Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Protesters continue to take to the streets in Ferguson, Missouri after the shooting death of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown by a white police officer more than a week ago.
Immediately following Brown's death, local law enforcement responded to protesters with a strong show of force, including military-grade weapons and armed vehicles.
But after much criticism and some striking images of protesters met by heavily-armed police, Ferguson's police department adjusted its approach in an attempt to ease the tensions in town. Still, the situation drew attention to the militarization of local police departments all over the country.
G.W. Schulz has written about this for the Center for Investigative Reporting. He says police departments began to use heavier grade equipment and weapons in the late 1990s, but ramped up use after the events of 9-11.