"If all you have is a hammer then everything starts looking like a nail"
---Law of the instrument
Check out this story from the Herald Sun Australia (pics are from that site). Notice not only the vehicle used but check out the LEO's. Then dig through your mental database and compare them to the officers that were active during the Boston Bombing. Notice something? They look exactly alike. The amount of standardization that we're seeing is astonishing. We don't export as many weapons as we once did so now we're exporting police militarization.
---Law of the instrument
Check out this story from the Herald Sun Australia (pics are from that site). Notice not only the vehicle used but check out the LEO's. Then dig through your mental database and compare them to the officers that were active during the Boston Bombing. Notice something? They look exactly alike. The amount of standardization that we're seeing is astonishing. We don't export as many weapons as we once did so now we're exporting police militarization.
Maybe this is a classic evolution of Police ? The "war" between law enforcers and law breakers is like any other one, action & reaction, argument & counterargument. Not so long ago the Police officers were armed only with good old wooden batons and it was more then enough. Then they receive personal small arms and again for some time with was enough... then, shotguns, rifles, armored vests, armored cars, SWAT's teams.
ReplyDeleteI believe they did that not because they want to be full military wannabes, but to respond to more and more better armed criminals. The militarization will go forward no mater if we want this or no, because the "enemy" is also going in to military zone.
What 'war' in US its case of donated free toys and being wannabe 'operators' ,as in most cases these things are then misused for serving warants and other daily work instead of being strictly for high risk operations.
ReplyDeleteI europe pPolice that in many cases also serves as a paramilitary force has the same range of toys(in some cases with much more firepower) but these are not used in day to day work. Scrutiny over police work is much sharper ,for example in Germany (roughly 1/3 population compared to US) police SEKs(SWAT) teams operate daily but whole of German police has a total of something like 55 cases of warning shots and 36 cases of shots fired at suspects ither in self defense or to prevent flight of dangerous suspect total of 8 dead suspects and 20 wounded , on the other hand you have 3 dead and someting like 1750 wounded policemen ,just shows kind of restraint police practice.
One thing i like about the german SEK is these guys often come in civilian clothes and only wear armor over them. Also freqent use of chain mail over armor to protect against bladed weapons
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?84884-The-SEK-Thread/page84
They really use mail as standard equipment or that was some unusual case ?
DeleteIts standard issue and used when confronting suspects armed with edged weapons.As in most of Europe you cant just shoot people because you feel threatned which is SOP in US ,but if you are going into a posiblle tackle with someone wielding a knofe you beter be protected to some degree ,bullet proof wests don't stop knives and icepicks well.
DeleteAbove numbers are from 2012 German statistics
Some picts
http://www.strelec.si/forum/uploads/FileUpload/1996_5b349c2fd9a097c4f9c92ed15be81f49.jpg
http://www.strelec.si/forum/uploads/FileUpload/1996_bf1e3c444832c7be1b19008382bb2f8b.jpg
http://www.strelec.si/forum/uploads/FileUpload/1996_dd88a9c69ebb10a9d3851684a2d88be0.jpg
Some good stuff never get's old heh ?
DeleteThere are some vest that are anti blade weapons, different type of splice and materials. Mail will not stop an ice pick, it's the perfect weapon in that case.
In some European country's you can't shoot suspect even if he shoot's back...
You know protect and serve - the public not protect and serve - yourself.
ReplyDeleteIce picks are not that common , but for that a steel plating is needed.In any case the protective gear SEK have is some of the best in there is ,that funky Titanium helmet with comms probably costs more than complete SWAT members gear.
Yes, after officers have been shot doing warrants in the past they stepped up response. Now swat does all high risk warrants. So if intel says they have a gun then swat is used, because they have the most tools and train everyday. For lower risk warrants most departments use gang or narcotics officers to run them.
ReplyDeleteYou can't compare Germany to the US as far as shootings. An officer here would get days without or fired if they ever fired a "warning" shot. If they have no need to shoot the person they have no need to pull the trigger.