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SWAT Madness and the Militarization of the American Police: A National Dilemma
With the immediacy of a daily newspaper, this book reveals how the irresponsible use of SWAT teams, shock-and-awe policing, and the increasing militarization of American law enforcement is changing the face of "the land of the free."
In the United States, military-style police enforcement is fast becoming the norm―even the smallest police departments now field costly SWAT units. While the fact that police forces have increased capabilities to deal with urgent or dangerous situations may seem positive, this type of aggressive response is problematic; court settlements regarding excessive SWAT raids cost law enforcement agencies millions of dollars every year, not to mention that these brute-force strategies often traumatize, injure, and kill innocent people.
This book takes an unprecedented look into the realities of zero-tolerance, militaristic policing, the tactics and equipment used, the problematic "crime warrior" mindset at play, and the statistical evidence of its ineffectiveness. The author's professional experience in criminology and scholarly knowledge of the topic enables him to candidly address common concerns about utilizing paramilitary law enforcement and special weapons and tactics (SWAT) units in routine, low-risk police work, such as the general loss of freedom, the often tragic results of excessive force, and the effects on race relations.
In the United States, military-style police enforcement is fast becoming the norm―even the smallest police departments now field costly SWAT units. While the fact that police forces have increased capabilities to deal with urgent or dangerous situations may seem positive, this type of aggressive response is problematic; court settlements regarding excessive SWAT raids cost law enforcement agencies millions of dollars every year, not to mention that these brute-force strategies often traumatize, injure, and kill innocent people.
This book takes an unprecedented look into the realities of zero-tolerance, militaristic policing, the tactics and equipment used, the problematic "crime warrior" mindset at play, and the statistical evidence of its ineffectiveness. The author's professional experience in criminology and scholarly knowledge of the topic enables him to candidly address common concerns about utilizing paramilitary law enforcement and special weapons and tactics (SWAT) units in routine, low-risk police work, such as the general loss of freedom, the often tragic results of excessive force, and the effects on race relations.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 25, 2013
I was surprised that there are not more books like this out there, considering the United States' gradual dismantling of the constitution under the guise of "safety." Fisher highlights the dangerous trend right now in America with the rise of militarized police forces. Also, the "war" on drugs and its effect on freedom in America. Radley Balko is another author to watch for with his new book coming out about this recent phenomenon of militarized police in the United States. Fisher's book is a nice prelude to Balko's.
July 10, 2018
Great research as told by the bibliography, but poor implementation of story telling. Author leaves out important information from the cases in order to skew the readers viewpoint.
Better off reading the cases yourself.
Better off reading the cases yourself.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews