This article on a DEA site where SWAT teams train for raiding meth labs is pretty interesting. First, note that the people who run it all too happy to let lawmakers get the adrenalin rush of a trial drug raid. That’s all good and well. But maybe a better test run to put lawmakers through would be to have the on the receiving end of a drug raid. And not at a test site, but when they don’t suspect it. Say, while they’re at home with their families. My guess is that if such an experience didn’t motivate them to put a stop to using SWAT teams to enforce drug warrants, it would at least motivate them to make damn sure the right procedures were in place to make sure the tactics were used sparingly, only against the most violent drug offenders, and that there were checks and double-checks codified into law to guard against wrong-door raids.

On the puppycide front, note the following passage from the article:

The instructor knocks on the front door, shouting, “DEA! Police! We have a search warrant!”

The next thing you know you’re inside, clearing rooms like a SWAT team on “COPS,” firing only at targets with odd numbers. The even-numbered targets could be the good guys, even children. Everyone shoots at the dog. It’s covered with paint-ball splatters.

As my old basketball coach used to say, you play the way you practice.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 19th, 2007 at 11:28 pm by Radley Balko and is filed under Police Militarization. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.