NAPO Endorsed Bill Introduced to Repeal President’s Executive Order Limiting Military Surplus Equipment{0}
NAPO Endorsed Bill Introduced to Repeal President’s Executive Order Limiting Military Surplus Equipment
In a victory for NAPO and the law enforcement community, legislation was introduced on March 17th by Senator Patrick Toomey (R-PA) that would repeal the President’s Executive Order limiting the use of military surplus equipment by state and local law enforcement. The Lifesaving Gear for Police Act (S. 2694), will overturn the Executive Order, prohibit the President from implementing new restrictions, and require the Administration to return equipment that it has recalled—at no expense to local police.
Programs like the Department of Defense’s (DOD) 1033 program and grant programs at the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have been vital resources in allowing state and local law enforcement to acquire items used in search and rescue operations, disaster response, and active shooter situations that they otherwise would not be able to afford. This equipment has not led to the “militarization” of police, but rather has proven to be essential in protecting communities against violent criminals with increasing access to sophisticated weaponry, IEDs, body armor and sometimes even armored vehicles.
The limitations on military surplus equipment for state and local law enforcement are a result of Executive Order 13688 and the Law Enforcement Equipment Working Group that it created. On October 1, 2015, the recommendations of the Working Group went into effect and the Department of Defense is currently in the process of recalling lifesaving military surplus equipment from state and local law enforcement agencies. Not only are law enforcement across the country now scrambling to fill in the equipment gaps left behind, but they must also develop new training policies and expand their inventory reporting to include equipment previously outside of the Federal purview to ensure that they do not “misapply” the use of such equipment.
Given the unfortunately high number of mass shootings that have occurred in 2015 alone and the fact that state and local law enforcement are the first line of defense, it is improper that the Administration has questioned the appropriateness of state and local agencies acquiring such equipment for the protection of their communities. NAPO worked closely with Senator Toomey on the development of this legislation and we thank him for his leadership on this important issue.
NAPO is working to educate members of Congress on the importance of the 1033 program and similar programs and urging their support for the Lifesaving Gear for Police Act. We will work with Congress to ensure that state and local law enforcement have the resources they need to safely and effectively protect our communities.