Obama Cuts Local Police Depts off from Military Equipment

photo credit - US Army-Sgt. Mark B. Matthews- 27th Public Affairs Detachment-Wikimedia
photo credit - US Army-Sgt. Mark B. Matthews- 27th Public Affairs Detachment-Wikimedia

On Monday President Obama banned local police departments from acquiring military-style weapons and equipment from the federal government.

The ban is an outgrowth of recommendations that followed the police response to Ferguson riots in which police were viewed to have acted in a fashion that was too strong-handed.

According to Fox News, “Critics questioned why police in full body armor with armored trucks responded to dispel demonstrators, and Obama seemed to sympathize when ordering a review of the programs that provide the equipment.”

The weapons and equipment ban means “the federal government will no longer fund or provide armored vehicles that run on a tracked system instead of wheels, weaponized aircraft or vehicles, firearms or ammunition of .50-caliber or higher, grenade launchers, bayonets or camouflage uniforms” for local police. It also means that departments that have already received these things may experience federal efforts to get the weapons and/or equipment back.

Moreover, Obama’s ban will include new scrutiny and “tighter control” for lesser weapons and equipment as well.

For example, future requests for “wheeled armored vehicles like Humvees, manned aircraft, drones, specialized firearms, explosives, battering rams and riot batons, helmets and shields” will require police to obtain approval from their mayor or city council before hand.

In September 2014, Breitbart News reported that the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) acquired a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP.

SDUSD acquired the $600,000 MRAP from the Department of Defense for free, paying only the $5,000 in cost involved in shipping the vehicle.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.

 

 

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.