SWAT TEAM USE IS OUT OF CONTROL IN THIS COUNTRY

Regarding the story, "Police apologize after raiding wrong house,"
(AC-T, May 15): Police owe Sandra Braswell more than an apology.

Society must control out of control no-knock SWAT raids.

I'm reminded of the Nazi swastika and the resemblance makes me
associate SWAT with the newly coined term "SWATSTIKA." To rationalize
SWAT teams, police officials talk about preparedness for terrorist
incidents.

Once trained, however, SWAT teams nationally are mostly used to serve
drug warrants and make drug arrests.

One study shows 66 percent of their use is for executing search and
arrest warrants. America must stop using SWAT military-style power for
the war on drugs.

SWAT has a history, using Gestapo tactics and entering private homes
to conduct drug war warrants, including too many raids at wrong
addresses, with too many innocent citizens, including children, killed
in as little as 11 seconds. Police are to serve and protect; SWAT is
primed to kill. SWATSTIKA; If the shoe fits and police don't like it
they should change shoes.

Stan White, Dillon, Colo.