![]() Prior to 1968, SWAT teams were used sparingly, only in volatile, high-risk situations like bank robberies or hostage situations. This funded what we know as SWAT, and it ensured SWAT received searchlights, emergency radios, bullhorns, nightsticks, body armor, face shields, and special weapons like M79 grenade launchers. LEAA guaranteed the distribution of federal money to fight organized crime. Through that act, in an effort to crack down on organized crime and gun violence, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration was created. Johnson and Congress signed the Safe Streets Act into law in June of 1968. ![]() Narrator: In the wake of the assassination of President John F. So how did local police acquire all of these military weapons? And why do they even need them? To answer this question, we're going to examine four moments in history.Ĭlip: From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1 p.m. Up until 2017, police couldn't be in the program unless they used equipment within a year of receiving it. It's like eBay for cops with leftover war equipment, except everything is free and you only pay for shipping and handling. To date, the US has spent over $15 billion on the militarization of police.Īll of these weapons, vehicles, and equipment are acquired by the police through a military program called 1033. In Kentucky, an officer attacked a newscaster and camera crew with pepper bullets.Īnd here in Detroit, police backed by armored vehicles marched down the streets. In North Carolina, protesters were trapped by a cloud of tear gas on both ends of a street. Here in Indiana, a protestor lost an eye from a tear gas container hitting him in the face. Narrator: After the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, people protested in at least 140 cities across the nation. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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