The average police officer is no longer the image of Andy Griffith, he is more and more like a soldier. Senator Tom Coburn asked the perfect question at a congressional meeting when he said, "Tell me what the difference is between an increasingly militarized police force and a standing army" (quoted in Devaney) . The trend is for citizens to demand that their representatives pass legislation ending the militarization of the police, as well as creating harsher penalties for excessive use of weapons.