NEW YORK // In the 10 days since the first peaceful vigil over the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager, nightly protests in Ferguson, Missouri, have grown larger and more violent in the face of a police response that has looked more like that of an occupying army than a force sworn to protect and serve.
Officers in camouflage and gas masks have aimed assault rifles at unarmed protesters, fired tear gas from grenade launchers, sped around in armoured vehicles and arrested journalists.
The show of force has been blamed for inflaming community anger, and drawn nationwide attention to a phenomenon that began in the late 1980s in the fight against drug trafficking and accelerated since September 11 – what many call the militarisation of police departments across the country.
Former police officials, criminal justice scholars and civil rights groups warn that the culture and philosophy of policing in the United States has changed dramatically, and that this shift will have long-term consequences.
Police increasingly rely on paramilitary weapons and tactics for normal duties, a trend that has been fuelled by federal programmes to distribute hundreds of millions of dollars in surplus military equipment no longer needed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One of the major such initiatives, known as the 1033 programme, was introduced in 1990 to help police take on heavily armed drug gangs at a time when violent crime was surging. After September 11, its mandate was extended to domestic counter-terrorism, and the Department of Homeland Security created its own grant programme for police to buy military gear.
“This began with the rationalisation that they would be used for hostage situations or special circumstances, but over the course of time it’s become normalised and even in the smallest police departments like Ferguson they’ve become highly militarised and use their tactical teams for routine search warrants, routine patrols,” said Victor Keppeler, associate dean at the Eastern Kentucky University’s School of Justice Studies.
Where once only big cities had well-trained Swat (special weapons and tactics) teams that were used sparingly, the ability to procure military equipment from the Pentagon has led to a surge of paramilitary units in police departments across the country, even tiny ones with only a handful of officers and little training.
A June report on police militarisation by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), cited research by Peter Kraska, professor of justice studies at Eastern Kentucky University, who estimated that only 20 per cent of small towns had Swat teams in the 1980s, but 80 per cent had them by the 2005. Over the same period, Swat raids grew from 3,000 annually to 45,000.
In the name of fighting terrorism, police departments have received automatic weapons, body armour, armoured vehicles and aircraft.
A department in rural Keene, New Hampshire, requested a mine-resistant vehicle from the Pentagon because officials felt their annual Pumpkin Festival could be a target for Al Qaeda. A small department near Ferguson told the ACLU that they needed military equipment because “preparations for attacks on American schools that will bring rivers of blood and staggering body counts are well under way in Islamic terrorist camps” and that the police is the first line of defence, “our Delta Force”.
But the ACLU found that in the vast majority of cases, the equipment was not used to thwart terrorists or rescue hostages but to serve warrants, mostly to suspects in non-violent drug crimes, a disproportionate percentage of whom were African-American.
There is no federal oversight of how the military gear is used, but the police are allowed to keep the equipment only if they can show they have used it within a year, a rule that creates an incentive to use Swat teams in situations they normally would not have been considered.
Stephen Downing, a former Los Angeles deputy police chief who helped set up the country’s first Swat team in the 1960s, said experienced officers were selected from a pool of thousands and spent half of their time training.
In Ferguson, both the shooting and the handling of protests show that the force had spent little time training, Mr Downing said.
“What are the county police doing with that kind of equipment and that kind of show of force? You could tell by the way the officers behave that they have no training, you can tell by the way they talk to people that they have no training,” he said.
“So here’s a community that’s being occupied. No wonder they’re reacting like they’re reacting.”
However, training has also become styled on military forces, and officers from many police departments have been sent to Israel for tactical and intelligence training by its security forces.
However, training has also become styled on military forces, and officers from many police departments have been sent to Israel training by its security forces. Among them is a former chief of St Louis county, where Ferguson is located, who went to Israel for tactical and counter-terrorism training in 2011.
Mr Downing said he had been trained in Israel on intelligence work and skills such as tactical driving, not crowd control. “Having those skills is good,” he said but the organisations conducting the training “weren’t people dealing with local law enforcement, these were people dealing with military concerns”.
The military mindset saps interest and resources from community-based policing that would have helped address anger in Ferguson before it spun out of control, critics said.
