Ferguson and militarized police

Hour 2

Guests: Jerry Ratcliffe, Bill Kelly, Joe Sullivan

The situation in Ferguson, Missouri, in which unrest erupted after a county police officer allegedly shot and killed an unarmed teenager, sparked a national discussion about proper police reaction to citizen protest. The tactics used by the county police have also caused many to claim that local police departments have become too militarized, partially as a result of a federal program which gives unused military equipment to police departments all across the country. This hour, we take a look at what happened in Ferguson and the issues that the situation served to highlight. We’re joined by JERRY RATCLIFFE, professor of Criminal Justice at Temple University and the Director of the university’s Center for Security and Crime Science. We’ll also talk with BILL KELLY, Chief of Police at Abington Township, and the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association.  And, we’ll hear from JOE SULLIVAN, Chief of Homeland Security for the Philadelphia Police Department, about the city’s S.W.A.T. program.