The gear and technology and vehicles of militarization concern me, but I'm more worried about the psychological aspects. It's the thinking, the mindset, the executive function behind the deployment and use of personnel and gear, that is ultimately where the problem exists.
Why are SWAT teams and SWAT-style (no-knock, aggressive) tactics so common?
Because, as the saying goes, "to the drug warrior, evidence is more important than people's lives"?
Because that which is purchased and trained for must be regularly used and executed lest the training fade?
Because every means, no matter how extreme, should be utilized to reduce the risk to LEOs so they can go home to their families?
Because society has broken down so much that cities are war zones? Is there a reason, other than lack of resources (SWAT officers and armored vehicles), why SWAT teams aren't first to arrive to burglary or domestic violence calls?
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Aristotle
We are what we repeatedly do.
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And if police routinely get into the mentality of doing no-knocks or 5-second-knocks (then-break-down-the-door-and-toss-a-flashbang-in-a-crib), does it take wild speculation to guess what will happen to their psychologies and the overall attitude of LEOs in any official interactions?
Is the "warrior mindset" something to be admired or shunned in the absence of a counterbalancing aspect of calm and restraint (like that which many eastern philosophies instruct)? Why is it that martial arts schools emphasize restraint and disengagement until defensive violence becomes unavoidable, while Law Enforcement seems to go in the opposite direction?