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Thread: ACLU Launches Nationwide Police Militarization Investigation

  1. #1
    Registered User LAGC's Avatar

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    ACLU Launches Nationwide Police Militarization Investigation

    The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has launched a nationwide campaign to assess police militarization in the United States. Starting Wednesday, ACLU affiliates in 23 states are sending open records requests to hundreds of state and local police agencies requesting information about their SWAT teams, such as how often and for what reasons they're deployed, what types of weapons they use, how often citizens are injured during SWAT raids, and how they're funded. More affiliates may join the effort in the coming weeks.

    Additionally, the affiliates will ask for information about drones, GPS tracking devices, how much military equipment the police agencies have obtained through programs run through the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, and how often and for what purpose state National Guards are participating in enforcement of drug laws.

    "We've known for a while now that American neighborhoods are increasingly being policed by cops armed with the weapons and tactics of war," said Kara Dansky, senior counsel at the ACLU's Center for Justice, which is coordinating the investigation. "The aim of this investigation is to find out just how pervasive this is, and to what extent federal funding is incentivizing this trend."

    The militarization of America's police forces has been going on for about a generation now. Former Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates first conceived the idea of the SWAT team in the late 1960s, in response to the Watts riots and a few mass shooting incidents for which he thought the police were unprepared. Gates wanted an elite team of specialized cops similar to groups like the Army Rangers or Navy SEALs that could respond to riots, barricades, shootouts, or hostage-takings with more skill and precision than everyday patrol officers.
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    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2813334.html

    It's about time someone stood up and took notice.

    Once they're done auditing the police, they need to take a hard, long look into DHS as well.

    Our own fucking Brownshirts in the making...

    "That tyranny has all the vices both of democracy and oligarchy is evident. As of oligarchy so of tyranny, the end is wealth; (for by wealth only can the tyrant maintain either his guard or his luxury). Both mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -- Aristotle, Book V, 350 B.C.E

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    Registered User LAGC's Avatar

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    Check out their blog:

    http://www.aclu.org/militarization

    1. Confused after throwing a deafening and blinding “flashbang” into a home, police mistakenly shot and killed a sleeping nine-year-old.
    Read more »

    2. A county sheriff’s department in South Carolina has an armored personnel carrier dubbed "The Peacemaker," which can shoot weapons that the U.S. military specifically refrains from using on people.
    Read more »

    3. New Hampshire police received federal funds for a counter-attack vehicle, asking “what red-blooded American cop isn’t going to be excited about getting a toy like this?”
    Read more »

    4. Two SWAT Teams shut down a neighborhood in Colorado for four hours to search for a man suspected of stealing a bicycle and merchandise from Wal-Mart.
    Read more »

    5. A company in Arizona submitted a patent for shock cuffs, which can be used by cops to remotely administer a Taser-like shock to detainees.
    Read more »

    6. Police in North Dakota borrowed a $154 million Predator drone from Homeland Security to arrest a family who refused to return six cows that wandered onto their farm.
    Read more »

    7. Police in Arkansas announced plans to patrol streets wearing full SWAT gear and carrying AR-15 assault rifles.
    Read more »

    8. Drone manufacturers may offer police remote controlled drones with weapons like rubber bullets, Tasers, and tear gas.
    Read more »

    9. An Arizona SWAT team defended shooting an Iraq War veteran 60 times during a drug raid, but had to retract its claim that the veteran shot first.
    Read more »

    10. The New York City Police Department disclosed that it deployed “counter-terror” measures against Occupy Movement protesters.
    Read more »


    SHIT IS GETTING REAL IN THIS COUNTRY.
    "That tyranny has all the vices both of democracy and oligarchy is evident. As of oligarchy so of tyranny, the end is wealth; (for by wealth only can the tyrant maintain either his guard or his luxury). Both mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -- Aristotle, Book V, 350 B.C.E

  3. #3
    Senior Member Oswald Bastable's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by LAGC View Post
    Check out their blog:

    http://www.aclu.org/militarization

    1. Confused after throwing a deafening and blinding “flashbang” into a home, police mistakenly shot and killed a sleeping nine-year-old.
    Read more »

    2. A county sheriff’s department in South Carolina has an armored personnel carrier dubbed "The Peacemaker," which can shoot weapons that the U.S. military specifically refrains from using on people.
    Read more »

    3. New Hampshire police received federal funds for a counter-attack vehicle, asking “what red-blooded American cop isn’t going to be excited about getting a toy like this?”
    Read more »

    4. Two SWAT Teams shut down a neighborhood in Colorado for four hours to search for a man suspected of stealing a bicycle and merchandise from Wal-Mart.
    Read more »

    5. A company in Arizona submitted a patent for shock cuffs, which can be used by cops to remotely administer a Taser-like shock to detainees.
    Read more »

