As I roll down my window to talk with the one officer the other continues to circle the van scoping it out.  Turns out a white van just like mine had been involved in a hit and run. Mis-identification happens all the time. As a white guy I had little to worry about.  A black CEO apparently has more than a little to be concerned about: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/25/opinion/on-the-death-of-sandra-bland-and-our-vulnerable-bodies.html

But what if during the encounter at my window one of my kids freaked out in the back seat and I tried to settle them down and in the process the officer thought I was reaching for something dangerous? Or if the car accidentally lurched forward - because I had not put it in park yet?

But this isn't about race.  It's about overreactions by men and women who have guns and power and sometimes are on power trips or unnecessarily jumpy but do not realize that their behavior and treatment of the population they serve is a major contributor to the reactions they encounter.

[flyfishing3]

granted,

you've been around enough, the car goes into park and you put the hazard lights on, windows down, hands on roof.

but again it comes back to hiring practices and training.

[Burn-E]

I always heard it was hands on steering wheel.  

Sometimes you're just confused and addled and not thinking straight.  

The one time I got pulled over in Chicago was a stupid accidental run of a red light where I wound up stopping halfway into intersection because I didn't see the light in time because some bicyclist with a flashing white light on the front of his bike had distracted me.  I realized I couldn't back up so I pulled forward, saw the cop sitting at the light to my right and pulled over knowing full well he was going to turn on his lights - which he did.  The whole time I'm just thinking, crap, did I remember to put the latest registration in the glovebox so I reach over and start rummaging in it trying to find the card.  Right about then there's a knock on my passenger's side window and I glance up to see the second cop (there were two in the car) peering in at me.  Knowing Chicago cops I'm lucky I didn't get accidentally shot.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Burn-E