4 ms·

This does not appear to happen in other developed, western countries. Not to the same extent at least. I have not seen it in New Zealand or Australia, although

This does not appear to happen in other developed, western countries. Not to the same extent at least. I have not seen it in New Zealand or Australia, although there are criminals and drug dealers in both. I have not heard of such a thing in the UK, France, Germany, Italy or Canada. Is this an American thing?

pandaman 9y ago
France and Italy, from what I know, have literal military [1,2] doing the job the police does in the US. So no, it's not an American thing. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Gendarmerie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Gendarmerie 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabinieri https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabinieri
- fixxer 9y ago
  Especially true in Paris these days...
- jsiepkes 9y ago
  The gendarmerie and the carabinieri are both national police services (like the FBI). They also do things like port security. I've seen gendarmerie, carabinieri but also local sherrifs offices; There is a world of difference between the first two and the last in terms of discipline and training. For example the first two don't make YouTube videos like these: https://youtu.be/CYunIrWDANU https://youtu.be/CYunIrWDANU
  - pandaman 9y ago
    I think you are slightly confused about FBI and city/county/state police forces in the US and policing in Europe. French police is a national police service like the FBI [1], Gendarmierie is a branch of military under command of the same Ministry of Interior, which also controls the National Police. It's an actual military, with military weapons, uniforms, barracks, chain of command etc. etc. There is nothing like this in the US indeed. National Guard is closest but it does not do law enforcement on regular basis. Similarly in Italy. National Police [2] is separate from Carabinieri, who are not even under the command of Ministry of Interior, but under the Ministry of Defence, making them even more "militarized" (which makes sense, since they also serve as MP). 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Police_(France) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Police_(France) 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polizia_di_Stato https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polizia_di_Stato
vacri 9y ago
The British and the anglo Dominion countries (can/aus/nz) have police that follow Peelian principles. Sir Robert Peel introduced these reforms in 1829, well after the American Revolution, and somewhat in response to the shady practices of the French police during their (post-)revolutionary period. The principles are basically starting from "work with the community" rather than "us vs them thin blue line". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles Mind you, the other countries also don't have a population which has hysterically self-armed itself in the last 2-3 decades. When everyone carries a gun and the police are still expected to do their duty, they have to have superior firepower at the end of the day.
jabl 9y ago
See the future of German police mobility: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMMV_Survivor_R https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMMV_Survivor_R Of course the police needs their own tank, because, you know, terrorists. Boo!
janesconference 9y ago
Plain wrong. In addition to Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza, Italy has had "classic" military (infantrymen in camo, from the Italian Army, Paratroopers and Artillery regiments) patrolling the streets in two separate operations, one of which is active nowadays: - Operation Sicilian Vespers, against the Mafia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sicilian_Vespers_(1992%E2%80%9398) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sicilian_Vespers_(19...), ceased in 1998. - Operation Safe Streets (strade sicure), against terrorism and generic crime. Still active (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operazione_Strade_sicure https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operazione_Strade_sicure)

pandaman 9y ago

France and Italy, from what I know, have literal military [1,2] doing the job the police does in the US. So no, it's not an American thing. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Gendarmerie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Gendarmerie 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabinieri https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carabinieri

fixxer 9y ago
Especially true in Paris these days...
jsiepkes 9y ago
The gendarmerie and the carabinieri are both national police services (like the FBI). They also do things like port security. I've seen gendarmerie, carabinieri but also local sherrifs offices; There is a world of difference between the first two and the last in terms of discipline and training. For example the first two don't make YouTube videos like these: https://youtu.be/CYunIrWDANU https://youtu.be/CYunIrWDANU
- pandaman 9y ago
  I think you are slightly confused about FBI and city/county/state police forces in the US and policing in Europe. French police is a national police service like the FBI [1], Gendarmierie is a branch of military under command of the same Ministry of Interior, which also controls the National Police. It's an actual military, with military weapons, uniforms, barracks, chain of command etc. etc. There is nothing like this in the US indeed. National Guard is closest but it does not do law enforcement on regular basis. Similarly in Italy. National Police [2] is separate from Carabinieri, who are not even under the command of Ministry of Interior, but under the Ministry of Defence, making them even more "militarized" (which makes sense, since they also serve as MP). 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Police_(France) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Police_(France) 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polizia_di_Stato https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polizia_di_Stato

vacri 9y ago

The British and the anglo Dominion countries (can/aus/nz) have police that follow Peelian principles. Sir Robert Peel introduced these reforms in 1829, well after the American Revolution, and somewhat in response to the shady practices of the French police during their (post-)revolutionary period. The principles are basically starting from "work with the community" rather than "us vs them thin blue line". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles Mind you, the other countries also don't have a population which has hysterically self-armed itself in the last 2-3 decades. When everyone carries a gun and the police are still expected to do their duty, they have to have superior firepower at the end of the day.

jabl 9y ago

See the future of German police mobility: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMMV_Survivor_R https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMMV_Survivor_R Of course the police needs their own tank, because, you know, terrorists. Boo!

janesconference 9y ago

Plain wrong. In addition to Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza, Italy has had "classic" military (infantrymen in camo, from the Italian Army, Paratroopers and Artillery regiments) patrolling the streets in two separate operations, one of which is active nowadays: - Operation Sicilian Vespers, against the Mafia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sicilian_Vespers_(1992%E2%80%9398) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sicilian_Vespers_(19...), ceased in 1998. - Operation Safe Streets (strade sicure), against terrorism and generic crime. Still active (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operazione_Strade_sicure https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operazione_Strade_sicure)