[devs1010]

Yea, its two different situations completely, U.S. police often look like military combatants by the gear they wear and often seem to view themselves as urban military units. While this is horrible and an obvious sign of our country going down the shitter, it does make them have to be more conscious of how they use force because it looks so bad to the general public to see images of cops in riot gear who are armed to the teeth chasing around protestors.

[nerfhammer]

Riot police look pretty scary everywhere

https://www.google.com/search?q=arizona+police&tbm=isch

and generally only armed with batons outside of low-human rights countries due to the obvious danger of losing control of weapons amidst violent crowds.

[devs1010]

I wasn't talking just about riot situations, U.S. police look sort of like this (especially where I am in Arizona) all the time, except without the masks.

[SageRaven]

Is this now state-wide or still only within the "Constitution-Free Zone" within 200 miles of Mexico's border?

I was in Nogales looking for property in winter of '04, and I noted how many of the law enforcement were all dolled up in their military-like gear. This was before the checkpoints, so I never got too close. Still... if I wasn't white and driving a giant, made-in-America pickup truck, I certainly would not have felt too welcome in the area.

[devs1010]

I'm in Phoenix.. IMO this state is insane, the government here really does deserve the scorn they get from the rest of the U.S., I am already planning my move out, I moved here a year and a half ago as it has a low cost of living, warm climate, etc and thought I would give it a shot but there is something very dark going on here with the government.