NEED DISCUSSION REPLY IN 15 HOURS
Discuss American policing in 21st century America. Do you believe that American policing is militarized, or is this a myth? Explain why.
REPLY TO MY CLASSMATE’S RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTION AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE? (A MINIMUM OF 125 WORDS or MORE)
CLASSMATE’S POST
No it is not a myth, and I do believe that American policing is militarized. Welcome to the new era of policing, where cops increasingly see themselves as soldiers occupying enemy territory, often with the help of Uncle Sams armory, and where even nonviolent crimes are met with overwhelming force and brutality.
The cancer of militarized policing has long been metastasizing in the body politics. It has been growing ever stronger since the first Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams were born in the 1960’s and response to that decades turbulent mix of riots, disturbances, and senseless violence like Charles Whitman’s infamous clock-tower rampage in Austin, Texas (Harwood, 2014).
When SWAT is not the only indicator that the militarization of American policing is increasing, it is the most recognizable. The proliferation of SWAT teams across the country and their parliamentary tactics have spread a violent form of policing designed for the extraordinary but in these years made ordinary. When the concept of SWAT arose out of he Philadelphia and Los Angeles Police Departments, it was quickly packed up by big police officials nationwide. Initially, however, it was an elite force reserved for uniquely dangerous incidents, such as active shooters, hostage situations or large-scale disturbances (Harwood, 2014).
Reference:
Harwood, M. (2014). Crime and Justice. How did American’s Police Get so Militarized?
