Jessica Armanious, Kevin Do, Ximena Garcia, Lily Graham, Lance Raven Malejana
Tabloid Justice, Sociology 104, Professor David Green
ƒ Police militarization is “the process whereby
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Diagnostic claims (causes):
ƒ Pres. Obama: “[M]ilitarized gear can
sometimes give people a feeling like there’s
an occupying force, as opposed to a force
that’s part of the community that’s
protecting them and serving them” (The
Guardian, 2015).
ƒ “The 1033 program is the key source of the
most visible, big-ticket, military item being
sent to local law enforcement: mineresistant, ambush-protected vehicles, or
MRAPs… more than 600 of them have been
sent to local law enforcement agencies”
(NPR, 2014).
civilian police increasingly draw from, and
pattern themselves around, the tenets of
militarism and the military model” (Kraska
2007).
The news media constructed police militarization
as a social problem during the 2014 Ferguson
protests.
Balko (2014) contends that the line between the
police and the military has blurred, violating the
Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which states:
“... it shall not be lawful to employ any part of
the Army of the United States…for the purpose
of executing the laws.”
ƒ "1033 Programs have fueled the militarization of
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American police [by arming] police departments
with military equipment [and training]
traditionally reserved for the battlefield[,] and
have encouraged law enforcement officers to
adopt a warrior mentality” (Endebak, 2014).
Fear that crimes and criminals are becoming
more violent leads to police militarization.
"However, the evidence suggests that the vast
majority of violent criminals are not so
equipped” (Endebak, 2014).
Additionally, according to the FBI’s Uniform
Crime Report, violent crimes have fallen steadily
since 1991.
Prognostic claim (solutions):
ƒ Pres. Obama: “So we’re going to prohibit
some equipment made for the battlefield
that is not appropriate for local police
departments” (NPR, 2014).
ƒ “Social problems’ is a name for a category that
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contains those conditions Americans believe are
widespread, wrong, changeable, and in need of
change” (Loseke, 2003, p.15).
“Each category is held together by an
organizing device… a frame” (2003, p.16).
“A claim is any verbal, visual, or behavioral
statement that seeks to persuade audience
members to define a condition as a social
problem” (2003, p.26).
To help determine why police militarization has
been categorized as a social problem, we
searched news media for diagnostic, prognostic,
and motivational claims about police
militarization.
Figure 1
Perpetual Public Fear
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“symbolic realities” by priming them to be
fearful of crime and terrorism.
Advances in media technology mean more
people have access to images of violence and
conflict.
Fear of the threat of violence makes the public
more likely to support militarizing their police
for protection.
Motivational claim
(Why should we
care?):
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Diagnostic claim (cause):
ƒ “The United States of America has become a
war zone," a Pulaski County Sheriff said.
"There's violence in the workplace, there's
violence in schools and there's violence in
the streets. You are seeing police
departments going to a semi-military format
because of the threats we have to
counteract” (The Indianapolis Star, 2014).
The 1033 Program
ƒ Creates incentives for police to militarize.
ƒ In 1997 the National Defense Authorization Act
allowed the Department of Defense to transfer
surplus military materials to federal, state,
and local law enforcement agencies.
ƒ Includes: armored vehicles, helicopters,
grenade launchers, bayonets, detonator robots,
ammunition, camouflage uniforms, etc.
ƒ Media coverage of violent events affects public’s
ƒ The 1033 program arms local police with
Figure 2
Prognostic claim (solution):
ƒ “The biggest obstacle to reform is the news
media, which exists to hype every crime and
scare us all into a frenzy of irrational fear
just so they can get higher ratings” (Daily
Kos, 2014).
Motivational claim
(Why should we
care?):
military weapons, creating a war-like
environment in the streets. This creates a
distance and confusion between the protectors
and the public. One way this social problem has
been addressed is by limiting police weaponry
and equipment.
Due to the amount of information that’s
provided by the media, fear of crime rises
within society, creating a symbolic reality where
violent crimes are believed to occur more than
they actually do. Media should avoid
exaggerating the details of crimes because the
public will believe only militarization can protect
them from such dangers.
ƒ Balko, R. (2014). The Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of
America’s Police Forces. New York: PublicAffairs.
ƒ Jeffrey, E. (2014). More Bang for their Buck: How Federal Dollars
are Militarizing American Law Enforcement. John Marshall Law
Review, 47, 1479-1533.
ƒ Kraska, P. (2007). Militarization and Policing--Its Relevance to
21st Century Police. Policing, 501-513.
ƒ Loseke, D. (2003). Social problems: Constructionist readings. New
York: Aldine de Gruyter.
ƒ Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, 18 U.S.C § 1385
ƒ https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R43701.pdf
ƒ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/09/us/war-gear-flows-topolice-departments.html Figure 1
ƒ http://www.npr.org/2014/09/02/342494225/mraps-and-
bayonets-what-we-know-about-the-pentagons-1033-program
ƒ http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/18/presidentobama-limits-supply-military-style-equipment-police
ƒ http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/this-is-why-a-midwesttown-in-the-us-looks-like-a-warzone--lkBTty1emg Picture 1
ƒ http://www.gallup.com/poll/165653/crime-americans-seemnoticed.aspx Figure 2
ƒ http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/06/07/police-officer-
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079
safety-surplus-zeal-military-equipment-spurs-debate-mrapmilitaryvehicle/10170225/http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/6/104
2835/
http://photos.masslive.com/republican/2013/04/police_converge_
mass_35.html Photo 2