Guess What? The Marine Corps is The New Police
The U.S. Marine Corps has created its first law enforcement battalions, according to the Associated Press. The Marine Corps claims that the new 
specialized force will be used to “deploy worldwide” to investigate drug smuggling and terror plots. More on the battalion’s mission from the Associated Press:
The Corps activated three such battalions last month. Each is made up of roughly 500 military police officers and dozens of dogs. The Marine Corps has had police battalions off and on since World War II but they were primarily focused on providing security, such as accompanying fuel convoys or guarding generals on visits to dangerous areas, said Maj. Jan Durham, commander of the 1st Law Enforcement Battalion at Camp Pendleton.
The idea behind the law enforcement battalions is to consolidate the military police and capitalize on their investigative skills and police training, he said. The new additions come as every branch in the military is trying to show its flexibility and resourcefulness amid defense cuts.
Some months back the Marine Corps also changed the language of their recruiting material to include defending communities as part of the Marine Corps mission.
The Marine Corps maintains that this is just a natural transition since most Marines are engaged in policing duties in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, some civil libertarians would argue that blurring the lines between the Marine Corps’ core mission and its new policing mission blurs the line a bit.
Will the Marine Corps eventually police American cities and towns? Just last month, Marine Corps tankers were on the streets of St. Louis, is there a connection?
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