CHARLOTTE, NC – With scrutiny of law enforcement in Ferguson, Missouri, WCCB Charlotte asked CMPD about its use of riot and tactical gear.
“We don’t believe in an overall big authoritative show of force at random,” said Estes.
But CMPD does make it’s presence known.
During the Occupy Charlotte movement, officers walked with guns drawn alongside protesters.
In 2012, police in riot gear walked with people protesting the Democratic National Convention.
And who can forget the riots in Uptown Charlotte on the Fourth of July in 2006.
“We try very hard to make sure we handle the events as they unfold, and we use the least amount of force as necessary,” said Major Captain Estes.
Estes says excessive force can anger a crowd and escalate the situation.
CMPD’s standard operating procedures list these scenarios for calling out the SWAT team: hostage situations, barricaded people threatening to commit suicide who pose a threat to others, sniper incidents, high-risk searches or arrest warrants, dignitary protection and active shooters.
The American Civil Liberties Union investigated police militarization and the overuse of tactical gear in more than 800 SWAT raids by departments across the country, including CMPD.
“The report details numerous SWAT raids that have gone wrong, whether they were at the wrong house or police had bad information and innocent bystanders too often get hurt or even killed in these actions,” said Mike Meno, a spokesperson for ACLU of North Carolina.
The ACLU found that CMPD deployed its SWAT team 96 times in 2012. 42 of of those deployments were to serve warrants, which the group says mirrors something it’s seeing nationally.
“It’s a really disturbing trend that can sometimes have really tragic consequences,” said Estes.
