We... me... I, I grumble about SWAT abuses from time to time here. I yearn for the good old days, when cos were more like Barney Fife. And then LA Police Chief Gates invented Special Weapons and Tactics and everything law enforcement went to Heck in a Hanky!
Not like in the 30s. When cops were honest, and the innocent were safe from such heinous behavaior preformed under the color of law or summat.
Oh wait. The best romantic comedy ever filmed, never since surpassed, came out in 1940. If you and missus/mister ain't seen it, give yourself a treat. See His Girl Friday, starring Ralph Bellamy. Also Rosalind Russell. Some British guy named Archie Leach, too. It about a newpapermen. A Red is about to be hanged in New York City. Hilarious!
Annnnnnyway, they gotta catch that murderer. And he's loose! They send out the Rifle Squad to bring him down, shoot to kill!
A ha! They had SWAT teams back in time of Laguardia... they just called it something else. And they had a reputation of being heavy handed. Though I can't find any other references to them, apart from the colloquialism from a movie from the era. Seems there was a Tactical Patrol Force in the 50s, but that looks more like a riot squad.
Jeff Cooper's Commentaries, Vol 1, No. 8:
ReplyDeleteWe simply must do something about these fat men with face masks and MP5s who shoot down unarmed citizens. Personally, I would not think that the American people would stand for this, but then I am a member of an older generation which took the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution with more than a grain of salt.