SWAT police

[MemphisStockBroker]

What is your opinion on this?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... TopStories

I can see both sides. Do not have any idea what the right answer is, if there is one.
Does it take a full face mask to serve a search warrant in small town Mississippi, or is it only done for the effect?


I hope this is not a 'bash-a-cop' thread. it is not intended that way. i have both friends and
family that are LEO's. And i have the utmost respect for the profession. But this article does make you think...

[Deltamud77]

I think that, excluding federal law enforcement, the state police (DPS) and large municipalities should have special tactics teams or SWAT teams. I doubt Greenwood needs one. The reason I don't think small towns needs them is predicated more on expense than fear of the police though. These teams are expensive as all get out to supply and equip. The cost/benefit is just not there. Moreover, in MS, DPS and FBI can respond in quick fashion all over the state. FBI has SWAT teams based out of Oxford, Jackson and Biloxi/Gulfport. DPS has one in Jackson that is helicopter equipped.

I think the explosion of SWAT use is as much gadget related as anything. People like to look like badarses. It is as simple as that.

[sevenhead]

I just can't figure out for the life of me why the Dept. of Edu. would need a swat team. Could you imagine a team of G.I. Joe's raiding your home cause you were late on a payment.

[fireplug]

Unless this country takes a very large and abrubt libertarian swing, this is going to be coming to a small town near us all.

[chevy01234]

I have buddies on city, county, state, and federal SWAT teams.

If they need "gear" to do their jobs to get home to their wives and kids at the end of the day, so be it and buy them 2 of everything they need. They don't wear those bullet proof jackets for show, it's because the additional plates are made to handle more than your regular traffic cops vest is. Masks? Not only is there an intimidation factor/ psychological aspect at play but google "cartel retaliation". Think that wont happen up here if you happen to raid a cartel stash house? You know they usually stomp infants heads to death in retribution for that kind of stuff before killing you. Do you have a problem with a mask now? Wouldn't you just love to be out with your wife and kids and run into Carlos and his Homies?

Why don't we focus on the need to stop hand outs to all the societal scum that are mooching the system first? Then we can complain about MDOT workers not doing their jobs and the pot holes/chitty roads in Mississippi, then we can talk about our lawmakers that are corrupt and making ridiculous paychecks for it, then we can talk about the failing schools...should I go on? There are a heck of a lot more things higher on the list than a well equipped SWAT team training to one day potentially save your life or the life of a loved one.


There is a need for SWAT teams, especially when serving warrants. Would it be feasible to fly in MHP every time a high risk warrant is served? Should the FBI be down in South Greenwood every weekend raiding crack houses? Nope, they have their own jobs to do.

[lipsplitter39654]

heavy handed swat teams are just like attorneys..... everyone bitches about what they do until they or someone they know is in a situation to need one. The guy was growing marijuana which in most places is a felony.

No knock drug warrants are complicated. Just because you have a search warrant doesnt mean you can kick a door down. You must specify in the warrant the reason you have for a no knock entry and the judge must consider those reasons in his decision to grant the warrant

a quote from the article below

"Unfortunately, the activities of aggressive, heavily armed SWAT units often result in needless bloodshed: Innocent bystanders have lost their lives and so, too, have police officers who were thought to be assailants and were fired on, as (allegedly) in the case of Matthew David Stewart."

yeah but how many innocent lives are saved because of swat teams?

This guy shot at the police, he likely thought he was being robbed by a fellow drug thug.

He was a self medicating veteran using marijuana it said in the article. How about a precscription for an anti depression drug?

When you have an armed intruder into your schools or some freak takes innocent people hostage what do you want to deal with them?

I know I want the biggest baddest, toughest most well armed sobs on the planet and could give a crap if they are wearing a mask.

But i am jaded i guess since i have conducted a couple hundred drug raids in my past career and seen the evil things that drug thugs and others do to other people.

Hey and you know what??? nearly all meth and crack heads started off smoking marijuana..

I didnt say everyone that smokes marijuana will end up a crack or meth head but....

[jacksbuddy]

I just can't figure out for the life of me why the Dept. of Edu. would need a swat team. Could you imagine a team of G.I. Joe's raiding your home cause you were late on a payment.

There is a time and place for everything. And although many of us will agree with lipsplitter, let's use some common sense. What can we expect to get next? The death penalty for an overdue library book? I can see it now, a group of Rambo wannabes raid an apartment complex looking for a dog-eared copy of "The Old Man and the Sea". And on a school night, too.

[Northbigmuddy]

I have no problem with SWAT doing what they do or how they do it. When you deal with the kind of folks they deal with you gotta fight fire with fire.

