An imposing line of soldier-like figures spans the street, with each donning a gas mask, full body armor, helmet, assault rifle, and riot shield. A faint pop rings through the air as canisters of tear gas soar over the shield wall. Who might these people be fighting? Terrorists? Armed gunmen? Try peaceful protesters.

In 1996, Congress’s passing of the 1033 program permitted the Department of Defense to grant law enforcement agencies over $7 billion in military equipment. Over the following decades, several government organizations contributed billions more in equipment, from tanks to assault rifles to armored, explosive-proof vehicles. The program sparked the United States law enforcement’s rapid evolution into a modern, localized military.

The aggressive “boot camp” style of police training impels today’s officers to maintain the widespread view of the public as opponents rather than those they serve to protect. That hostile mindset has morphed service to the community into a war on citizens, inadvertently antagonizing the police. The militaristic silencing of protesters exercising their First Amendment rights only furthers the public’s deep-rooted mistrust and malicious views of the police. According to research by Campaign Zero, police killed 1,349 people in the U.S. in 2023 — 98 more than the previous year. That number increases with every year that passes.

To make matters worse, the heavily armed nature of law enforcement challenges criminals to escalate their opposition, indirectly inciting conflict and exacerbating easily defusable situations. Program 1033 originated from the necessity for a crack-down on drugs, but instead, has driven the targeted drug cartels and distributors to find more advanced and often violent methods of transporting and dealing drugs. By meeting violence with violence, the police effectively amplify the bloodshed tenfold, increasing the margin of damage and endangering the civilians that they’re designated to protect. 

For the sake of public safety and relations, the government must demilitarize the police force and reallocate the funding for excess equipment to community health and safety organizations. Furthermore, any employed military equipment should require approval from a citizen-governed body or organization. Law enforcement training should refocus on building relationships within the community and getting to know the citizens that officers serve and protect. The outward appearance of the police force must also emphasize public safety, community service, and crime prevention over firearm and equipment use. 

Police militarization has been responsible for some of America’s most atrocious violations of civil liberties, whether it be the tragic suffocation of George Floyd or the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. The streets of America have consequently devolved into a battlefield as the vicious cycle of violence unfolds. It’s undeniable that law enforcement requires combative strength to maintain order across the country, but the heavy question remains: When will it be enough?