Thousands of communities in every state have been on a gear-buying spree with the aid of more than $34 billion in federal government grants since the Sept. 11 attacks. The spending has fueled a rapid, broad transformation of police operations in departments across the country. More than ever before, police rely on quasi-military tactics and equipment, the Center for Investigative Reporting has found.
Under Suspicion
Mall of America officials say their security unit stops and questions up to 1,200 people each year as part of a counterterrorism initiative that acts as the private eyes and ears of law enforcement authorities but has often ensnared innocent people, according to an investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting and NPR.
Falling Short
Despite a clear mandate from Congress and hundreds of millions spent on personnel and technology, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis has fallen far short of its mission and done little to improve the accuracy and quality of the nation’s intelligence data, according to an examination by the Center for Investigative Reporting.
