http://www.wsj.com/articles/police-groups-push-back-against-curbs-on-acquiring-military-gear-1469571098?mod=djem10point
*Police Groups Push Back Against Curbs on Acquiring Military Gear* [image: Description: Police in Baton Rouge, La., search for a suspect earlier this month after three officers were shot near a gas station in the city.]ENLARGE Police in Baton Rouge, La., search for a suspect earlier this month after three officers were shot near a gas station in the city. *Photo: Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser/Associated Press * By Zusha Elinson July 26, 2016 6:11 p.m. ET Following recent attacks on police in Dallas and Baton Rouge, law-enforcement groups appear to be gaining traction in their efforts to reverse President Barack Obama <http://topics.wsj.com/person/O/Barack-Obama/4328>’s restrictions on military vehicles and gear for local police departments. The president last year banned local police from acquiring tank-like armored vehicles, grenade launchers and other equipment from the federal government. The administration also put tighter controls on riot gear and other items after images of officers wearing fatigues, carrying military-style weapons and traveling in armored vehicles at protests in Ferguson, Mo., sparked concern that the police seemed more like an occupying army. But at a White House meeting held days after the July 7 sniper assault in Dallas that left 5 police officers dead, Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs’ Association, said he raised concerns with the president that police are now being denied low-cost military gear that can protect lives. “He said he would look at it,” Mr. Thompson said. Mr. Thompson said the issue is getting more attention “unfortunately” because of recent killings of police in Dallas and in Baton Rouge, where a gunman fatally shot three officers on July 17. [image: Description: The helmet that Officer Michael Napolitano was wearing when responding to the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla.]ENLARGE The helmet that Officer Michael Napolitano was wearing when responding to the shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla. *Photo: Orlando Police Department/Associated Press * White House spokeswoman Hannah Hankins said the administration regularly reviews the program with both law enforcement and civil-rights groups “to ensure that it is achieving its goals.” Police can still receive some military equipment, even after Mr. Obama placed limits on the program. “We believe that the program is providing departments with the tools that they need to protect themselves and their communities while at the same time providing the level of accountability that should go along with the provision of federal equipment,” Ms. Hankins said. The push by law-enforcement groups is rattling those who have fought against the militarization of police, and comes as the nation is embroiled in a debate over race and police violence. “I do think they are getting more traction,” said Kanya Bennett, legislative counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union. “I think it would be unfortunate if this moment was used to stop the progress that’s been made around demilitarization.” Police unions and sheriffs associations sent a letter to lawmakers on July 11 urging them to lift the restrictions on the program by inserting language into the National Defense Authorization Act. Military surplus gear has “not led to the ‘militarization’ of police,” but helps protects against “violent criminals and terrorists with increasing access to sophisticated weaponry,” the letter said. Micah Xavier Johnson used an Izhmash-Saiga 5.45 mm high-powered rifle, a variation of an AK-style military weapon, in the Dallas attack, according to a law-enforcement official. Police departments have been boosting security for officers in recent weeks. In New York City, officials announced plans this week to spend $7.5 million to buy new ballistic vests and helmets for officers. Since the president’s executive order curbing military gear, local police departments have returned banned items to the government: 126 tracked armored vehicles, which look like tanks without guns, 138 grenade launchers and 1,623 bayonets, according to Michelle McCaskill, a spokeswoman for the Defense Logistics Agency. The military uses the returned tracked vehicles for target practice, she said. Armored vehicles with wheels like the ones used by police in response to the Orlando and San Bernardino attacks as well as explosives, riot gear and other equipment can still be transferred from the military to police, but departments must take extra steps to justify the acquisitions. Police can still acquire all of the equipment without any restrictions, but they must buy it on their own instead of getting it for the cost of shipping from the federal government. Larry Amerson, sheriff of sparsely populated Calhoun County in Alabama, said before his two tracked armored vehicles were hauled away, his department used them to track down armed suspects in wooded areas. “Our goal and intent was to use them to move personnel safely,” said Mr. Amerson, a past president of the National Sheriffs Association. “Having this equipment and essentially free is a huge opportunity for us.” However, big-city police chiefs aren’t pushing to reverse the president’s executive order on the military gear program. “They did understand the optics with the equipment being used in an inappropriate manner like we saw in Ferguson,” said Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, adding that they do benefit from the program. The ACLU’s Ms. Bennett said the changes have caused police to be more deliberate in their use of military equipment, but she fears that progress could be lost if the law-enforcement groups get their way. “We’re certainly concerned we would see another Ferguson,” she said, “the exercise of constitutional rights being quelled because of a military response.” *Write to *Zusha Elinson at [email protected] ------------------------------ [image: Avast logo] <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> __._,_.___ ------------------------------ Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> ------------------------------ Visit Your Group <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmOXUycHVwBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0Njk2Mzc3MDk-> [image: Yahoo! 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