Obama Preparing Executive Order on Police Militarization
A report issued by the White House found the vast majority of material coming from the Department of Defense to police departments wasn’t military-style: it included office supplies, furniture and tents.
But 4% of the Pentagon’s output to police departments is military grade, including 92,442 small arms, 5,235 Humvees, 617 mine resistant vehicles and 616 aircraft.
Other agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, also provide police with equipment and funds.
The executive action, which was described by White House officials ahead of Obama’s announcement, is the conclusion of a review process Obama launched in August following the heavily armed response to protesters in Ferguson. Images of tear-gassed filled streets patrolled by police in tanks sparked concern that local departments were treating citizens like enemy combatants.
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