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Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

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Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#31

How much training/school do US police get on average before starting their jobs?

In Oregon it’s 21-weeks followed by a probationary period. At least for the Oregon State Police: you attend five weeks of pre-academy and sixteen weeks of regular academy. Then there are ongoing trainings and required education courses. I’ve had numerous friends go through the process, with some failing out, and they all agree it is both thorough and grueling.

Edit: grammar

Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#32

> In Georgia alone, police departments and sheriff’s offices have received more than 2,700 military rifles, night vision goggles and laser gun sights, and literally hundreds of armored vehicles, including more than two dozen mine-resistant vehicles built to fight the war on terror abroad. How else will they protect themselves in the dangerous minefields of Atlanta? /s I’m glad someone has put together the data on thi…

Police in Georgia literally throw hand grenades into the cribs of sleeping babies and get away with it. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-georgia-deputy-acqui...

Flashbangs. They are violent, but in a totally different class than actual hand grenades. No police in the US use hand grenades. The kid in the crib survived. Had it been an actual grenade ... not a survivable event.

https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/05/baby-in-coma-...

Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#33

The question here, in my opinion, is whether we're looking at actual causation or simple correlation. Is this an example of, "receiving free coyote-colored tacticool gear and MRAPs prompts cops to become more aggressive, detached from the population they are ostensibly there to protect, and likely to unnecessarily end civilian lives in the course of doing their job"? Or is it an example of, "police departments with t…

Why does it have to be more than “police that get military gear kill more people?

Rhetorical question, it doesn’t. It’s human biology. Ask a neuroscientist or biologist. Concretizing some probability model from your couch is asinine, as the probability of certain outcomes is proven.

Simple-cause effect is all that’s needed and is highlighted.

Stop gifting our neighbors (which is what police really are, fellow local tax paying halfwits pretending they’re an adults because their voice got deeper) dystopian dragnet gear.

Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#34
We should be careful to draw a causal relationship here. It might not be that getting the military equipment causes police to be more aggressive and therefore have more killings.

It might instead be that the more aggressive police departments are the ones that more seek to purchase military equipment, and the more aggressive police are the ones with more killings. I tend to think that's the case.

Regardless, there is no need, ever, for police to have the automatic weapons, APCs, and "non-lethal" weapons they are buying from the military. If they are facing an opponent like that then call in the FBI, who generally have much better training, or ATF (no idea about their training).

Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How else will they protect themselves in the dangerous minefields of Atlanta? They could put the money into dealing with the social problems that cause it to be a "minefield". Their job is to protect citizens including criminals . They're not doing it properly if they're shooting people. And they're likely making people a lot more likely to shoot at them in the process.

> They could put the money into dealing with the social problems that cause it to be a "minefield". I think you're missing the joke here, here's the relevant part of the gp: > > including more than two dozen mine-resistant vehicles built to fight the war on terror abroad. > How else will they protect themselves in the dangerous minefields of Atlanta?

Ah, I missed that.

Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#36

The question here, in my opinion, is whether we're looking at actual causation or simple correlation. Is this an example of, "receiving free coyote-colored tacticool gear and MRAPs prompts cops to become more aggressive, detached from the population they are ostensibly there to protect, and likely to unnecessarily end civilian lives in the course of doing their job"? Or is it an example of, "police departments with t…

I'd suspect reinforcing. They're quoting a ratio of fatal shootings of 4:1 between with:without military gear. I don't think police departments are insular enough to maintain that level of work culture disparity. There is certainly significant variance, though, and toxic culture is more impactful when it's empowered and visibly supported. It would also would be unsurprising if providing overkill response methods resulted in, well, overkill.

Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#37

> In Georgia alone, police departments and sheriff’s offices have received more than 2,700 military rifles, night vision goggles and laser gun sights, and literally hundreds of armored vehicles, including more than two dozen mine-resistant vehicles built to fight the war on terror abroad. How else will they protect themselves in the dangerous minefields of Atlanta? /s I’m glad someone has put together the data on thi…

> How else will they protect themselves in the dangerous minefields of Atlanta? They could put the money into dealing with the social problems that cause it to be a "minefield". Their job is to protect citizens including criminals . They're not doing it properly if they're shooting people. And they're likely making people a lot more likely to shoot at them in the process.

>> Their job is to protect citizens

An interesting turn of phrase, but not reality. Cops are there to enforce laws. Some of those laws are meant to protect citizens. Other laws are to protect property, protect government interests, and enforce codes of behavior. This is particularly true when dealing with mental health issues. Protection of anyone quickly becomes secondary to physically stopping the person who is acting strangely.

Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#38

I'm not saying it's warranted for Police to have military weapons - but wouldn't departments that request military gear be somewhat correlated with ones with more intense crime. I'm guessing there aren't many sleepy hamlets that request the high-end stuff.

The police department at Ohio State University has an APC.

No city in the USA, much less college campus, looks like a war zone. I would hope most people would not need to experience Kandahar first-hand to understand this fact.

Re: Police killings more likely in agencies that get military gear, data shows

#39

We should be careful to draw a causal relationship here. It might not be that getting the military equipment causes police to be more aggressive and therefore have more killings. It might instead be that the more aggressive police departments are the ones that more seek to purchase military equipment, and the more aggressive police are the ones with more killings. I tend to think that's the case. Regardless, there is…

Or departments with more military gear are in more risky areas where the use of force is more likely.

I could not read the article because it is blocked for me.

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