Trump Just Gave Thousands of Bayonets And Hundreds of Grenade Launchers Back To Police
President Trump continues to be a man of his word in all the wrong ways.
Today the president made good on his to the Fraternal Order of Police to rescind and put from the U.S. military back in the hands of police. It also leaves law enforcement鈥檚 federally provided drones, explosives, and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles .
The result? Weapons of war will again be used to police our communities, no questions asked. Your town could be the next Ferguson or Fallujah.
When President Obama issued the executive order, which charged a federal agency working group with implementing oversight and protocols around the weapons of war given to local law enforcement agencies, he did so in response to calls from many Americans that their communities not be treated like war zones. from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars expressed horror that they, while on active duty overseas, were less heavily armed than the local police in Ferguson. (R-Calif.) said, 鈥淭he idea that state and local police departments need tactical vehicles and MRAPs with gun turrets is excessive.鈥� (R-Ky.) described the need to differentiate a 鈥減olice response and a military response.鈥�
Clearly, the new president disagrees with members of his own party, confusing Missouri with Mosul. In a from the Fraternal Order of Police, then-Republican nominee Trump said of the Department of Defense program that distributes these weapons that 鈥淸t]he 1033 program is an excellent program that enhances community safety鈥� and that he would 鈥渞escind the current executive order.鈥� In making its case for the 1033 program and others, the FOP found 鈥渙ffensive鈥� the notion 鈥渢hat the equipment could be misapplied鈥� and should therefore be subjected to federal oversight.
The of E.O. 13688 dismantles this necessary oversight. E.O. 13688 created an that included the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security 鈥� the of military weapons and equipment to law enforcement. At minimum, the working group ensured that the agencies doling out these military-grade weapons were talking to one another, but it also established necessary policies, including the prohibition on bayonets and grenade launchers.
But even with federal officials now talking, we know the 1033 program is still plagued by problems. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently disguised itself as a federal law enforcement agency and received 1033 military ware, no questions asked.
Without interagency coordination, it is now possible that the Department of Defense could provide an MRAP to a police department subjected to Department of Justice complaints of police misconduct 鈥� that is, if this administration even continues to systemic police misconduct.
Even with the interagency working group鈥檚 oversight since January 2015, we continue to see unwarranted police militarization . Just look at law enforcement鈥檚 response at Standing Rock, where armored vehicles, automatic rifles, concussion grenades, sound cannons, and water cannons were used against peaceful protestors. Consider Baton Rouge, where those organizing around the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling were met with . And we still have SWAT teams detonating when executing home searches for drugs. Do you remember ?
Many in law enforcement fail to see how military-grade weapons in America鈥檚 communities have negative consequences.
So, what鈥檚 next? There are three immediate responses needed to the rescission of the executive order:
- Communities must the federal government for instigating police militarization.
- Congress must continue their of the 1033 program and enact the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act to eliminate the federal gifting of MRAPs and grenades to police once and for all.
- State and local communities must over the weapons of war coming to their towns, just as we are asking them to take control of surveillance.
On Inauguration Day, the White House published an reminding us that 鈥淸t]he Trump Administration will be a law and order administration.鈥� The that 鈥淸t]he dangerous anti-police atmosphere in America is wrong鈥� and promises to 鈥渆nd it.鈥� 鈥渕ore community engagement鈥� and 鈥渕ore effective policing.鈥�
Given today鈥檚 executive action, just how this administration plans to reconcile these goals is not clear. We know that ,鈥� as it does not , , or . And we hope this administration does not think that treating neighborhoods like war zones is an effective way to create 鈥渕ore community engagement.鈥�
If the new president wants to be the president of 鈥�,鈥� he must listen to the who have said they do not want weapons of wars in their communities.