    6. Police in North Dakota borrowed a $154 million Predator drone from Homeland Security to arrest a family who refused to return six cows that wandered onto their farm.
    Read more »

    7. Police in Arkansas announced plans to patrol streets wearing full SWAT gear and carrying AR-15 assault rifles.
    Read more »

    8. Drone manufacturers may offer police remote controlled drones with weapons like rubber bullets, Tasers, and tear gas.
    Read more »

    9. An Arizona SWAT team defended shooting an Iraq War veteran 60 times during a drug raid, but had to retract its claim that the veteran shot first.
    Read more »

    10. The New York City Police Department disclosed that it deployed “counter-terror” measures against Occupy Movement protesters.
    Read more »


    SHIT IS GETTING REAL IN THIS COUNTRY.
    Must warm the cockles of your heart that it's the Marxists bringing us this exercise in Reich building...
    If we refuse to rule ourselves with reason, then we shall be ruled by our passions.

    He, Who Will Not Reason, Is a Bigot; He, Who Cannot, Is a Fool; and He, Who Dares Not, Is a Slave. -Sir William Drummond

    There are some things I will not abide within my sight!

  4. #4
    Registered User LAGC's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by Oswald Bastable View Post
    Must warm the cockles of your heart that it's the Marxists bringing us this exercise in Reich building...
    I thought it was the conservatives/Republicans/fascists that were so gung-ho pro-police, cops-can-do-no-wrong, etc?

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but DHS was a brain-fart of the Bush Administration, was it not?
    "That tyranny has all the vices both of democracy and oligarchy is evident. As of oligarchy so of tyranny, the end is wealth; (for by wealth only can the tyrant maintain either his guard or his luxury). Both mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -- Aristotle, Book V, 350 B.C.E

  5. #5
    Senior Member

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    Meanwhile, the greatest criminals in American history walk the streets of dc free as birds.

  6. #6
    Senior Member ready's Avatar

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    Roger that.

  7. #7
    Contributor 02/2014 FunkyPertwee's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by LAGC View Post
    I thought it was the conservatives/Republicans/fascists that were so gung-ho pro-police, cops-can-do-no-wrong, etc?

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but DHS was a brain-fart of the Bush Administration, was it not?
    Republicans and Democrats switched positions on this one sometime in the last ten years.
    "I'm fucking furious, I'm violently angry, and I like it. If you don't know what that feels like then I feel bad for you"

  8. #8
    Guns Network Contributor 04/2013 El Laton Caliente's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by LAGC View Post
    I thought it was the conservatives/Republicans/fascists that were so gung-ho pro-police, cops-can-do-no-wrong, etc?

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but DHS was a brain-fart of the Bush Administration, was it not?
    Fascism is a "Progressive" invention... USA conservatives are conserving the classic liberalism of the founding fathers...

  9. #9
    was_peacemaker
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    Quote Originally Posted by 5.56NATO View Post
    Meanwhile, the greatest criminals in American history walk the streets of dc free as birds.
    Dang! Well said dude...well said.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Cypher's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by LAGC View Post
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but DHS was a brain-fart of the Bush Administration, was it not?
    Bush did start it but like many things when the next POTUS comes into office things can and do change. All of the recent big ammo and armored vehicle purchases took place under hussein.

    For example....
    Janet Napolitano (born November 29, 1957) is the first woman to serve as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, in office since 2009.

  11. #11
    Senior Member Oswald Bastable's Avatar

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    Quote Originally Posted by LAGC View Post
    I thought it was the conservatives/Republicans/fascists that were so gung-ho pro-police, cops-can-do-no-wrong, etc?

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but DHS was a brain-fart of the Bush Administration, was it not?
    That has been the leftist (redirection of intent) mantra for many years, but given leftists all believe the end justifies the means, a reasonably intelligent individual would recognize that mantra for what it is.

    However, note carefully which party it is that's accelerating us down the goose-step road faster than you can say, "Ignore the man behind the curtain."
    If we refuse to rule ourselves with reason, then we shall be ruled by our passions.

    He, Who Will Not Reason, Is a Bigot; He, Who Cannot, Is a Fool; and He, Who Dares Not, Is a Slave. -Sir William Drummond

    There are some things I will not abide within my sight!

  12. #12
    Senior Member Dr. Gonzo GED's Avatar

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    SWAT teams themselves are not necesarily a bad thing. Several high profile terrorist fiasco of the 70's lead the the development of groups like SWAT and GIGN to fill a very important roll. The need for highly trained and disciplined shock troops to engage trully dangerous groups of armed people is genuine. When used in their original capacity SWAT teams are absolutely beneficial to society at large.

    That said, serving no-nock warrants on weed dealers and beating the shit out of peaceful protestors is a far cry from storming a hostage situation. Terrorising petty criminals and the public at large is not what they were originally for...

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