While serving as a U.S. Marine on patrol in Afghanistan, we wore desert camouflage to blend in with our surroundings, carried rifles to shoot back when under enemy attack, and drove around in armored vehicles to ward off roadside bombs... all of our vehicles and equipment had a clear purpose for combat against enemy forces. So why is this same gear being used on our city streets? On Saturday, a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, an unarmed black man. In the days that have followed, the town with a population of about 21,000 has seen massive protests in response to the shooting, as some witnesses said Brown had his hands up when he was killed. Putting aside what started the protests for a moment, its worth discussing the police response to the outrage. In photos taken Monday, we are shown a heavily armed SWAT team. They have short-barreled 5.56-mm rifles based on the military M4 carbine, with scopes that can accurately hit a target out to 500 meters. On their side they carry pistols. On their front, over their body armor, they carry at least four to six extra magazines, loaded with 30 rounds each. Their uniform would be mistaken for a soldiers if it werent for their Police patches. They wear green tops, and pants fashioned after the U.S. Marine Corps MARPAT camouflage pattern. And they stand in front of a massive uparmored truck called a Bearcat, similar in look to a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or as the troops who rode in them call it, the MRAP. Why do these cops need MARPAT camo pants again, I asked on Twitter this morning. One of the most interesting responses came from a follower who says he served in the Armys 82nd Airborne Division: We rolled lighter than that in an actual warzone. Lets be clear: This is not a war zone — this is a city outside of St. Louis where people on both sides are angry... The scene is tense, but the presence of what looks like a military force doesnt seem to be helping... And now we see some of our police officers in this same way. The militarization of law enforcement is counter-productive to domestic policing and needs to stop, tweeted Andrew Exum, a former Army infantry officer. If theres one thing I learned in Afghanistan, its this: You cant win a persons heart and mind when you are pointing a rifle at his or her chest...
Posted on: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 02:59:30 +0000