More evidence of the overuse of SWAT Teams in our country:

Some 20 police officers, many of them members of the city's SWAT Team decked out in full battle dress, raided 61 Liberty St. yesterday afternoon in the Washington Heights neighborhood.

The police were executing a search warrant on the house, where undercover police had made marijuana purchases in recent weeks.

They weren't expecting armed resistance, and the pot house wasn't gang-related, said Det. Sgt. Bruce Campbell. "The SWAT Team had training in the city today anyway, so we thought we'd get them out there," said Campbell.

If they weren't expecting armed resistance, then why the hell did they employ a SWAT team? "Because they were there" is an absolutely horrible reason to do it. SWAT Teams use incredibly dangerous techniques, which if it's a high risk warrant, are neccessary, but otherwise escalate the potential of harm being done to people in the area more than it's worth. You know, like blowing off testicles with flash bang grenades, or killing unarmed men who are surrendering.

Links via The Agitator.