Tanks on the Streets? Police Required to Use Military Equipment within a Year or Return It

Tanks on the Streets? Police Required to Use Military Equipment within a Year or Return It

Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle belonging to Willimantic, Conn. (population-17,700) police (AP Photo)

The militarization of America’s police forces has been the result of federal policy that not only provides the means to give men-in-blue the same tools as combat soldiers, but in fact requires law enforcement to “use it or lose it” when it comes to military equipment.

Specifically, the Department of Defense’s 1033 program—which funnels all kinds of military surplus goods to police—has a provision that clearly says that any participating law enforcement agency must use its equipment within one year of receiving it. If they don’t, they have to give it up.

This from the state of Missouri’s “application to participate” in 1033: “Property obtained under this SPO must be placed into use within one (1) year of receipt, unless the condition of the property renders it unusable, in which case the property can be returned to the nearest DLA Disposition Services Site. If property is not put into use by the LEA (law enforcement agency) within one (1) year, the State/LEA must coordinate a transfer of property to another LEA or request a turn-in to return the property to the nearest DLA Disposition Services Site.”

Another problem with the Pentagon’s decision to shower police forces with military hardware is that it’s not accompanied by training, Amanda Taub noted at Vox.

Kara Dansky, a senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, who wrote the organization’s report on police militarization, told Taub she was unaware “of any training that the government provides in terms of use of the equipment,” or of  “any oversight in terms of safeguards regarding the use of the equipment by the Defense Department.”

While SWAT teams from large police departments train with their equipment regularly, small-town forces often don’t have the resources to spare officers for such exercises. Thus, often the only time they use the surplus equipment is during an emergency.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Why America's Police Forces Look like Invading Armies (by Amanda Taub, Vox)

Application to Participate (Department of Defense) (pdf)

Militarization of the Police…Ferguson Edition (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

$4.2 Billion in Military Hardware Donations Fuels Militarization of... (by Danny Biederman and Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Views: 81

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
4 hours ago
cheeki kea posted a photo
4 hours ago
cheeki kea favorited Doc Vega's blog post A Grain of Hope
5 hours ago
Doc Vega posted blog posts
17 hours ago
Doc Vega's 7 blog posts were featured
yesterday
tjdavis's blog post was featured
yesterday
Burbia's blog post was featured

Mystery illness strikes Russia with fever, blood symptoms, and no cure in sight.

I guess releasing this bio-weapon upon Israeli neighbors would be hitting too close to home. I…See More
yesterday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's photo
Thumbnail

main-qimg-357a10f7111dcf87a3cc6e2afad83855

"Islam is only a phase preceding a total Talmudic rule and a new world religion."
yesterday
Less Prone commented on tjdavis's photo
Thumbnail

WWRJD

"I doubt a d-rat Jesus would be better. Much worse. “Politicians are the lowest form of life…"
yesterday
Less Prone favorited tjdavis's photo
yesterday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
yesterday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
Thumbnail

Lost History

"The Tartar wall - aka The Great Wall of China is hundreds of years old and was up and running in…"
yesterday
cheeki kea posted a photo
yesterday
tjdavis posted a blog post
Friday
tjdavis posted a photo
Friday
Doc Vega posted blog posts
Thursday
Doc Vega posted a photo
Wednesday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

No Place to Hide

Stumbling through this confusing lifeLike a blunt and rusty knifeSo why is there all this…See More
Wednesday
Burbia posted a blog post
Wednesday
cheeki kea posted a photo
Wednesday

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted