Many people have noticed that several of the local police officers, particularly the younger ones are more gruff, rude and even abusive as compared to the past. Many veteran officers attribute the shift towards DHS’ training of local police which focuses on teaching the police that the public is their enemy as opposed to the traditional view that teaches that the local population and the police are partners in keeping the community safe.

A Government of Wolves... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $1.16 Buy New $2.99 (as of 10:15 EST - Details) Whatever happened to the friendly neighborhood cop who walked a beat, was well-known and respected by the local residents and was seen as the protector of the neighborhood? Far too often, that cop has been replaced by thugs wearing camouflage, bank robber type black ski masks who are armed with automatic weapons and sometimes even break down the doors of people who are innocent.

A Long-Term Trend Towards the Militarization of the Local Police

Americans have long maintained that a man’s home is his castle and that he has the right to stand his ground in defending his property from dangerous interlopers.

Unfortunately, the right to defend one’s own home may be disappearing. America has become SWAT team happy. America has seen a disturbing trend towards militarization of its local civilian law enforcement, along with a dramatic and very disturbing rise in the use of paramilitary police units being used for routine police work. The most common use of SWAT teams today is to serve narcotics warrants, usually with forced, unannounced entry into the home. However, anyone can be SWAT-teamed, even those who default on their student loans have been SWAT-teamed. Rise of the Warrior Co... Radley Balko Best Price: $4.29 Buy New $25.00 (as of 05:50 EST - Details)

Since 9/11, and the subsequent militarization of the police by the Department of Homeland Security, about 5,000 Americans have been killed by US police officers. The civilian death rate is nearly equal to the number of US soldiers killed in Iraq. In fact, you are 8 times more likely to be killed by a police officer than by a terrorist.

Salt Lake City: The Federalization of Our Police

Under the creation of the Unified Police Department (UPD) in Salt Lake City, Utah local jurisdictions and municipalities which were previously controlled by the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, was reallocated to UPD. The UPD is a regional police force. They answer to no mayor, no city council and no county commissioners. The UPD is Salt Lake City’s new police department and serves as the model for the program which is being implemented in other police departments across the nation. This centralized Gestapo type of law enforcement does not belong anywhere in America.

It is clear that the police departments are being trained as the local enforcers of the coming martial law and they are also being trained to use horrific brutality.

While the majority of police officers are good men, reports like raiding the wrong house and subsequently killing the individuals inside are becoming more common place, and the officers that are involved rarely face any sort of consequences.

John Adams 61, was shot and killed by police in a drug raid on the wrong house. His wife Loraine, 70, was also handcuffed and forced to the ground. Not one of the officers has lost their job. In fact, some have even been promoted since the event.

Jose Guerena was shot and killed by several members of the Pima County Sheriff’s Office on a drug raid that produced no evidence of drug use or that of selling drugs. He was an Iraq veteran and the Pima Sheriffs officers let him bleed to death over the course of an hour after being shot over 60 times. The deputies denied Guerena medical attention. Not one of the officers has lost their job.

The Guerena and Adams cases are being played out all across the country. This is unacceptable in a supposed free society. However, what we are witnessing is the militarization of police for what looks like brutal martial law training. Why else would we see such senseless acts of violence being committed by police against American citizens all across the country?

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