I will say the Gibson deal was pretty ridiculous. I would assume that situations like that are isolated or extremely rare. There were also talks of that raid being politically motivated, but at the end of the day I still feel it was over done regardless of the motives. Had Gibson been manufacturing the AR Les Paul edition with an internal 100 round drum then by all means break the door down guns blazing. On the other hand busting the door down on a bunch of workers trying to make guitars in a reputable establishment was over the top. Someone in charge could have figured that out. With great power comes great responsibility. I know that phrase is out of style nowadays, but I think it's still very relevant to what this country was founded on.

[LODI QUACKER]

Well, I am of a MUCH different opinion!!!!!!!!!!



The use of force in that situation was WAY beyond needed and everyone knew it!!! But hey, they got to play with their new toys, so it was worth it. RIght? What a crock! And you people defending this particular situation should be ashamed of your dam selves.

The dudes pissed off ex girlfriend told the cops about the weed plants. SOME FREAKIN PLANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was not a cyrstal dealer, he was not cartel, he was not a human trafficer. HE was growing 16 plants!!!!!!!!! The cops knew what he was and what he was doing. They could have just as easily raided the house when they saw him come out or come home. Ohh but that may have actually required some police work to know his schedule. They wanted to play bill bad ash with their new stimulus money toys and Got one of their buddies killed, along with ruining several other lives in the process. Good gracious folks the sheriff and a deputy have been making these kinds of busts by themselves with their s/w 357 still in the holster for years. This was unneeded, unwarented and it got 2 people killed.

They got the address right this particular time but, how are you going to feel when they have the wrong address bust down your door? We all have guns within reach of our beds. I know if I dont hear "this is the police, have a search warrant" When they bust down my door, somebody is getting shot. End of story. Period.

[MrGoodtime]

Well, I am of a MUCH different opinion!!!!!!!!!!



The use of force in that situation was WAY beyond needed and everyone knew it!!! But hey, they got to play with their new toys, so it was worth it. RIght? What a crock! And you people defending this particular situation should be ashamed of your dam selves.

The dudes pissed off ex girlfriend told the cops about the weed plants. SOME FREAKIN PLANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was not a cyrstal dealer, he was not cartel, he was not a human trafficer. HE was growing 16 plants!!!!!!!!! The cops knew what he was and what he was doing. They could have just as easily raided the house when they saw him come out or come home. Ohh but that may have actually required some police work to know his schedule. They wanted to play bill bad ash with their new stimulus money toys and Got one of their buddies killed, along with ruining several other lives in the process. Good gracious folks the sheriff and a deputy have been making these kinds of busts by themselves with their s/w 357 still in the holster for years. This was unneeded, unwarented and it got 2 people killed.

They got the address right this particular time but, how are you going to feel when they have the wrong address bust down your door? We all have guns within reach of our beds. I know if I dont hear "this is the police, have a search warrant" When they bust down my door, somebody is getting shot. End of story. Period.

i agree 100%

[booger]

"They" also could have tapped Mr. Koresh or Mr. Weaver on the shoulder and arrested either man while they were in town buying groceries, but they chose not too.

"Unintended Consequences"

[JDgator]

"They" also could have tapped Mr. Koresh or Mr. Weaver on the shoulder and arrested either man while they were in town buying groceries, but they chose not too.

"Unintended Consequences"

I agree. In some ways they replace skill and old-fashioned police work with force.

[peewee]

I see both sides of the story and I personally don't think every mom and pop town needs a SWAT team. I know earlier this year Vicksburgs Police Chief was asking for funds to buy all his officers fully automatic assault rifles. His justification was that they don't want to enter a scene where they are outgunned. I have lived in Vicksburg my whole freakin life and I can only remember one instance where fully automatic weapons where needed, and believe it or not Paul Barrett and a few sheriff patrol officers did use them and resolved the conflict. I am friends with a lot of our officers (sheriff and city). Most of them are jam up good guys and gals but there are a couple of them that were the outcast in school and now they are on powertrips due to a badge.

Now if you ask me if Jackson needs a SWAT team I say heck yes. Cities overrun by violent crime I see no problem having a SWAT team.

[deltadukman]

Whoa....The city of jackson needs a swat team on alert. Chokewe, Stokes and their bandits do not need to have any access or control of people with that kind of force. Reminds me of Frankie the Tittie Cop busting strip clubs for showing a little nip with full out swat riot gear. Sorry, but thats a little over the top.

[420 racin]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berwyn_Hei ... _drug_raid

How bout this one.

I have never been a fan of the police in any way shape form or fashion. They have never helped me in preventing or detering a crime, they have only responded to crime. This SWAT team military police attitude is exactly whats wrong with this country. Why do you think the Gov is giving all this stuff to the police?? It fits their plan to have a gov run country, In another 20 years at the rate we are going all the police forces will be an arm of the federal gov and we will fast be in a total police state. The police have a job to do and a place in society, but it isn't busting down doors, shootinf people who they "think" have commited a BS crime.