Blind, Deaf, Dumb and Deluded...
"There must be some way out of here," said the joker to the thief, | "There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief. | Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth, | None of them along the line know what any of it is worth."
In addition to an increase in the number of SWAT teams, their roles have expanded. Traditionally utilized for highly specialized action, such as barricaded suspects and hostage situations, the teams are increasingly engaged in traditional police work, especially work related to anti-drug efforts. The research shows that between 1990 and 1995 SWAT units were employed in their traditional roles for only a small number of occasions. Instead 75% of their activities were devoted to serving "high risk" warrants, such as "no-knock" warrants, mostly drug searches. "In SWAT units formed since 1980, their use has increased by 538 percent," said Kraska. He added that such units are now being deployed as full-time roaming patrols.
The SWAT teams wear camouflage, body armor and gas masks, and use weapons such as diversionary "flashbangs" (a diversionary device), submachine guns, explosives and chemical weapons. Kraska's survey shows that the SWAT teams receive training by active and retired military experts in special operations. Heckler and Koch, makers of the MP5 submachine gun used by the Navy Seals, also provide training to the SWAT teams. Some units also have helicopters and armored personnel carriers at their disposal.
National Drug Strategy Network | S.W.A.T. Team Use In U.S. Law Enforcement Dramatically Increases [1997]
Law and Order...
"No reason to get excited," the thief, he kindly spoke, | "There are many here among us who feel that life is but a joke. | But you and I, we've been through that, and this is not our fate, | So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late."
Departmental SWAT teams have accepted the military as a model for their behavior and outlook, which is distinctly impersonal and elitist; American streets are viewed as the "front" and American citizens as the "enemy." The sharing of training and technology by the military and law enforcement agencies has produced a shared mindset, and the mindset of the warrior is simply not appropriate for the civilian police officer charged with enforcing the law.
The soldier confronts an enemy in a life-or-death situation. The soldier learns to use lethal force on the enemy, both uniformed and civilian, irrespective of age or gender. The soldier must sometimes follow orders unthinkingly, acts in concert with his comrades, and initiates violence on command. That mentality, with which new recruits are strenuously indoctrinated in boot camp, can be a matter of survival to the soldier and the nation at war.
The civilian law enforcement officer, on the other hand, confronts not an "enemy" but individuals who, like him, are both subject to the nation’s laws and protected by the Bill of Rights. Although the police officer can use force in life-threatening situations, the Constitution and numerous Supreme Court rulings have circumscribed the police officer’s direct use of force, as well as his power of search and seizure. In terms of violence, the police officer’s role is—or should be—purely reactive. When a police officer begins to think like a soldier, tragic consequences—such as the loss of innocent life at Waco—will result.
Cato Institute | Warrior Cops — The Ominous Growth of Paramilitarism in American Police Departments [1999]
Exporting Democracy...
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view | While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
The Marines also had a hand in training the so-called Al Hillah special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team. Based on training received from the Marine force-reconnaissance units, Al Hillah is comparable to U.S. special operations forces. Force-recon Marines are experts in direct-action, close-quarter fighting and reconnaissance operations. The force-recon Marines started training a handful of specially picked men from the Al Hillah province. These soldiers receive training in marksmanship, tactics, but also mission planning and decision making. The SWAT team ran missions with the Marines in the province of Babil, the site of the ancient city of Babylon. The team now has 175 members. For additional experience, some of them have been training in Jordan. Other specialized units include the special police commando battalions, which represent the Iraqi ministry of interior’s strike-force capability. The commandos, ultimately to be composed of six full battalions, are vetted Iraqi officers and rank-and-file servicemen.
National Defense | Iraqi Special Forces Need More Training, Equipment [2005]
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl, | Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
Bob Dylan | All Along The Watchtower
