CNN 03/12/15 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Hank Johnson Editor’s Note: “Hank Johnson represents Georgia’s 4th Congressional District and serves on the House Judiciary and Armed Services committees. Michael Shank, a former congressional staffer, is adjunct faculty at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. The views […]
POLITIX 10/13/14 By Michael Shank Last month, Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and the House of Representatives finally took a stand against the growing militarization of our police forces and our main streets. Shortly after Congressmen Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) introduced the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement […]
ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION 08/28/14 By Hank Johnson As seen in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution: http://on-ajc.com/1lhRBWk U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, is a member of the House Armed Services and Judiciary Committees. Michael Shank, associate director for legislative affairs at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, contributed to this article. […]
RIA NOVOSTI 08/22/14 FERGUSON, August 22 (RIA Novosti) – Harsh policing of protests over the police killing of an unarmed African-American teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, showcase a trend towards the militarization of US law enforcement, Michael Shank, a religious group director, told RIA Novosti Friday. “The militarization of the police […]
NEW YORK TIMES 08/17/14 By Jake Flanagin “Ferguson, Mo., has become a virtual war zone,” write Elizabeth R. Beavers and Michael Shank in an Op-Ed for The New York Times. “In the wake of the shooting of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, outsize armored vehicles have lined streets and […]
CBS NEWS 08/15/14 By Stephanie Condon Washington lawmakers let out a collective gasp on Thursday after seeing startling images of police officers decked out with combat gear and tanks to respond to largely peaceful protesters in Ferguson, Missouri. While there may have been some looters and violent individuals among the […]
THINK PROGRESS 08/14/14 By Nicole Flatlow Enraged by scenes from Ferguson, Missouri that many have analogized to a war zone, a member of Congress said Thursday he will propose a bill to roll back the militarization of U.S. police forces. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) tweeted about his proposal after days […]
WASHINGTON POST 03/11/14 By Radley Balko I’ve been covering the militarization of America’s police departments for about eight years now. Over the past 35 years, Congress has generally been interested only in accelerating it. But the tide may be turning. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) has just introduced what may be […]
USA TODAY 03/10/14 By Michael Shank and US Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) Why do police departments need military vehicles and weapons? Something potentially sinister is happening across America, and we should stop and take notice before it changes the character of our country forever. County, city and small-town police departments […]
FOX NEWS 11/27/13 By Edmund DeMarche From war zones to city streets, some military vehicles are getting a new life — and not everyone is happy about the recycling. The Defense Department recently announced it would be giving domestic law enforcement forces hulking vehicles designed to efficiently maneuver in a […]