FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 4, 2021) A bill introduced in the Kentucky House would ban state and local law enforcement agencies from acquiring certain military equipment from federal programs.

A coalition of Democrats introduced House Bill 244 (HB244) on January 11. This legislation would prohibit local law enforcement from acquiring certain military equipment, and further, require that any of this equipment currently owned by law enforcement be disposed of within 180 days of the bill’s passage. If law enforcement requests any approved equipment from a military surplus program, they would be required to post public notice of their request within 14 days of submitting it.

Prohibited military equipment would include:

  1. Drones that are armored, weaponized, or both
  2. Aircraft that are combat-configured or combat-coded
  3. Grenades or similar explosives, and grenade launchers
  4. Silencers
  5. IMSI-catchers
  6. Active denial systems
  7. Militarized armored vehicles

While passage of HB244 wouldn’t end the militarization, it would keep some dangerous weapons out of the hands of police officers and set the stage for further limits in the future.

Police departments often obtain military and surveillance equipment from the federal government in complete secrecy. Requiring public disclosure of all requests for military gear would bring the process into the open and provide an opportunity for concerned residents to stop the acquisition through their local representatives.

FEDERAL SURPLUS AND GRANT MONEY

Police can get military-grade weapons through a number of federal programs, including the 1033 program, and via the Department of Homeland Security through the (DHS) “Homeland Security Grant Program.” The DHS doles out over $1 billion in counterterrorism funds to state and local police each year. According to a 2012 Senate report, this money has been used to purchase tactical vehicles, drones, and even tanks with little obvious benefit to public safety. And, according to ProPublica, “In 1994, the Justice Department and the Pentagon-funded a five-year program to adapt military security and surveillance technology for local police departments that they would otherwise not be able to afford.”

In August 2017, President Trump issued an executive order that gave a push to local police militarization. Trump’s action rescinded an Obama-era policy meant to provide greater transparency and oversight around the Department of Defense 1033 program and other federal resources that provide military weapons to local police. Biden will reportedly reinstitute the Obama policy, but it was nothing more than window-dressing. In practice, the Obama EO did little to stem the flow of military equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies.

Even with the Obama-era limits back in place, the 1033 program will remain essentially intact. Military gear will continue to pour into local police agencies, just as it did when Obama was in the White House.

Even if you see the Obama/Biden limits as a positive, the multiple federal flip-flops underscore the importance of putting limits on police militarization at the state and local level. Federal policy tends to change depending on the party in power. Whatever limits Biden imposes through executive order can be undone with a stroke of the next president’s pen. The only way to effectively end police militarization for good is permanently withdrawing the state from these federal programs.

Passage of HB244 would limit Kentucky’s participation in federal police militarization programs and create a framework of transparency. It would also create a foundation for the public to stop their local police from obtaining this type of gear.

COMMAND AND CONTROL

Arming ‘peace officers’ like they’re ready to occupy an enemy city is totally contrary to the society envisioned by the founders. They’ve turned ‘protect and serve’ into ‘command and control.’

In the 1980s, the federal government began arming, funding and training local police forces, turning peace officers into soldiers to fight in its unconstitutional “War on Drugs.” The militarization went into hyper-drive after 9/11 when a second front opened up – the “War on Terror.”

By making it more difficult for local police to get this military-grade gear and surveillance technology, and ensuring they can’t do it in secret, it makes them less likely to cooperate with the feds and removes incentives for partnerships. Passage of HB244 would take a further step toward limiting police militarization in Kentucky.

WHAT’S NEXT

HB244 has been referred to the House Committee on Committees. It must pass out of committee with a majority vote in order to continue on with the legislative process.

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