Quote Originally Posted by Majormarginal View Post
Police corruption is in the eye of the beholder. There are many standards and definitions of corruption. As far as I can tell every corruption article or academic paper has a different definition. .......The unit has had eight names that I can think of. I don't know what this has to do with the "militarization" of the police? I have not seen us "Militarized". We have more restrictions on weaponry now than we ever have. These restrictions get tighter all the time. I carry a revolver just as I did when I started.....
My experience may be slightly different..

In the 1980s when I became an LEO I carried a S&W686 (18 rounds total) and wore a uniform. In the 1990s when I left I was carrying a Ruger P85 (60 rounds total). We went from shotguns to carbines. Our uniforms changed to jump suits and fatigue pants. When I started the number of SWAT teams was unquestionably low. The number in the late 1990s exploded. All related to the war on drugs. Like his politics or not, Balko has a detailed exploration of the issue of domestic militarization of police and the effects. We have a tendency to dismiss that which we disagree but the data within the Balko paper is open source and verifiable.

In the question of narco terrorism there is a pretty good case to be made that the war on drugs has created the narco terrorism. Just like prohibition the criminal society will fill a need when the law is contrary to the general citizens desires.