Militarizing The Police

Today, the ACLU of Maine joined colleagues across the country in filing public records requests aimed at uncovering important information about the web of connections between the military and the police. We already know that, in some states, military equipment and tactics are regularly used in domestic interactions with civilians. This development has been driven by federal policies of funneling money, training, and equipment to state and local police departments. The tactics and weapons that cause us the most concern were developed for use in war zones, by soldiers who train every day to be able to use them effectively.

Soldiers and police officers have radically different missions, and the skills and gear that is appropriate for one group is not necessarily right for the other. We know, for example, that a nine-year-old girl named Aiyana Jones was sleeping on the couch next to her grandmother in her Detroit, Michigan home, when a SWAT team through a "flashbang" through the window. A "flashbang" is a type of grenade that produces a deafening noise and a blinding light, and it was developed for use in wartime raids. After throwing the "flashbang," the SWAT team stormed through the door, but they became disoriented because of the light and noise. The SWAT team mistakenly shot and killed Aiyana Jones, after causing her blanket to catch on fire.

We do not know what kind of equipment and tactics SWAT teams in Maine are using, and we do not know what policies or guidelines exist to prevent abuses. We do not know those things now, but we are going to find out.

You can read copies of our request here, and you can read about this nationwide investigation here.