‘Welcome to Police Industrial Complex’ – former Philly commissioner

Dangerous, alienating, and sociopathic: the policy of arming police to the teeth with military-grade gear shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how crime is solved and what it means for a cop to walk the beat, former Captain Ray Lewis told RT....

....If you really believe any of this is making you safer, Lewis, who spent 24 years on the force, says you should think again. Endangering lives, alienating communities, turning minority neighborhoods into occupied territory and compromising the very ability for police to do their jobs; these are just a few of the reasons the former commissioner believes main street is being sold down the river for power-hungry cops and ruthless corporate interest.

‘Welcome to Police Industrial Complex’ – former Philly commissioner

Quite an interesting read. Here you have a former Captain with the Police force openly talking about how the march towards militarizing the police force is actually, despite all the rhetoric otherwise, causing more fear, problems, concerns and angst within the communities they are supposed to be protecting.

"You bring this type of equipment into a minority area, you are going to make those people feel as if they are living in an occupied territory."

IT seems, and it's not just in the USA but all over, that local police forces are almost becoming paramilitary groups. How long before the door to door late night checks start? The check points with armed guards asking for your papers?

Oh, right, the TSA and their VIPR groups are already doing that.....

I was probably the most naive when it came to this, always thought the government had out best interests at heart until 2 years ago when i finally started to pay attention to what was going on around me and it scared the crap out of me.

This is why I can't enjoy a movie like Robocop. It looks too much like the future the powers that be have envisioned for us citizens.

Curious can someone explain to me how we have 'police industrial state' or a 'police state'.

When they can't even secure the sothern border, and play 'catch, and release', ship people elsewhere to make them someone else's problem.

I don't get it.

a reply to: BalderAsir
While I have no personal beef with Capt Lewis, this is tough talk from a guy that was next in line from a list of assholes stemming from the Rizzo era that did such high profile police shootouts like Attack On Move and botched up Mumia Abu Jamal's case on racial prejudice.

It's almost like the pot calling the kettle black.

I was driving back from Mexico on Monday, and came upon a Border Patrol checkpoint. My son, who is so hardcore libertarian he makes me look like Nancy Pelosi by comparison, woke up and said, "Don't answer them, dad. Its none of their business."

Obviously, i didn't have time to BS with them, so i answered their simple question, "Is everyone a US Citizen?" just like i always have since the early 80's.

But my sons point was not missed on me.

a reply to: neo96

It is simple and obvious. They do not want to stop the immigration coming into this country. Very obvious.

All unlawful legislations and ordinances are NULL AND VOID AT CONCEPTION. Does NOT take a supreme court, nuremburg hung people for following orders, you null and void it, its not law at all. Its a non existent thing.

I declare all the people on earth FREE and EQUAL. Earth is a safe place again.

I declare all the people on earth FREE and EQUAL. Earth is a safe place again.

What makes you think all of the people will believe in free and equal. There are those who will never give up power over others.

a reply to: roadgravel

It really doesnt matter, its the only thing that is legal. The real law. Earth is free.

originally posted by: neo96
Curious can someone explain to me how we have 'police industrial state' or a 'police state'.

When they can't even secure the sothern border, and play 'catch, and release', ship people elsewhere to make them someone else's problem.

I don't get it.

Neo, the two things are mutually exclusive. Securing a southern border and terrorizing the people we have (police state) are two different things.

Think of it this way:
1. Allow more illegals in
2. Feed more brown people to the corporate prison system
3. #2 requires more police and police state-like activities

Truth be told, you can't always expect every aspect of society to fall nicely into a Hollywood-style narrative. I don't think we are 100% there yet. But I think we are definitely moving that direction and on the brink of a severe shift.