Bad things had been happening in Ferguson, Missouri, since last Saturday when a white police officer fatally shot an unarmed 18-year-old black man, Michael Brown.
There are widely differing accounts of what led to the shooting in the St. Louis suburb. St. Louis County police are investigating the incident, as is the U.S. Justice Department, so we should avoid rushing to judgment. That investigation could take weeks to complete.
One thing is for certain. What had been going on Ferguson before Thursday night, when the Missouri Highway Patrol took over security from local authorities, is an example of the militarization of police in America.
Some of the photos from Ferguson were disturbing. St. Louis County police could be seen dressed in combat gear and camouflage uniforms and carrying what appeared to be automatic weapons and assault rifles. And, in some cases, they were pointing those weapons at unarmed people. Is this Ferguson, Missouri, or Fallujah, Iraq?
Protesters had clashed with police in Ferguson several times this past week. The Associated Press described how the protests turned violent Wednesday night, “with some people lobbing Molotov cocktails and other objects at police who responded with smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse the crowd. ...
“While (Ferguson Police Chief Thomas) Jackson said he wanted to mend fences with the community, protesters were on the streets of Ferguson again Wednesday, facing heavily armed police who at times trained weapons on them from an armored truck. Two reporters said they were detained by police while working at a McDonald’s in the area.”
On Thursday, on the orders of Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, local police using riot gear and armored vehicles were replaced by state troopers walking side-by-side with thousands of peaceful protesters.
There is no excuse for the violence on either side during the past week. But the state police’s low-key approach appeared to defuse the tension. The Associated Press described Thursday’s events as more akin to a parade or block party than a protest.
Since 1990, the Defense Department has been giving state and local law enforcement agencies surplus military gear for free. Items donated include machine guns, bayonets and armored vehicles.
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., says he will introduce a bill that would limit the type of equipment that can be transferred to law enforcement agencies.
Johnson told The Associated Press that city streets should be a place for businesses and families, “not tanks and M16s.” He said the Pentagon program has led to police agencies resembling paramilitary forces.
You should see the video one law enforcement agency has posted online. It resembles a bad music video and shows an agency armored vehicle tearing around while heavy metal music blares on the sound track. I guess the video is supposed to frighten would-be lawbreakers — at least the ones with Internet access.
An Associated Press investigation last year of the Defense Department program found that a large share of the $4.2 billion in surplus military gear distributed since 1990 went to police and sheriff’s departments in rural areas with few officers and little crime.
Greenwood Police Chief Ray Moore told the Greenwood Kiwanis Club on Thursday that his department has a special weapons and tactics team that uses military-style body armor, helmets and weapons.
“Intimidation is a powerful weapon,” he said in describing the team, which he said is primarily used in serving warrants in potentially dangerous situations.
“If we go into a house and nobody gets hurt, that’s a good outcome. And that includes our officers and the people inside,” he said.
The Greenwood police don’t have any armored vehicles, Moore said. He seemed slightly amused by the question.
“I can’t imagine a situation bad enough where we would need one. I hope nothing like that would ever happen here,” the chief said.
If a situation is so dangerous that an armored vehicle is needed, it’s time to recall the police and call in the National Guard.
One piece of equipment that Ferguson police probably wish they had now is dashboard cameras in the squad cars. There is no video of the fatal shooting.
Moore said all of Greenwood’s police cars have dashboard cameras. Also, police officers wear body microphones so that what they say can be heard, whether they’re in camera range or not.
Moore said the video footage is frequently used in criminal cases and in investigations of complaints against officers.
“You may occasionally hear some mild expletives, but I think knowing that camera is there makes our officers act a little more professional,” Moore said.
American law enforcement officers are supposed to be peace officers, not occupying troops. Keeping the peace can’t be done strictly through brute force.
It’s encouraging to hear that seems to be the Greenwood Police Department’s goal, too.
• Contact Charles Corder at 581-7241 or ccorder@gwcommonwealth.com.
