Privacy SOS

Cops in the Commonwealth: Table of Contents

I.         Introduction

II.        Fighting the ‘war on drugs’

• A drug raid in Framingham

• A drug raid in Boston

• Drug raids in Fitchburg

• SWAT teams in the frontline of the ‘war on drugs’

• Blurring police and military roles

• The expanding military mind-set

• The Constitutional implications

III.        Fighting the ‘war on terror’

            • Boston police spy on First Amendment activity

            • The ‘federalization’ of the police

            • Policing for ‘homeland security’

            • The decrease in trust and community control

            • Further militarizing the home front

IV.        SWAT teams across the Commonwealth

            • Funding for homeland security and public safety

            • Equipping SWAT teams and police forces

            • Military equipment comes home

            • Paramilitary training

V.         SWAT teams in action

            • “Mass Mall ‘gunman’ was just carrying umbrella”

            • The SWAT mandate

            • SWAT team ‘call outs’ in Massachusetts

            • SWATs police the ‘war on drugs’

            • SWATs police domestic incidents

            • SWATs police the mentally distressed

            • If in doubt, call in the SWAT team!

VI.       Policing for a safe and free society

            • Policing the democratic process

            • Policing the ‘insurgents’ at home

            • Policing for democracy

            • The kind of society we want

            • Lessons from the Marathon bombing

VII.      Police as ‘trusted guardians of public safety’

© 2024 ACLU of Massachusetts.