“Is this military model – designed to prepare young recruits for combat – the appropriate mechanism for teaching our police trainees how to garner community trust and partner with citizens to solve crime and public order problems?” the ACLU report asked.
In militarised police forces, officers view themselves as soldiers and citizens as enemy combatants rather than their own community, which makes it very difficult to defuse tensions and delegitimizes the police in the eyes of everyday people, Mr Keppeler said.
“Symbolically think about what that means for democracy to have civilian police pointing a high-powered weapon at protesting citizens. It is not an act of war to protest,” he added. “But when you have that kind of militarised approach it erodes confidence in government, erodes confidence in police.”
Addressing the violence in Ferguson on Monday, US president Barack Obama said there would be a review of programmes that allow police access to military equipment. “There is a big difference between our military and our local law enforcement and we don’t want those lines blurred,” he said.
But dismantling a system that has created a large political constituency and financial incentives for arms producers as well as cash-strapped police departments may not be easy.
“This has become a huge industry in law enforcement,” Mr Keppeler said. “And I’d gamble against there being any kind of change.”
tkhan@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Results:
5pm: Maiden (PA) | Dh80,000 | 1,200 metres
Winner: Jabalini, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Younis Kalbani (trainer)
5.30pm: UAE Arabian Derby (PA) | Prestige | Dh150,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Octave, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 (PA) | Group 3 Dh300,000 | 2,200m
Winner: Harrab, Richard Mullen, Mohamed Ali
6.30pm: Emirates Championship (PA) | Group 1 | Dh1million | 2,200m
Winner: BF Mughader, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (TB) | Group 3 | Dh380,000 | 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) | Conditions | Dh70,000 | 1,600m
Winner: AF La’Asae, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
Sweet Tooth
Creator: Jim Mickle
Starring: Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Adeel Akhtar, Stefania LaVie Owen
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs
Engine: Single front-axle electric motor
Power: 218hp
Torque: 330Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 402km (claimed)
Price: From Dh215,000 (estimate)
On sale: September
TRAINING FOR TOKYO
A typical week's training for Sebastian, who is competing at the ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon on March 8-9:
- Four swim sessions (14km)
- Three bike sessions (200km)
- Four run sessions (45km)
- Two strength and conditioning session (two hours)
- One session therapy session at DISC Dubai
- Two-three hours of stretching and self-maintenance of the body
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
For more information go to www.abudhabi.triathlon.org.
Sukuk
An Islamic bond structured in a way to generate returns without violating Sharia strictures on prohibition of interest.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
SPEC SHEET: APPLE IPHONE 14 PRO MAX
Display: 6.7" Super Retina XDR OLED, 2796 x 1290, 460ppi, 120Hz, 2000 nits max, HDR, True Tone, P3, always-on
Processor: A16 Bionic, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 6GB
Capacity: 128/256/512GB / 1TB
Platform: iOS 16
Main camera: Triple 48MP main (f/1.78) + 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2) + 12MP telephoto (f/2.8), 6x optical, 15x digital, Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, Portrait Lighting
Main camera video: 4K @ 24/25/30/60fps, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps, HD @ 30fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps, ProRes (4K) @ 30fps; night, time lapse, cinematic, action modes; Dolby Vision, 4K HDR
Front camera: 12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 4, Portrait Lighting; Animoji, Memoji
Front camera video: 4K @ 24/25/30/60fps, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps, ProRes (4K) @ 30fps; night, time lapse, cinematic, action modes; Dolby Vision, 4K HDR
Battery: 4323mAh, up to 29h video, 25h streaming video, 95h audio; fast charge to 50% in 30min; MagSafe, Qi wireless charging
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC (Apple Pay)
Biometrics: Face ID
I/O: Lightning
Durability: IP68, dust/splash/water resistant up to 6m up to 30min
Cards: Dual eSIM / eSIM + eSIM (US models use eSIMs only)
Colours: Deep purple, gold, silver, space black
In the box: iPhone 14 Pro Max, USB-C-to-Lightning cable, one Apple sticker
Price: Dh4,699 / Dh5,099 / Dh5,949 / Dh6,799
