Radley Balko's long-awaited report on the militarization of local police departments, and the resulting tragedies, is now available on the Cato website. It's titled Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America. You can download the full text in PDF format, or purchase a copy in book form. It's a frightening report, detailing the numerous tragedies that have resulted from botched raids by these paramilitary units.
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Thanks for the heads up. I am very excited and will read his report when I get home tonight. This is a subject that I find more frightening than the ridiculous buildup of presidential powers. I think we have crossed the threshold where enough Americans are waking up that this executive debaukle is likely to end soon. Whereas the problems of paramilitary buildup within civilian law-enforcement is largely ignored and even applauded by most Americans. If the media has been quiet about the excesses of the bush regime it has been entirely silent about this subject. People somehow equate increased police powers with fighting crime, they don't seem to understand that this is a more direct infringement of everybodies rights than executive misdeeds.
I had never thought much about SWAT teams but have viscerally reacted with revulsion whenever I catch video of a SWAT team in action. They always evoke images of the SS or the KGB in action.
How's this for ridiculous: SWAT Team Raids Gay Gym in Albuquerque. Their crime? Selling alcohol without a license.