Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“When a police officer in the United States yells ‘Cover me!’ to colleagues, that means to be prepared to shoot – if necessary. A member of the U.S. military, however, could interpret those same words as a call to unleash lethal firepower. This distinction is just one among many complexities of engaging combat-ready troops to ‘fight’ crime or civilian unrest domestically. Fundamental differences in the roles and culture of policing and warfare can create logistical and legal troubles. ‘Police officers are taught to use time, distance and de-escalation,’ a former Los Angeles Police Department chief wrote in The New York Times in June, when 4,000 National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles to protect immigration officers from protesters. ‘Military training, equipment and tactics are optimized for warfare – not for safeguarding civil liberties or managing peaceful protest,’ he observed.” (10/01/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/1001/For-urban-strife-soldiers-or-police