Militarization of police

Militarization of police means when police officers use military equipment and tactics. This includes things like armored vehicles, assault rifles, sniper rifles, grenades, and SWAT teams. It is also connected to when police gather information on the public and political activists in the same way as intelligence agencies and when police use more aggressive methods. A criminal justice professor named Peter Kraska defines the militarization of police as when the police start to act more like the military and follow their ways of doing things.
People have noticed that the way police handle protests is becoming more like the military. Since the 1970s, police who control riots have been shooting at protesters with rubber or plastic bullets. They also use tear gas, which was first made by the US army in 1919 to control riots. Using tear gas in wars is not allowed by international agreements that most countries have signed, but using it in a domestic (inside of a country) situation or non-combat situation is allowed by police or the military.
Concerns have been raised about the militarization of police. Both liberal and conservative groups, such as the Cato Institute and American Civil Liberties Union, have criticized this practice. The Fraternal Order of Police argue that it increases officer safety and protect the public, but studies have shown that militarized police units are more likely to have violent encounters with the public, they are more frequently deployed to communities with large African American population, no matter the local crime rate.
Many countries have a gendarmerie, which is a military force with police duties among civilians.