50 Police Dressed as Ninjas

Katherine Mangu-Ward | July 5, 2007

Brian Barnard, "a civil-rights attorney in Salt Lake City who has watched the growth of SWAT teams over the past 30 years," looks at the increased cooperation and technology exchange between cops and soldiers and asks:

"Do you really need 50 police dressed as ninjas raiding a house in the middle of the night because someone sold a pound of marijuana a week ago?"

Radley Balko has a back belt in inappropriate SWAT police tactics.

Merchandising offer: To get your favorite cop/ninja a t-shirt, mug, or thong with the logo at right, click here. (Also available in pirate.)

UPDATE: The sales pitch for the thong: "Toss these message panties onstage at your favorite rock star or share a surprise message with someone special ... later." It'll be a surprise indeed when someone wearing this thong comes a-knockin'.