Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Swat In The Commonwealth: Trends And Issues In Paramilitary Policing, Peter B. Kraska

Peter Kraska

Movies and television shows depicting a future where law enforcement officers look like military soldiers may not be wholly inaccurate. In the last ten years, SWAT teams, or "police paramilitary units" (PPC's) have become an influential force in contemporary policing. Academic research and the news media have recently taken note of this development and have highlighted several important trends and issues related to paramilitary policing. These include the rapid growth of PPU's, their movement into mainstream police functions and the potential negative consequences of such a shift. This study overviews national trends in paramilitary policing using two national surveys. It …