With the recent protest in Ferguson, MO over the shooting of Michael Brown and the heavy handed response of the Ferguson police department, bringing out mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles (MRAP), tear gas, snipers, and camouflaged dressed cops, much focus has been put on the militarization of the police force. Los Angeles is no stranger to a militarized police force. The LAPD created the first SWAT team in the nation in 1967. You could say L.A. started the trend in police force militarization.