Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri have sent shockwaves through the nation.The growing unrest amongst the population, as a result of the fatal shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown, prompted President Barack Obama to launch an investigation into the use of military equipment by police forces. Many have questioned if the dissemination of surplus military gear to local law enforcement agencies is ethical.
This process of handing over surplus military weapons and gear to local law enforcement is made possible because of the Department of Defense Excess Property Program, know as DoD 1033. Under DoD 1033, local police departments receive this military gear so they can more effectively carry out counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations and keep police officers safe.
Every state and local police department is eligible to participate in this DoD-sponsored program, regardless of the amount of narcotics or terrorism-related cases a specific law enforcement agency sees in a given year. This means that some advanced weaponry and gear is finding its way into the hands of local police departments who do not truly have a need for it.
According to a recent article by The New York Times, since the DoD began the program, Alamance County has received 20 assault weapons. These weapons do little to aid in the arrest and apprehension of criminals for they have only one true use — to kill. