20 Questions
What was the purpose of the ACLU report on excessive militarization of American policing?
To analyze incident reports of SWAT team deployments between 2011 and 2012 from selected law enforcement agencies.
How many records did the ACLU receive in response to their public records requests?
3,844 records
Which states were included in the ACLU report's analysis of SWAT team deployment incident reports?
Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington, and West Virginia
What was the population range covered by the law enforcement agencies whose reports were analyzed in the ACLU study?
$35,000$ to $778,000$
What was the cost for the Ocala Police Department to acquire an MRAP through the Department of Defense's surplus vehicle program?
$2,000
Where can a department go to acquire a BearCat, and what is the price range for a BearCat?
Lenco (Lencoarmor.com); $190,000 - $300,000
What does Lenco provide for free to help departments secure funding for acquiring a BearCat?
Grant Writing Package
Who is eligible to view the grant-writing package provided by Lenco?
Representative of a governmental agency
What did the ACLU report express concern over regarding police warrants?
Use of regular warrants ('knock and announce') and no-knock warrants
What did the classified memo from 2004 referenced in the report primarily refer to?
Foreign drug interdiction
What did the report conclude about the majority of SWAT deployments?
Police did not face genuine threats to their safety
What was noted about the quantity of drugs found in many cases of SWAT deployment?
It did not seem to justify a SWAT deployment
What did the report find regarding the presence of guns in SWAT raids?
Handguns were found in about one-third of raids, but assault rifles were rarely found.
What did the report conclude about the use of armored personnel carriers (APCs) in SWAT raids?
APCs were not deployed for any obvious purpose and were not necessary in numerous incidents.
What did the author discover about the cost of armoring a patrol car to the level of a BearCat?
$70,000 for armoring, making the total price of the vehicle $105,000 to $110,000.
What did the ACLU report indicate about the race of individuals subjected to SWAT raids?
Raids disproportionally affected minorities, with 39 percent black, 20 percent white, and 11 percent Latino individuals subjected to raids.
What was a methodological issue with the ACLU report on SWAT team usage in the US?
The ACLU did not make a random selection of law enforcement agencies
What was the aim of the ACLU report on SWAT team usage in the US?
To provide a descriptive analysis
What did the ACLU exclude from the analysis in their report on SWAT team usage in the US?
Large, busiest departments such as Los Angeles and New York City
What did the report argue about SWAT raids and minority communities?
SWAT raids occur primarily in minority communities due to the war on drugs
Study Notes
- The ACLU report on SWAT team usage in the US had methodological issues: the ACLU did not make a random selection of law enforcement agencies, but rather left the choice to local chapters (2014, p. 91)
- The report did not aim to make "general, broader statements" about SWAT teams but rather provided a descriptive analysis (2014, p. 10)
- The ACLU analyzed reports from agencies with a minimum of 15 incident reports, leaving out smaller agencies (2014, p. 10)
- The report did not explain why specific states and agencies were chosen for investigation (2014, p. 10)
- The ACLU excluded large, busiest departments from the analysis, such as Los Angeles and New York City (2014, p. 12)
- The ACLU used a fictitious scenario to begin the report, raising questions about the justification for SWAT raids and the killing of a family pet (2014, p. 12)
- The authors of the report relied on the work of Professor Kraska to claim that American policing has become militarized (2014, p. 91)
- The report argued that SWAT raids occur primarily in minority communities due to the war on drugs (no further detail provided on the cause-effect relationship) (2014, p. 11)
- The text offers some context about the issues surrounding SWAT team usage in the US, including criticisms of militarization and the impact on minority communities, but does not provide definitive answers or solutions.
Test your knowledge on the presentation of data and findings in the ACLU report. Explore the assertions made and evaluate the content of the discussion and findings section.
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