Personally, I think it's a bigger issue that we have all that excess equipment in the first place.  You mention that they gave away 13,000 $700k vehicles.  But those vehicles were being unused.  It's not as if they're building them specifically for the police forces.

 

I don't think the militarization of police gives a battle mindset to either civilians or police.  Otherwise, why would it be any different with the National Guard?

 

A major problem with police is that they're often ineffective because Law Enforcement, as my father-in-law (who was an FBI Agent for a long time) says tends to draw the wrong type of people for the job.  And the police who do their job, are often criticized for doing the right thing because of public perception.

 

When law enforcement officers abuse their position -- that's when they lose the trust of their populace.  Not because of anything they carry or use.  But because of the abuses of power that are often used.  Red Tape does not help this often, because sometimes police appear incompetent because they won't do anything about a situation that they CANNOT actually do anything about.

 

Many police officers are also lack social graces.  That contributes to the lack of trust with the public.  They distrust people, they often over-react.  And these are situations they should be trained for.

 

Take for example Ferguson Missouri. The problem wasn't that the officer was driving around a tank.  It was that he was believed to have shot an unarmed man who was in the process of surrendering.

 

I know it's a fictional show, but Veronica Mars is a good example of what I'm talking about.  If you look at the corrupt Neptune Police Department, you get an idea that you can't trust police.  But it's not because of what they wield.  It's because of the actions (and lack of action) from their officers.

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