Sometimes the pictures we see of the local police look more like photographs of army personnel in battle gear. So it was not too surprising to see pictures from Ferguson, Missouri with police wearing Marine-issue camouflage and military-grade body armor. Police officers riding around in armored vehicles looked more like soldiers in Afghanistan.

There is a reason for that. The National Defense Authorization Act allowed the federal government to transfer property (such as arms and ammunition) of the Defense Department to local governments. So it’s not surprising to see local police officers toting military-style semi-automatic rifles and wearing night-vision goggles. A few police departments even have grenade launchers.

Some police departments even drive around in MRAPs (which stands for Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles). As the name implies, these are designed to protect soldiers from IEDs and other roadside bombs. So far, no IEDs or other explosive devices have exploded in Ferguson, Missouri or anywhere else in the United States.

Senator Rand Paul is concerned. “Washington has incentivized the militarization of local police precincts by using federal dollars to help municipal governments build what are essentially small armies—where police departments compete to acquire military gear that goes far beyond what most Americans think of as law enforcement.”

With the equipment comes a mindset. Soon police officers start acting like soldiers. Civil liberties and due process often goes out the window. Citizens are subjected to no-knock break-ins, broad search warrants, and a variety of other intrusions into their rights.

I can understand why police departments want military equipment. They want to stay one step ahead of criminals. But we as citizens should be concerned when the local police look more like an invading army.