The Department
of Defense’s 1033 program has allowed police departments across the
country, including in Ferguson, Missouri, to acquire excess
military equipment DOD is no longer using—including mine-resistant
vehicles, planes, helicopters, machine guns, body armor, etc. This
property is delivered to law enforcement agencies free of charge,
too. All they have to pay is the costs associated with
shipping and/or transportation.
According to the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), the
facilitators of the 1033 program, each item given to local law
enforcement agencies “must have a justification and be approved by
both the State Coordinator and be approved by LESO Staff.”
Preference is given to those agencies that request property to
be used for “counter-drug and counter-terrorism” operations.
And,
according to Pentagon press secretary Navy Rear Adm. John
Kirby, “there’s a lot of due diligence” involved in decisions made
about the type of equipment police forces receive through the 1033
program.
“I want to make sure that it’s clear that this isn’t some
program run amok here, or that there isn’t proper accountability,”
Kirby told the press this week. “There is. And it’s well
thought-out.”
However, according to
a document that details every transfer made through the 1033
program to local law enforcement between 2006 and May 2014, some
county police forces have received tens of thousands of dollars
worth of items that one would expect to normally see at, say, a
kids’ birthday party—not in a police station. Here are some
highlights of the ridiculous items some local law enforcement
agencies have received through the 1033 program:
Musical Instruments
Since 2006, several counties have received tens of thousands of
dollars worth of musical instruments. Some counties received enough
instruments to start their own marching band, if they wanted to.
For example, Trumbull County, Ohio, was given a $2,300
euphonium, two $1,700 saxophones, a flugelhorn, a tenor trombone, a
$2,000 alto horn, a clarinet, and a piccolo. Ashtabula County,
Ohio, right next door to Trumbull, received two clarinets, four
trumpets, three tenor trombones, four snare drums, three French
horns, a bass violin, a bass drum, and 13 unnamed “musical
instruments” or “musical instrument parts and accessories.”
Bouncy Castle
The citizens of Genesee County, Michigan, can feel safer knowing
their police are equipped with a $500 bouncy castle at its disposal
(for crime fighting purposes only, of course!). In February, they
were also given a French horn.
Ice Cream Makers & Icey Machines
Since 2006, three counties have received soft-serve ice cream
makers, valued anywhere from $5,200 to $16,500. One county,
Worth County, GA, was given an icey machine (for making slushies,
etc.). They were also given a $3,200 vending machine, presumably to
make up for the lack of soft serve availability.
Meat Slicers
Between 2006 and May 2014, five counties received meat slicers
courtesy of the Department of Defense. Clark County, Indiana, was
even lucky enough to receive two. The value of the slicers ranged
from $880 to $4,780.
Xbox
Games
Yes, Xbox games. I’m guessing Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto
are being used for police training purposes in Allen County,
Ohio.
Popcorn & Hotdog Machines, Pizza Ovens
Since 2006, the Department of Defense has given Aiken County,
South Carolina, a $1,500 popcorn machine, Clark County, Indiana,
two $11,000 pizza ovens, and Maricopa County, Arizona, a hot dog
machine and a $3,500 popcorn machine.
This certainly doesn’t sound like a program that’s “run amok,”
now does it?
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