Retired police LT shares how to serve a warrant: 1972 vs today

I am posting this in general chit chat, because I don't yet have status to post in posse comitatus

I came across this interesting read today. Basically, he breaks down how the Drug War was the catalyst for today's police militarization.

The way it was explained to me in training was that the stuff was being treated as a separate entity, independent of its owner. In other words, the guy wasn’t being charged with a crime. His car, or his house, or his cash was being charged with a crime. Stuff could now commit crimes, and be convicted of them. A cop could hold a trial at the side of the road, convict someone’s money of drug trafficking, and then put the money in jail.

So what to do with all that dough? No government agency ever returns money to the treasury. If they have any left at the end of the budget year they have a shopping spree.

What shall we buy? TOYS!!!

SWAT was the latest fad. Buy SWAT stuff!

Questions were raised. SWAT is a legitimate concept, and is needed in cases of barricaded persons, hostage situations, etc. But most agencies, even big ones, go for months and sometimes years without experiencing such events. The toys gathered dust. Officials and concerned taxpayers asked, “What do you NEED this stuff for?”

No need? CREATE a need!

And that’s why things that used to be handled in a low-key, non-confrontational way by street-savvy beat cops now require SWAT intervention, including routine service of warrants for insignificant and non-violent offenses.

His actual comparison of how to serve warrants then and now is pretty funny, albeit in a sad sort of way.

1972: Plan A - 2 steps, Plan B - 2 steps

Today: One plan - 8 steps

Link

Im off now to explore more articles on his site.