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by patmcc 1090 days ago
The alternative to responding with SWAT isn't to do nothing, it's to respond with a less dangerous force (two/three/four officers in-uniform, knocking). We could easily default to non-SWAT unless there's very good evidence (i.e. not a single unconfirmed phone call) to believe SWAT is needed. The same way no-knock warrants should be almost never allowed.

From your source 6 cops died in 2022 due to disorder/disturbance (domestic disturbance, civil disorder, etc.) - so 6 at most. So I don't think it's reasonable to think of that as a "big cause" of police deaths. Also, and this is a personal thing that annoys me, innocent people being shot/killed by police is strictly worse than police being shot/killed. Police are knowingly taking these risks, they're compensated for them, and they are wearing protective equipment. I'd rather a police officer be shot in a domestic dispute than a guy getting shot in a swatting incident.
2 comments
biofunsf 1090 days ago
Agree with all that!
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jstarfish 1090 days ago
> The alternative to responding with SWAT isn't to do nothing, it's to respond with a less dangerous force (two/three/four officers in-uniform, knocking).

SWAT does not get called in to every domestic violence call.

The one in discussion isn't a welfare check or noise complaint, it's an angry man with a shotgun in a near-hostage situation. He's already angry, and now threatened by being outnumbered, and knows the night will end with him in jail. Desperation++. You've escalated the situation and increased risk to everyone. This is America, not Japan. When the SWAT team gets involved, it's a disruption tactic to deny him time to think or act.

> I'd rather a police officer be shot in a domestic dispute than a guy getting shot in a swatting incident.

"We won't have your back if you fuck up, and we'll leave you for dead either way" is not a selling point for any career. This one isn't exactly popular to begin with. Without the hero worship, there is little incentive to go into public service. The money is better in the private sector. Ask me how I know.

Firefighters and EMTs don't have to deal with this shit, so nobody has anything bad to say about them. We forgive their mistakes, even when people die.

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