Leaderboard
15 under: Paul Casey (ENG)
-14: Robert MacIntyre (SCO)
-13 Brandon Stone (SA)
-10 Laurie Canter (ENG) , Sergio Garcia (ESP)
-9 Kalle Samooja (FIN)
-8 Thomas Detry (BEL), Justin Harding (SA), Justin Rose (ENG)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Mascotte Health
Started: 2023
Based: Miami, US
Founder: Bora Hamamcioglu
Sector: Online veterinary service provider
Investment stage: $1.2 million raised in seed funding
The specs
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 646hp
Torque: 830Nm
Transmission: Two-speed auto (rear axle); single-speed auto (front)
Price: From Dh552,311; Dh660,408 (as tested)
On sale: now
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
WITHIN SAND
Director: Moe Alatawi
Starring: Ra’ed Alshammari, Adwa Fahd, Muhand Alsaleh
Rating: 3/5
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
The Specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
On sale: Now
The five pillars of Islam
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
The specs
Powertrain: Single electric motor
Power: 201hp
Torque: 310Nm
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Battery: 53kWh lithium-ion battery pack (GS base model); 70kWh battery pack (GF)
Touring range: 350km (GS); 480km (GF)
Price: From Dh129,900 (GS); Dh149,000 (GF)
On sale: Now
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
Results
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m; Winner: Faiza, Sandro Paiva (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m; Winner: Greeley, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 1,600m; Winner: Marzaga, Jim Crowley, Ana Mendez.
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 1,600m; Winner: Jawaal, Jim Crowley, Majed Al Jahouri.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m; Winner: AF Ashras, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi.
Fight Night
FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio
Forced Deportations
While the Lebanese government has deported a number of refugees back to Syria since 2011, the latest round is the first en-mass campaign of its kind, say the Access Center for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization which monitors the conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
“In the past, the Lebanese General Security was responsible for the forced deportation operations of refugees, after forcing them to sign papers stating that they wished to return to Syria of their own free will. Now, the Lebanese army, specifically military intelligence, is responsible for the security operation,” said Mohammad Hasan, head of ACHR.
In just the first four months of 2023 the number of forced deportations is nearly double that of the entirety of 2022.
Since the beginning of 2023, ACHR has reported 407 forced deportations – 200 of which occurred in April alone.
In comparison, just 154 people were forcfully deported in 2022.
Violence
Instances of violence against Syrian refugees are not uncommon.
Just last month, security camera footage of men violently attacking and stabbing an employee at a mini-market went viral. The store’s employees had engaged in a verbal altercation with the men who had come to enforce an order to shutter shops, following the announcement of a municipal curfew for Syrian refugees.
“They thought they were Syrian,” said the mayor of the Nahr el Bared municipality, Charbel Bou Raad, of the attackers.
It later emerged the beaten employees were Lebanese. But the video was an exemplary instance of violence at a time when anti-Syrian rhetoric is particularly heated as Lebanese politicians call for the return of Syrian refugees to Syria.
SHAITTAN
Director: Vikas Bahl
Starring: Ajay Devgn, R. Madhavan, Jyothika, Janaki Bodiwala
Rating: 3/5
Profile box
Founders: Michele Ferrario, Nino Ulsamer and Freddy Lim
Started: established in 2016 and launched in July 2017
Based: Singapore, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand
Sector: FinTech, wealth management
Initial investment: $500,000 in seed round 1 in 2016; $2.2m in seed round 2 in 2017; $5m in series A round in 2018; $12m in series B round in 2019; $16m in series C round in 2020 and $25m in series D round in 2021
Current staff: more than 160 employees
Stage: series D
Investors: EightRoads Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Sequoia Capital India
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
LIVERPOOL TOP SCORERS
(Premier League only)
Mohamed Salah 129
Robbie Fowler 128
Steven Gerrard 120
Michael Owen 118
Sadio Mane 90
Company profile
Company name: Leap
Started: March 2021
Founders: Ziad Toqan and Jamil Khammu
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Funds raised: Undisclosed
Current number of staff: Seven
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.