Grounded research into U.S. paramilitary policing: Forging the iron fist inside the velvet glove

Police studies have paid almost no attention to the increase in the number of and significant changes in the use of police paramilitary units (PPUs) in the United States ‐ commonly known as SWAT teams. This research examines a self‐proclaimed community policing department's past and current use of its PPU using participant‐observation, in‐depth interviews, and quantitative data. The quantitative data document the increased use of the unit and the trend toward normalizing it into mainstay policing functions. The qualitative data reveal several cultural themes unique to these types of units, including a pronounced militaristic culture, a preoccupation with danger, a high level of pleasure from engaging in paramilitary activities, and an active construction of PPU's status as the “elite” police.