SWAT Team Mania: The War Against the American Citizen

rutherford.org ^ | 13 June, 2011 | John W. Whitehead

[marktwain]

All officers take an oath to protect and defend the Constituion of the United States, and usually of their home state. We need to use the new media to hold them accountable for the observance of their oath.

[Diogenesis]

The Dept. of Education apparently “misplaced” some
of the student-repaid money; and to cover this up
“confuses” tyranny with due process.

[Jack Hammer]

The Africanization of America proceeds apace.

[Wolfie]

Horse, meet Barn Door. After all, it was all fun and games when they were just sticking it to the druggies, eh?

[exit82]

This is a big issue.

SWAT teams are for violent situations.

And there should be no such thing as a no-knock warrant.

If you tolerate these things, the governement will use them more and more. The Jose Guerena murder was a wake-up call.

How many folks have been killed in their own homes, many times the result of a mistaken address? How many family pets are shot dead, in front of children, to “make a point”?

And for what, a war on drugs that is 40 years old with no sign of ending?

These hut-hut-hut shock and awe troops are out of control, against our own citizens, with no accountability.

Either the Fourth Amendment has meaning or it does not.

[pnh102]

Imagine how much local taxes could be saved if SWAT teams were cut from the budget.

[samtheman]

All officers take an oath to protect and defend the Constituion of the United States, and usually of their home state. We need to use the new media to hold them accountable for the observance of their oath.

How are we going to do that when the Supreme Court seems to think that the constitution doesn't prohibit these murderous home invasions?

In recent months, because of reading more and more of these stories, I have completely reversed myself on the position of the Drug War.

I would now rather try to deal (as a society) with the consequences of increased drug use than have this backwoods 3rd-world animals-in-uniform running the Thugocracy known as America.

End the War on Drugs and you end 90% of the justification for these unspeakable savages. I know they'll come up with other reasons (like unpaid student loans), but taking away the War on Drugs will go a long way towards pulling the carpet out from under their feet.

[momtothree]

“SWAT teams are for violent situations”.

I understand when SWAT is sent in on a situation where there are hostages or major bad guys (like the D.C. snipers for example). I understand that but to send them for unpaid student loans etc.. is ridiculous. What’s next? Unpaid parking tickets? To me, this is more than just a big issue. It is downright FRIGHTENING!!

[AlexW]

American police are becoming nothing less then Jack Booted Thugs.
I saw stark examples of it before I left the USSA in 2004.

[driftdiver]

Cops on FR have expressed frustration that their “rules of engagement” are tighter than those in Afghanistan.

[Walrus]

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION S.W.A.T. team ???????

As a citizen, I am outraged and demand that the Secretary be hauled before congress to explain just what in hell is going on.

[driftdiver]

Africanization? More like Stalin, Castro or any number of other dictators.

[Condor51]

65 percent of towns with populations between 25,000 and 50,000 had a paramilitary unit,

One of those is mine. Our pop is 32.000 (maybe 35K now ) and we have a SWAT Unit. The only *problem* is we don't have any violent crime.

The last murder was 3 years ago. Committed by one of the Amish guys from Chicago who was visiting his 'girlfriend' in one of the Section Eight apartment complexes on the south side of town (we have 3 around there iirc). He was captured by old fashioned police work - fingerprints' - in three days 'hiding out' in Chicago at his mother's house, Doh!.

Our biggest Crime Problem is some a-holes who are breaking car windows and stealing stuff in plain view on the car seat. Those crimes are centralized in two areas and a GD stakeout could prolly catch the mutts. NO SWAT TEAM NEEDED.

Yet we have one
(I bet their Pinochle and Gin Rummy skills have increased x 10⁶).

[driftdiver]

Several years ago a city used a SWAT team to conduct a no-knock on a family. A 2 yr old child was held at gun point during the raid.

The offense? The father was suspected of exceeding his limit while fishing that day.

[GlockThe Vote]

Bump.

[MichaelP]

This story should scare the hell out of every one of you. We are marching headlong into a Soviet Style police state. We blow it off because it isn't our door the SWAT team is busting down... but it could be! We should be outraged; this is more of a threat to our freedom than any single issue. These are the enforcers of tyranny!

Mike

[Joe Brower]

The deliberate militarization of our domestic police forces has been going on for a very long time. Note the date on the magazine cover. Some have been pointing this out for quite a while now. At some point it gets so large it can no longer be ignored. That time is now.

Although their equipment and tactics may overlap to a large degree, very few understand any longer the fundamental difference between military and police operations: The military's role is, as the saying goes, 'to kill people and break things'. Their mission is to close with an enemy and destroy him.

However, domestic police are, or used to be, operating under the paradigm of facing citizens who have rights and whom are presumed innocent until proven guilty. These roles are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Unfortunately, this all-important distinction has been lost to most, and overall, in time, with all the military gear and military training goes the military mindset. The principle of policing, at least as defined by American jurisprudence, is lost.

[momtothree]

“... suspected of exceeding his limit while fishing that day”.

That is absolutely horrifying. I believe the idea of SWAT is to save an innocent two year old from a kidnapping situation or a hostage event.. something like that. NOT be the goons that actually terrorize a little baby! Dang, I think I have an overdue library book. I better pay the fine and get it back right now or my three kids will be held at gunpoint and my dogs shot. Just, dang!

[Paladin2]

"While the frequency of SWAT operations has increased dramatically in recent years, jumping from 1,000 to 40,000 raids per year by 2001, it appears to have less to do with increases in violent crime and more to do with law enforcement bureaucracy and a police state mentality. Indeed, according to Kraska’s estimates, 75-80 percent of SWAT callouts are now for mere warrant service. In some jurisdictions, SWAT teams are responsible for servicing 100 percent of all drug warrants issued."

[Walrus]

Police departments are the ONLY organizations that should be permitted to maintain SWAT teams, and limited ones, at that.

I can think of nothing more dangerous to our liberty than a bureaucrat with a SWAT team backing him up.