Militarization of Police

[From article]
Since the 1960s, in response to a range of perceived threats, law-enforcement agencies across the U.S., at every level of government, have been blurring the line between police officer and soldier. Driven by martial rhetoric and the availability of military-style equipment—from bayonets and M-16 rifles to armored personnel carriers—American police forces have often adopted a mind-set previously reserved for the battlefield. The war on drugs and, more recently, post-9/11 antiterrorism efforts have created a new figure on the U.S. scene: the warrior cop—armed to the teeth, ready to deal harshly with targeted wrongdoers, and a growing threat to familiar American liberties.
[. . .]
A number of federal agencies also now have their own SWAT teams, including the Fish & Wildlife Service, NASA, the Consumer Products Safety Commission and the Department of the Interior. In 2011, the Department of Education's SWAT team bungled a raid on a woman who was initially reported to be under investigation for not paying her student loans, though the agency later said she was suspected of defrauding the federal student loan program.
[. . .]
If you browse online police discussion boards, or chat with younger cops today, you will often encounter some version of the phrase, "Whatever I need to do to get home safe." It is a sentiment that suggests that every interaction with a citizen may be the officer's last.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323848804578608040780519904.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

July 19, 2013, 7:09 p.m. ET
Rise of the Warrior Cop
Is it time to reconsider the militarization of American policing?
By RADLEY BALKO
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Louise Goldsberry's Florida home was invaded by US Marshals
Photo: Facebook

US Marshals Terrorize Law Abiding Citizen

http://www.infowars.com/florida-nurse-terrorized-by-us-marshals/

Florida Nurse Terrorized by US Marshals in Warrantless Raid
Julie Wilson
Infowars.com
July 19, 2013