Standing Armies Quote by Radley Balko

“About twenty years later, the Pentagon would begin giving away millions of pieces of military equipment to police departments across the country for everyday…

— Radley Balko

“In the summer of 2002, Biden was pushing his RAVE Act, an absurdly broad law that would have made venue and club owners liable…

— Radley Balko

“Clark wrote that there are common-law exceptions to the knock-and-announce rule known as an “exigent circumstances.” One such exception is if police believe that…

— Radley Balko

“Number of SWAT teams in the FBI alone in 2013: 56         Unlikely federal agencies that have used SWAT teams: US Fish and Wildlife…

— Radley Balko

“says the thrill of the raid may factor into why narcotics cops just don’t consider less volatile means of serving search warrants. “The thing…

— Radley Balko

Finally, this case should serve as yet another reminder of just how dangerous and volatile these police home invasions really are, and why we…

— Radley Balko

“In a couple of ways, the Watts riots were the first major incident to nudge the United States toward more militaristic policing.”

— Radley Balko

“Police officers today are a protected class, one no politician wants to oppose. Law enforcement interests may occasionally come up short on budgetary issues,…

— Radley Balko

“Using general warrants, British soldiers were allowed to enter private homes, confiscate what they found, and often keep the bounty for themselves. The policy…

— Radley Balko

“When guarding buildings, mark a ‘DEAD’ line and announce clearly that those who cross it will be killed. Be sure to kill the first…

— Radley Balko

We'll all make better choices about diet, exercise, and personal health when someone else isn't paying for the consequences of those choices.

— Radley Balko

“Police need not announce themselves if doing so would jeopardize their safety, if they are in the midst of an emergency,”

— Radley Balko