Why are some US police forces equipped like military units?

[genxlib]

11. I think there is a secondary aspect to this

The explosion of gun culture in this Country has created an environment where the police are constantly on guard.

They dress for battle every day as if every single citizen is a potential threat to them.

Unfortunately, there is some truth to that since any given person on the street can be packing a deadly weapon. And we have seen enough people willing to brandish and use them that the risk of getting shot these days is no longer negligible. It has changed the way I behave in the average parking lot encounter. It would be foolish not to acknowledge that it has had an impact on how police behave.