Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America

The Cato Institute ^ | July 16, 2006 | Radley Balko

[rbalko]

Paper on America's love affair with the SWAT team and "dynamic entry" raids.

See scary accompanying map of botched no-knocks and other SWAT-style raids.

[A Strict Constructionist]

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a retired SWAT neighbor who now agrees that it has gone way too far. I would go as far as limiting the use of BDU type clothes and put COPS back in blazers and forbid military hair cuts. My neighbor calls many of these PO'S wana bees. Not good enough for the SEALS, Rangers or Green Beret or his favorite Force Recon (Semper Fi).

[DariusBane]

I read the WND article, and although I don't trust anything coming from that rag, it was a disturbing story, and not a unique story. The biggest mistake we have made is allowing the courts and law enforcement to use seized assets for their own ends. As far as the generally disagreeable personality of cops...Well, cops will be cops, which is why we have a bill of rights and the ability to sue their a$$ in court.

[dljordan]

"For the children......indeed."

The new phrase I see being parroted by public offcials is "it's for the family".

[ElkGroveDan]

I read the WND article, and although I don't trust anything coming from that rag,

I've been following the story for years, having grown up in those parts. I can vouch for the main facts of their article.

[Joe Brower]

Heh-heh. That's why I have all that bandwidth available. $:-)

[Titan Magroyne]

Hilarious!

and self-ping for further perusal at leisure

[Blood of Tyrants]

Hell, it is unlawful to resist arrest even if the cop is completely in the wrong.

[Spirited]

Then they hire PR firms to tell us how great they are and that we should respect them. Only the stupid buy it.

[elkfersupper]

which is why we have a bill of rights and the ability to sue their a$$ in court.

With frighteningly increasing frequency, police actions are becoming "administrative sanctions", with no opportunity for a court.

This is the way they do speed and red light cameras.

Soon, the SWAT teams move will be against the house, not against the people.

That way, you have no defendant(s).

You have to have both plaintiffs and defendants to get to court (and by the way, individuals generally cannot sue a government without its permission).

[oneolcop]

Was a cop for about 40 years. Retired last April. Had six OIS's but only one on an entry. (and that WAS a bad guy).

Where do you guys live that you have such FEAR of YOUR police departments? Where are the stats on how many wrong houses have been hit/innocent homeowners being shot. I admit there are some and any is too many, but come on guys. Sounds like the stuff of urban legends.

BTW It's not what you believe, but what you know that counts.

[headsonpikes]

Blame the trial attorneys, not some unseen hand of a totalitarian government...

Lawyers are the commissars of American-style socialism.

[steve-b]

The police NEED community support. This kind of crap on the part of non-locals will ensure that the locals suffer. Bad, bad idea.

This crap is eventually going to cause police-community relationships in respectable middle-class suburbia to sink to the level characteristic of the worst gang-banger turf.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[DariusBane]

I heard Mayor Marty on the radio the other day claiming that his favorite founding father was Thomas Jefferson. I practically fell out of my chair with bitter laughter.

[jjm2111]

Whenever I see a cop w/ bloused boots in NYC start laughing aloud. Are there chiggers on the streets of Manhattan?

[absolootezer0]

have you guys seen this one? cato institutes's interactive map of botched police raids.

[LibertarianInExile]

"is there a difference?"

No kidding, it's like blaming the chicken for the egg or vice versa.

[LibertarianInExile]

"Where do you guys live that you have such FEAR of YOUR police departments?"

Police often think they are in a class by themselves, because they are always a target. It is a tough job, and indeed, they ARE targets. But that job is made more difficult because of transgressions that seem to place police above the law on a regular basis, including commonplace perjury on the stand, and the highly visible siren-and-lights-across-the-intersection trick. If I didn't regularly see both, I wouldn't be so concerned that the separate class has become an elitist one. But both are widespresd.

[clamper1797]

We recently caught the husband and wife LEO's down the street RED-HANDED setting out poison (anti-freeze) for the neighborhood cats. Here is a letter to the DA from my next door neighbor who lost two cats to their poison. I lost one. It has now been 3 weeks and nothing has happened ... no charges. I passed out 30 flyers round the neighborhood warning about the pet poisoning. From those initial 30 flyers we had 14 responses from neighbors who's pets were missing, sick, or had died recently.

Mr. Howell,

It has been three weeks since your Officer ((name with held) came to investigate Mr. and Mrs. (name with held) "admitted" poisoning of cats on (Name with Held) Road in Discovery Bay.

We were advised by Officer (name with held) that the case would be turned over to the District Attorneys Office for prosecution.

Rest assured this is not going to just go away because these people are "Peace Officers." These people are psychos and have been terrorizing the neighborhood for years.

This is just the most recent example of a several years long history of vandalizm and intimidation. Literally dozens of complaints and lawsuits by numerous neighbors have been files against these people BUT nothing has happened to them to make them stop. Even recently retired judge (name with held) who is representing two of the neighbors in civil cases against these people has expressed his frustration at the apparent reluctance of local law enforcement to charge them.

These people "admittedly" tried to kill our cats, even bragged to other neighbors that they would do so. Sheriffs deputy (name with held) found several bowls of anti-freeze in, under and around their deck. We also have samples of the contents of these bowls which are currently being tested by an independant company.

Since they were caught Mr. (name with held) has said to neighbors that "they ain't going to do nuthin" and "wait and see what's next"

Well we can't wait "to see what's next"

We want to see a formal complaint filed against them for cruelty to animals, immediately. We are seriously concerned about them killing our pets and are living in fear that we can not let our pets outside. We want to know that a formal complaint has been filed against Mr. and Mrs. (name with held) and we want a copy of the complaint. And we will become involved as we can. We are finished living in fear and will band together to bring these evil doers to justice wether it be vigilante justice or major press coverage. We are prepared for that. We have an entire neighborhood group ready to unleash this case to the press which we are sure will take on an entire life of it's own but we wanted to do things the right way to start with. But we don't see anything happening. No one has contacted us. Please let us know that this is not getting swept under the carpet because these bastards are supposedly "sworn pease officers."

End of Letter

Anyone who doesn't think the Leo's don't get a pass doesn't live here and doesn't know what their talking about