Great piece on police militarization that you need to read.
This past week the nation has watched on television the events unfolding in Ferguson, Missouri involving the shooting of an African-American teenager by a white police officer. Following this event has been the resultant “days of rage” outbursts by protestors who have demanded justice for the slain black teen. While it is not my intent to go into the details involving the investigation of that incident (That is a separate issue), relevant sub-plots have emerged from this event, among which has been the concept of “Police Militarization.”
Police Militarization is not a new concept. Police forces have long had links with the military that no other civil service can boast of. Among these similarities are: A hierarchical structural ranking system (i.e., Chain of Command), uniforms, and the legal mandate to use coercive force as a means of enforcing laws. Indeed, there are similarities between the two, however there are also…
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