My research proposal focuses on the militarization of the police. This topic is a key issue to study because it is a relatively new idea, and it also demonstrates how the influence of the military industrial complex now reaches beyond foreign policy alone. Although most people don't know much about the issue, certain interest groups have recently invested enormous levels of research into trying to understand how America arrived where it is today.
After the initial piece of legislation first began militarization, the process has grown at an exponential rate. Essentially, as it stands, when the military decides that their equipment is no longer necessary, they contract to sell this off to police departments across the country. I'm not sure what use police have for 14,000 bayonets, nor mine resistant armored vehicles for that matter. That is the reason I am studying this issue, is to find out why.
Great topic, Ryan. Because it's so current, you'll be looking mostly at materials that are also current: newspapers, magazines, and recent issues of criminal justice journals. Stuff like that. Might be interesting to localize the essay. What gear does the Boise police have? How have they used it so far?
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