President Obama plans to put new restrictions on the use of surplus military equipment by police departments.
Spurred by the wind-down of military action in the Middle East, the Department of Defense has been unloading armored vehicles and weapons to eager police departments from coast to coast. University campus police departments now have mine-resistant trucks, fulfilling a need that has never been demonstrated.
Combined with the increasing militarization of police strategies and tactics, the vehicles and weapons now in use have raised concerns about the divorce of law enforcement from mainstream society.
The President, as Commander-in-Chief, doesn't need Congressional approval for the changes. There's no funding involved and his executive order is well within his authority since it applies to the operations of the Department of Defense.
Up to now, it's been like shopping in a discount candy store for law enforcement agencies. Under a longstanding arrangement, police can acquire military hardware for pennies on the dollar and even sometimes for free.
Among the measures to be instituted will be a ban on providing police with equipment such as tracked explosive-resistant vehicles, which are much like small tanks without the big cannons. Also on the list of forbidden items are weaponized aircraft, .50-caliber weapons and ammunition, grenade launchers and bayonets.
Police departments will also have to start buying their own camouflage outfits.
In addition, law enforcement agencies will have to get city government approval to acquire MRAP (mine-resistant ambush protected) vehicles including up-armored Humvees as well as the specialized military trucks that have been seen in recent conflicts between demonstrators and police.
Other items on the restricted list include manned aircraft, drones, specialized firearms, explosives, battering rams and riot gear like batons, helmets and shields.
Beyond simply getting approval from the mayor or city council, which should be fairly easy in most parts of the U.S., law enforcement agencies will have to provide the federal government with additional justification for the equipment and agree to provide additional training in its use.
The President will make a public announcement of the new restrictions during a visit to Camden, New Jersey today. It's being presented as part of his effort to encourage better relations between police and citizens.
In terms of things like fully automatic firearms, such as real assault rifles, the President's new restrictions won't do much more than eliminate the low, low prices. Law enforcement agencies are exempt from the restrictions of the National Firearms Act of 1934 and are free to purchase machine guns, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns without government approval or payment of the $200 transfer tax. In fact, law enforcement agencies are the only ones that can purchase new machine guns: civilians can only buy such items if they were manufactured and registered with the federal government before May 19, 1986.
Sawed-off shotguns, such as the Remington 870 with a 14-inch barrel, would mean a long stretch in Leavenworth for a citizen found with one who has not passed through all the required hoops. But they're just a tick on the official order form for police.
However, the new restrictions will hopefully slow down the insane arms race in our police departments. Maybe even remind them of who they are and what they're actually supposed to be.