en ades , ▁gr en ade ▁launch ers , ▁sni per ▁rif les , ▁Special ▁We ap ons ▁and ▁T act ics ▁( SW AT ) ▁teams . ▁The ▁militar ization ▁of ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁is ▁also ▁associated ▁with ▁intelligence ▁ag ency - style ▁information ▁gather ing ▁aim ed ▁at ▁the ▁public ▁and ▁political ▁activ ists , ▁and ▁a ▁more ▁ag gress ive ▁style ▁of ▁law ▁enfor cement . ▁C riminal ▁justice ▁professor ▁Peter ▁Kr aska ▁has ▁defined ▁militar ization ▁of ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁as ▁" the ▁process ▁where by ▁civil ian ▁police ▁increasing ly ▁draw ▁from , ▁and ▁pattern ▁themselves ▁around , ▁the ▁ten ets ▁of ▁militar ism ▁and ▁the ▁military ▁model ." ▁ ▁Ob ser vers ▁have ▁noted ▁the ▁militar izing ▁of ▁the ▁polic ing ▁of ▁protest s . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁ri ot ▁police ▁have ▁fired ▁at ▁protest ers ▁using ▁guns ▁with ▁rub ber ▁bul lets ▁or ▁pl astic ▁bul lets . ▁T ear ▁gas , ▁which ▁was ▁developed ▁for ▁ri ot ▁control ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁is ▁widely ▁used ▁against ▁protest ers ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁te ar ▁gas ▁in ▁war fare ▁is ▁prohib ited ▁by ▁various ▁international ▁treat ies ▁that ▁most ▁states ▁have ▁signed ; ▁however , ▁its ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁or ▁military ▁use ▁for ▁domestic ▁or ▁non - com bat ▁situations ▁is ▁permitted . ▁ ▁Conc ern s ▁about ▁the ▁militar ization ▁of ▁police ▁have ▁been ▁raised ▁by ▁both ▁ends