Video of the week #49 S.W.A.T. Tactical Assault Group

[Joeylc]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/fUl7ko0n8CU&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/fUl7ko0n8CU&rel=0</a>

S.W.A.T. GETS TO PLAY WITH ALL THE COOL NEW TOYS 

[Joeylc]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/m4TSIdFrFjA&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/m4TSIdFrFjA&rel=0</a>

[Op-Bell]

I find this sort of thing horribly disturbing. We have laws in this country, "posse comitatus", designed to prevent the military being used for civil police duties. But what about these SWAT teams? They use military weapons - even armored cars in some places - and sometimes even wear military uniforms. In what way is this different from deploying the military for civil police duties? Apart from the obvious that is, that the military would be actually, you know, trained, and you wouldn't have a dozen or more soldiers blazing away with heavy weapons at point blank range to shoot up an SUV that isn't even returning fire. Freakin' pussy amateur gun freaks, a danger to themselves and everyone else within range. The county should deduct the ammunition bill from the police chief's salary.

There is no need for the police to be so armed, but so long as they are, they should stick to what they do best - kicking down doors at 4am to serve drug warrants. I understand that a lot of the time they even manage to get the address right.

[stayouttadabunker]

Isn't there a line drawn for "excessive force"?
Jeesh, these guys couldn't solve things in a more civilized, diplomatic way?
Shows you how intelligent people can be...
There's a smart way and a dumb way to do things...
this didn't look too smart to me.
What's to stop them from just blowing up the house and everything else around it?

[jay]

I was thinking that this scenerio might change if there were known hostages inside.

[Thor777]

I was thinking that this scenario might change if there were known hostages inside.

   Well That's the ticket isn't it?...  How did they know for sure that there were no innocents inside?     

[Op-Bell]

On reflection, maybe my comment was a bit harsh. Maybe, for all I know, the black SUV takedown was a fake publicity movie and they were firing blanks. If it was real, and I was behind the camera, all that would have been showing is the earth at the bottom of the deepest hole I could find to take cover in. Whatever, if it was a publicity film, it showed the force off in the worst possible light.

I am concerned about the militarization of the police, though. For years now there's been a deliberate movement to arm the civil police with surplus military weapons, and I don't think it can end well. Some officers have an attitude problem, and this just encourages them to become swaggering bullies. Here in Vegas we have all kinds of police - Metro, County Sheriff, School Campus, University, even (god help us) Park Police, all with their own administrations and expensive equipment. I know for a fact the University Police have a SWAT team, because they used it once to conduct an armed panty raid after midnight on a coed dorm - in search of drugs, they said. After tossing all the rooms I think they found a single roach. Another time I couldn't get home because a SWAT team had closed several roads around a house where a man was threatening to shoot himself. He lived there, he wasn't accused of any crime. When he finally came out, they - shot him.