Law enforcement officers are a vital part of our communities. They play an important role in the safety of the citizens across the country. Given this, the increasing amount of militarization of police and the increase in paramilitary police units has called for reform across the nation. Evaluating the appropriate use for these units, including proper roles and deployment conditions, are valuable points of reform. Additionally, viewing the impact on the relationship between society and police, as well as consequences of the elevated number of paramilitary police units in the country are valuable sources of insight regarding eformation.
Recommendations in establishing an equilibrium between liberty and security, in regards to the Bill of Rights, have been compiled by our Study Group as part of the 2017 National Commission on Police Reform. Police militarization is not a new term. This trend has been growing since the 1980s. According to the study done by Peter Kraska and Victor Kappeler in the 1990s, the militarization of police had increased exponentially from the 1980s into the late 1990s. If the growth is following this same pattern, current police militarization is continually on the rise.
Some factors that contribute to this ncrease can be larger threats across the world from terror groups, such as ISIS, or from growing violent crime rates in the United States. Many organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, believe that the growing militarization of police is a threat to the freedoms of American citizens (“Police Militarization”). These organizations fight to promote awareness of this trend, and they work to spread the word of one’s rights within the justice system. Awareness of police militarization is the first step in ensuring this practice receives adequate attention to promote reform.
While paramilitary police units can e viewed as dangerous catalysts to volatile situations, they can also be essential in extremely specific circumstances. These units can quickly deter a potential disaster when used appropriately. Their role lies in a reactionary measure, after citizens have posed a greater threat to society. This can include riots, hostage situations, domestic or foreign terrorist attacks, and so forth. Also, military grade vehicles can be important when searching through destroyed cities after natural disasters have occurred.
If they are used in this manner, no personnel on board should possess any weapon more than a regular police fficer. They should be used to protect the citizens in a city when situations propose dangerous activities. Once in use in the public, they should remain unbiased and work solely to prevent further death or destruction to people and their property. In addition to their roles, their deployment is a key factor to consider before initiating reform. Paramilitary policy units should be deployed only when all other efforts made by the police department and justice system have been exhausted.
Additionally, their use should be reserved for when it is deemed absolutely necessary by a higher power, like the state or federal overnment. These units should be a last resort, for when a situation has gotten so far out of control of the local law enforcement that there is no resolve available for regular police officers. Paramilitary police units should then be able to come in, with efforts to peacefully eliminate the threat. Paramilitary police units should remain trained and ready in case a situation should arise that calls for their services.
They should not be exploited for simple uses, such as serving warrants. Furthermore, they should not be deployed because they have not been needed for a significant amount of time. Paramilitary olice units should be reserved for those times when the options for protection and resolution have been drained. The climbing number of paramilitary police units has brought about consequences no individual could have predicted. What was originally intended to be a useful precautionary measure has developed a wide sense of fear and unrest within our nation.
The use of armored vehicles or police teams, such as the SWAT team, in situations where regular police officers are qualified to perform the job has caused unnecessary escalation of such events (“Police Militarization”). Additionally, the presence f militarized officers at peaceful events has led some of these events to become violent. Specifically, people protesting the questionable shootings of unarmed black men in the United States are further angered when these military-style officers show up and corral them like criminals. This anger causes some citizens to lash out at police officers and cause mayhem.
Also, police officers may be weary of those protesting against them, and they feel more inclined to defend themselves, which leads to potential aggressive outbursts. These two feelings make a volatile combination that was most likely unseen by the start of olice militarization. Furthermore, the lack of prosecution against police officials involved in these shootings has driven the distrust of law enforcement officers throughout the past few years (Murray, 2016). These consequences have led to a divide between law enforcement officials and society.
Paramilitary policing has dramatically altered the relationship between the police and the general public. As stated previously, these feelings can cause a sense of unrest between the police and citizens they serve to protect. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, paramilitary is defined as “of, relating to, being, or haracteristic of a force formed on a military pattern especially as a potential auxiliary military force. ” By this definition, one can better understand the concern that surrounds the militarization of police officers in the United States.
The public has begun to fear the police, rather than feel safe in their presence. The public feels threatened and/or attacked by police officers dressed in military grade clothing, sporting military grade weapons. Intimidation is also felt throughout society when they see police officers that resemble soldiers in military vehicles patrolling their cities. Our Study Group has developed the following recommendations for reforming the use of military grade dress, weapons, and vehicles in a civilian environment.
Strict regulation should be placed upon the distribution of prior military equipment to police departments. This regulation includes weapons and vehicles of any kind, clothing, and tactical training. All training seminars should be approved by the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense before the first class is held anywhere in the nation. Additionally, proper precautionary measures should be implemented before use of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected, or MRAPS, or any other military grade vehicle is used.
These precautions should include in-depth training of the appropriate uses for such vehicles. All purchases and donations of military grade equipment should be reported to the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense before they are finalized or received. Failure to do so could cause the agency to lose any and all access to military grade equipment indefinitely. The citizens within the states should be allowed a say on if they feel their county or city should invest in this type of power within their police departments.
Before purchases or donations are to be approved by the county or city, they should hold a meeting available to the public for questions and concerns to be addressed. After doing so, citizens should be able to cast a vote for or against the purchase or donation. These votes should be taken into consideration before the county or city proceeds with the acquisition of any new military grade equipment. In conclusion, paramilitary police units can make a significant difference in some situations. However, the militarization of police desperately requires reform in order to adequately serve he population.
While the use and presence of paramilitary police units can completely alter and/or subdue a situation, it is our responsibility to ensure they are being used appropriately and only when absolutely necessary. Through reformation, our society can utilize paramilitary police units in a safe manner when a situation calls for their force. Whether reform fall into the hands of the federal government or the local citizens in a city, improvements are required for change in this trend to occur. Overall, police militarization can be beneficial to society but only when used appropriately.