Use of the Armed Forces for Domestic Law Enforcement

Abstract

The Armed Forces have always provided support to civil law enforcement. It is a legitimate, lawful mission authorized by the Constitution and supported by centuries of precedent. Accordingly, the Armed Forces must be prepared to support domestic law enforcement. This requires an understanding of the historical background, societal concerns, and legal authorities involved when the military operates within the Homeland. Not only is this understanding required to maximize effectiveness and efficiency, it is also required to avoid abuse when the Armed Forces are called upon to support domestic law enforcement. This paper assists with that understanding by outlining the societal concerns Americans have regarding the use of the Armed Forces domestically and by explaining the legal basis for the support to domestic law enforcement mission. It concludes by identifying current deficiencies in training and offering some suggestions on how to improve preparedness in this area.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2013
Accession Number
ADA589451

Entities

People

  • Craig E. Merutka

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Army Personnel
  • Civil Rights
  • Congress
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Education
  • Emergency Response
  • Homeland Security
  • Law
  • Law Enforcement
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Students
  • Training
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Government and Public Administration Law.
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  • Systems Analysis and Design