Since 9/11, we have seen a massive shift in the appearance of our police. While some level of increased weapons and tactics may be justified, our present law enforcements officers are barely discernible from troops in foreign wars.
Not only have the officers themselves been militarized to the point of looking like an invading force, but their vehicles are the same as those being used to fight insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. These armed and unarmed vehicles are being supplied to local and state law enforcement agencies through the federal government’s 1033 program. Small town sheriff’s department across the country now have military vehicles designed to defend against improvised explosive devices, automatic machine gun fire and high caliber rifles. We see hundreds of small town agencies who are reeling financially from the 2008 crisis with massive armored personnel carriers. When we consider the unimaginable amount of money required to maintain these vehicles, we wonder what these agencies know that we don’t. Why would they think it is necessary to part with such scarce monetary resources for gas and maintenance unless they are anticipating a cataclysmic event?
In making the police look like a military force by what they wear and what they drive, we’ve witnessed a significant transmutation in their behavior. Early no-knock raids are up nationally from 3,000 in 1980 to roughly 90,000 today. That 2700% increase has resulted in a huge amount of fatalities. The no-knock warrant was once reserved for only the most violent of criminals, but are now served for suspicion of simple marijuana possession. There are numerous incidents of police raiding the wrong house, murdering or injuring innocent occupants and killing family pets. What’s next?
About the author: Scott Bernstein is the CEO of Global Security International LLC headquartered in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. He has extensive experience as a Counterterrorist Consultant, International Apprehension Operative, Human & Sex Trafficking Expert and a Military and Law Enforcement Trainer. He is available as a Consultant and as a Speaker. In addition to his LinkedIn profile, you can also interact with Scott on his LinkedIn group http://bit.ly/1LMp2hj.
Scott Bernstein is the founder and director of Global Security International (GSI). They implement unconventional techniques such as criminal profiling, victimology, behavioral Psychology, Neuro-Psychology, pre-text art and expert skip tracing. To reach GSI (Global Security International), reach them at 984-235-4816 or in writing at usahunt@aol.com.
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