The U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee held a hearing on the militarization of police forces Wednesday evening in response to issues brought up following the Ferguson shooting.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and fellow senators questioned a panel of experts concerning the use of military weapons in community law enforcement agencies.
“We must change the paradigm which drives the criminal justice system,” Hilary Shelton, NAACP Washington bureau director & senior vice president for advocacy, said.
Panelist Wiley Price, a St. Louis American newspaper photojournalist present at the Ferguson protests, suggested using federal funds for additional training and police body cameras rather than for large weapons.
Mark Lomax, a National Tactical Officers Association executive director and former Pennsylvania state police major, said United States law enforcement agencies have taken advantage of federal programs.
However, Jim Bueermann, Police Foundation president and a former California police department chief, warned against completely eliminating federal aid. He said policing agencies should reflect the communities they serve.
Panelist Peter Kraska, a University of Eastern Kentucky School of Justice professor, said he hopes to avoid a “troubling and consequential trend.”
“This is not to imply all police … are heading in this direction,” Krashka said.
Sen. Johnson took particular interest in the role of the war on drugs in the militarization of policing officers, questioning the root cause of firepower escalations.
“Are we making any progress on the war on drugs?” Johnson asked of the panel.
Shelton spoke of the “devastating” effects of drugs and crime to communities, citing the 2.4 million Americans in jail. Most current inmates are convicted of nonviolent crimes, such as drug possession.
Hearing members debated the appropriateness of using policing agencies compared to SWAT and trained professionals. According to Kraska, 85 percent of SWAT operations are proactive, and 50 percent of small police departments are receiving fewer than 50 hours of training.
“We’re going to have to establish a new trust pattern in this country,” Shelton said.
While each of the four panelists offered different perspectives and opinions, all seemed to agree the re-establishment of trust and transparency between law enforcement agencies and communities is a priority.
