[Author] Jordan C. Grasso
[Keywords] police militarization, San Diego, police violence, policy
[Excerpt] On Feb. 10, the San Diego Police Department released a proposal for new procedures related to the ongoing funding, acquisition and use of military equipment, in which the department shared its intentions to acquire additional equipment and increase the militarization of the department. In response, Mayor Todd Gloria said he was “proud San Diego is one of the first cities in California to develop [procedures] to comply with this new state law” that requires departments to be more transparent about military gear and tactics. While a more transparent policy and insight gained through public meetings is a positive shift, San Diego residents should be greatly concerned about the push to militarize our local police.
Police militarization refers to the process in which police increasingly draw on the military model to solve social problems. Militarized police are more willing to use force and violence during police-community interactions. Criminologist Peter Kraska sees four aspects to this militarization: 1) gear, equipment and uniforms; 2) culture, beliefs and values; 3) organizational structure and presence of specialized teams; and 4) operational practices and procedures.