10 Facts About The SWATification Of America That Everyone Should Know

Here are the latest Swat numbers I have found; quite an increase.

#1 In 1980, there were approximately 3,000 SWAT raids in the United States. Now, there are more than 80,000 SWAT raids per year in this country.

#2 79 percent of the time, SWAT teams are deployed to private homes.

#3 50 percent of the victims of SWAT raids are either black or Latino.

#4 In 65 percent of SWAT deployments, “a battering ram, boot, or some sort of explosive device” is used to gain forced entry to a home.

#5 62 percent of all SWAT raids involve a search for drugs.

#6 In at least 36 percent of all SWAT raids, “no contraband of any kind” is found by the police.

#7 In cases where it is suspected that there is a weapon in the home, police only find a weapon 35 percent of the time.

#8 More than 100 American families have their homes raided by SWAT teams every single day.

#9 Only 7 percent of all SWAT deployments are for “hostage, barricade or active-shooter scenarios”.

#10 Even small towns are getting SWAT teams now. 30 years ago, only 25.6 percent of communities with populations between 25,000 and 50,000 people had a SWAT team. Now, that number has increased to 80 percent.

www.activistpost.com...

a reply to: 727Sky

727Sky, fairdinkum I feel really sorry for all the blokes & sheilas over there. They really are some telling statistics and assuming they're true, it's a demonstration of a system in freefall.

Kind Regards
Myselfaswell

I read an analysis somewhere about the choice to send in a swat team in a particular case where the guy said all the had to do was call him and he would have shown up at the police station voluntarily. Instead the team showed up, did the usual property destruction, terrorized the neighborhood and the family for what? It boiled down to being able to justify swat team expenditures on paper, because if the team is not used enough, then why equip it with more fancy stuff?

30% of the time they are right 100% of the time. That's in the constitution right? The ol' 1 third make us right rule"...

Well you guys need that much SWAT action because off all the flys.

Those drug carrying, weapons having, evil flys living at home peacefully paying their taxes.

I think this has more to do with making people more acustom to seeing military style police enforcing law. All this does is make the population scared of its own enforcers. And the people in power more easily able to get what they want, less people questioning there Government. This is will not end well

a reply to: Glassbender777

I agree. A bully can only push his victim so far in to a corner. When the victim gets fed up or so frightened they fight back, it usually winds up very bad for the bully. I've noticed more people waking up to the fact that police are going far, far beyond what it takes to subdue and arrest and they are not happy about it. Some still blindly defend the officers involved in incidents, but I think that may be because they have friends or family on the force and they know they will not be subjected to the same treatment.

a reply to: 727Sky

A refresher fact: in 1980 206 police officers lost their lives.

In 2012 122 officers lost their lives.

Is it possible that the use of Swat teams have resulted in fewer officer deaths over a 32 year period? A 32 year period that has seen much change in the area of violence in the big cities?

I totally understand the concept of limited use of swat teams in large cities. I feel they are necessary.

What I don't like is the proliferation of their implementation and use specially in the light of the Patriot Act.

I am sure the purpose of this post (although unstated) is related to the change in our society, gradually, into a police state. This concerns me greatly.

Not good.

a reply to: 727Sky

#4 In 65 percent of SWAT deployments, “a battering ram, boot, or some sort of explosive device” is used to gain forced entry to a home.

#5 62 percent of all SWAT raids involve a search for drugs.

#6 In at least 36 percent of all SWAT raids, “no contraband of any kind” is found by the police.

This is interesting to me. So 65% (52,000 raids a year) of the swat deployments destroy a person's home, 62% (49,600 raids a year) of those people were searched for drugs and 36% (28,800 raids a year) of that number did absolutely nothing wrong. Or had nothing there at the time of the raid. So basically 28,800 homes a year are destroyed that the city would have to pay for (taxpayers) because swat bombarded their homes and found nothing! Waste taxpayer dollars much? Is there a thing called intel anymore? Maybe these swat teams just barge in on a hunch? When you do the numbers, this is just an absurd amount of homes and dollars to waste on nothing...IMHO of course.

Brings to mind a Monty Python skit, where they were hunting mosquitoes with a bazooka.....

a reply to: 727Sky

How many of these thugs are using steroids?
Bored, juiced and above the law.

Disband forces. Now.

originally posted by: bbracken677
a reply to: 727Sky

A refresher fact: in 1980 206 police officers lost their lives.

In 2012 122 officers lost their lives.

Is it possible that the use of Swat teams have resulted in fewer officer deaths over a 32 year period? A 32 year period that has seen much change in the area of violence in the big cities?

I totally understand the concept of limited use of swat teams in large cities. I feel they are necessary.

What I don't like is the proliferation of their implementation and use specially in the light of the Patriot Act.

I am sure the purpose of this post (although unstated) is related to the change in our society, gradually, into a police state. This concerns me greatly.

Not good.

Murders of suspect, many unarmed are rising rapidly and there are no requirements for police to report the actual numbers. Sounds like there is some catching up to do.

The U.S. Justice Department gathers data on "justifiable homicides" by police and by private citizens -- killings ruled to be legal by authorities -- and that information is available to the public.

But the accuracy of the data has long been questioned because it's voluntary for police agencies to file reports on their cases, and many don't. A detailed report of 20 years of that federal data, released in 2001, included two pages of cautionary notes about errors and omissions in the data.

if 50% of raids are black and latino.....what is the other 50%?

That stat is suspicious for a few reasons.

originally posted by: 727Sky
Now, there are more than 80,000 SWAT raids per year in this country.

#2 79 percent of the time, SWAT teams are deployed to private homes.

#8 More than 100 American families have their homes raided by SWAT teams every single day.

My calculations say on average that is over 173 private homes per day.

By far most include drug raids, where 'the state' claims to be the victim.

What price freedom?

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
if 50% of raids are black and latino.....what is the other 50%?

That stat is suspicious for a few reasons.

I picked up on that too. What a pointless statistic. All it says is that 50% aren't black or latino!

It may as well read, "50% of raids are white or asian"

"Aw, you can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of all people know that." - Homer Simpson.

a reply to: 727Sky

If you are a minority who keeps your head down, nose clean, and mouth shut there is no need to worry. You go unnoticed for not filling the mold.

a reply to: 727Sky

Why would this stat be included...."#3 50 percent of the victims of SWAT raids are either black or Latino." Its seems like an even split? Now if it were 80% that would be a stat worth putting in.....looks like I am not the only one who noticed this weak stat....

I was told by a law enforcement officer about 15 years ago, "Cops love to dress up and play army men".

I guess its true?

I used to like to dress up and play "Army" myself, one day I realized it wasn't so much fun playing it for real.

I was too young and naïve to know better and the conditioning didn't take well enough where I could kill someone without feeling bad about it.

They certainly were disappointed when I refused to jump anymore and tried to make me feel guilty for trying to get myself out because of the extensive training I went through, commendations and combat jumps and a critical MOS to boot, but the guilt trip they laid on me didn't even come close to the guilt trip I laid on myself for committing MURDER.

a reply to: MystikMushroom

a reply to: 727Sky

I agree it is a problem, but precedent has thankfully been set:

Texas Deputy Killed in Dawn No-Knock Drug Raid

That's right people, a cop got killed by a felon with a gun! But then what happened you may ask?

Texas Jury Refuses to Indict Homeowner Henry Goedrich Magee After Cop Killed During No-Knock Raid

Sweet, sweet justice was served.


And sadly Texas didn't learn their lesson after the first time; here's another one from just a month ago: SWAT officer shot in the face breaking into window during no-knock raid