Comments for "Billy Vegas - The Militarization of Our Police" Video at VideoSift.com

By drattus

drattus (http://www.videosift.com/member/drattus) — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 06:04:23 -0700

The video as a whole I won't comment on but the document they mention by CATO, Overkill, is an outstanding source of info on the subject. I took a moment to look it up since I didn't have it bookmarked, though I read it when it first came out. Don't miss the interactive map with example cases. It is a very real problem with lots of unneeded deaths attributed to it.

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6476

By MINK

MINK (http://www.videosift.com/member/MINK) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:23:08 -0700

but what if al quaeda existed and were using heavily armed school kids to deal drugs, huh? didn't think of THAT did you? it's better to be safe than sorry, eh?

http://www.videosift.com/video/Teachers-stage-fake-gunman-attack-on-sixth-graders

By bighead

bighead (http://www.videosift.com/member/bighead) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:04:10 -0700

the fuzz what a joke. lets get a tank to enforce jay walking.

By Irishman

Irishman (http://www.videosift.com/member/Irishman) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:20:54 -0700

The UK and US are slowly being turned into police states, whilst we all sit idly by and watch the whole ugly spectacle unfolding daily on youtube.

If they came for you in the middle of the night, and dragged you away, do you really think your neighbours would even care?

By Rotty

Rotty (http://www.videosift.com/member/Rotty) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 19:48:03 -0700

Where are all those assholes who railed me for calling them PIGS?

Guess what? They ain't getting any smarter and we are arming them with bigger (more sophisticated) weapons. Gee...I wonder what's gonna happen? They'll waste your family or friends and just crawl away.

mink...I hope you are very sarchastic or really stoned.

By TheSofaKing

TheSofaKing (http://sofa.videosift.com) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:51:07 -0700

None of that gear is used by everyday patrolling police officers. The military grade gear is for S.W.A.T/Tactical units. Is everybody saying we shouldn't have these units?

By drattus

drattus (http://www.videosift.com/member/drattus) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 04:34:03 -0700

If you take the time to read the document linked in the first post it demonstrates the problem well enough and sources plenty of examples. Plenty of cops are getting worried about this stuff too, it's not some simple "use of force" objection. It's a developing trend of using it out of habit or to justify the teams themselves rather than just where needed and in some cases that has cost innocent lives. Even where lives aren't lost they are traumatized.

If you need more info on the subject let me know, it's not like there's a shortage of sources or case examples. A bank robbery, hostage situation, armed suspect barricaded in or others of the sort, fine. As a standard practice for every low level drug bust and other uses of the sort, no. Too many mistakes have happened.