Maryland Legislation Seeks to Address Out-of-Control SWAT Raids

Following the botched drug raid death of his two dogs, Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo has gone from drug war victim to hero of justice. His dreadful experience – and dignified response – has inspired two Maryland legislators to introduce a bill that will improve data collection on aggressive police raids:

All the bill does is require each local police department to submit a monthly report of any SWAT activities, with details of time, place, evidence seized, arrests, and any injuries. "This bill is an important first step that doesn’t restrict [SWAT] use," Calvo said. "It merely brings transparency." Transparency should be the least the public demands with regard to the use of potentially deadly force. [Examiner]

Don’t be at all surprised when law enforcement interests in Maryland bitterly oppose any effort to document their activities. They are going to completely freak out about this. You know why? Because police in Maryland conduct unnecessarily violent drug raids all the time, endangering innocent people routinely and without consequence. Naturally, they would prefer that such conduct not be scrutinized.