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For a good insight into how city police are trained, I recommend reading Cop In The Hood by Peter Moskos. Peter joined the Baltimore Police and describes how t

by dodders 12y ago

For a good insight into how city police are trained, I recommend reading Cop In The Hood by Peter Moskos. Peter joined the Baltimore Police and describes how they were taught to "own the situation", which in effect means responding with escalating force until the situation is under control. This approach is evident in the reports from both the Washington Post and Al Jazeera journalists. From the book's description of the training, there appeared to be little effort to educate on correct responses for different situations. I have friends in the UK Police force (I am not a cop myself) that tell me they are taught how to diffuse situations rather than escalate them and that getting into a violent confrontation is seen as a last resort, not a first response. I have every sympathy with the police, and the tough job that they face, but I can't help but feel that the differences in approach and specifically the inflexibility of the US police training does not help them.

nyc640 12y ago
The other thing is that, in a country that glamorizes military strength so heavily, we are giving officers a sense of power and superiority by providing police departments with what essentially amounts to military gear. When would a situation ever arise, in a town of 20,000, where it would be justified and necessary for the entire police force to be equipped with military-grade gear?
Synaesthesia 12y ago
If you've heard of the South African shooting of mine workers in Marikana, in which 35 miners where shot, you can see what sort of tragic results can happen where the police are militarized. It's a path to catastrophe. Instead of engaging protestors they come with indimidating riot gear, automatic rifles, armored vehicles, helicopters, flash bangs and tear gas. They wear visors which conveniently hide their identity. Any tragedies are met with an "investigation" which usually leads nowhere or goes on forever. When you are face to face with a cop, I've learned your rights don't mean anything. The only thing that matter is power.

by dodders 12y ago

nyc640 12y ago

The other thing is that, in a country that glamorizes military strength so heavily, we are giving officers a sense of power and superiority by providing police departments with what essentially amounts to military gear. When would a situation ever arise, in a town of 20,000, where it would be justified and necessary for the entire police force to be equipped with military-grade gear?

Synaesthesia 12y ago

If you've heard of the South African shooting of mine workers in Marikana, in which 35 miners where shot, you can see what sort of tragic results can happen where the police are militarized. It's a path to catastrophe. Instead of engaging protestors they come with indimidating riot gear, automatic rifles, armored vehicles, helicopters, flash bangs and tear gas. They wear visors which conveniently hide their identity. Any tragedies are met with an "investigation" which usually leads nowhere or goes on forever. When you are face to face with a cop, I've learned your rights don't mean anything. The only thing that matter is power.