From: Keith Elis (hagbard@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Fri Apr 11 2003 - 09:07:51 MDT
Jay Dugger:
> Please remember military police count as a very small
> subset of the military proper, and even then they exist to
> enforce discipline within the military more than to do the
> same sort of work as civilian law enforcement.
While it is true that a normal division-sized element has only a slice
of military police, the rest of this statement is not true at all.
Military police are trained in all the normal police functions, and some
would say, since they are charged with law enforcement among armed
troops, they are trained to deal with contingencies normal police are
not. We're not at war most of the time and during peacetime, MPs drive
around in Ford sedans and civilian SUVs, respond to domestic
disturbances and set up RADAR traps like any other police force.
Military discipline problems look a lot like civilian crime (i.e., they
are usually the same thing). But that's not really the issue:
> Soldiers
> and Marines do not make very good police. They train with
> very different tools and techniques for very different
> ends. Expecting military servicemembers to keep order in
> Iraq isn't reasonable.
What special skills do police have that military troops do not? Normal
civilian police have some rudimentary knowledge of the law codified into
police procedure, but this can easily become military procedure in
certain circumstances. What else? Knowledge of local customs and
traditions can be learned. Knowledge of who the "bad guys" are comes
with experience. The tools are different? Well, the tools must match the
job and when the criminals carry Kalishnikovs, military tools look a lot
more effective than tasers, billy-clubs, and the 9mm. Different
techniques? Probably, but many police techniques are drawn directly from
the military's tried and true combat contingencies and can essentially
be boiled down to 'watch your flank and call for backup'. The US
military and the militaries of other countries have been doing police
missions in Panama, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan to name the
big ones. We still have troops in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. These
are almost entirely "policing" missions, with the notable exception of
recent Afghanistan military campaigns. Kosovo and Bosnia have even
proven to be relatively successful, no thanks to the corruption of the
UN's police in both locations.
What good is law enforcement when no one knows what the law is? Military
troops with some intelligence are far more likely to restore a modicum
of order than any police force.
Keith
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