"Bayonets, weapons of deadly hand-to-hand combat, have bolstered the arsenals of police in 23 states as part of a massive flow of surplus military gear."
"State and local police departments are increasingly accepting the military as a model for their behavior and outlook. The sharing of training and technology is producing a shared mindset. The problem is that the mindset of the soldier is simply not appropriate for the civilian police officer. Police officers confront not an “enemy” but individuals who are protected by the Bill of Rights. Confusing the police function with the military function can lead to dangerous and unintended consequences—such as unnecessary shootings and killings."
"In the end, 67 percent of the e-mail respondents from around the country -- 80 out of 118 officers -- appeared to be doing their best to convince me that the armed 'public servants' now charged with our safety resemble nothing so much as a troop of quasi-literate, homicidal trolls. The most chilling, though, was probably the lengthy reply of T.B., an officer with the Cleveland police department. T.B. firmly asserts police have every right to shoot unarmed suspects '100 times, if necessary.'"
COPWATCH.com
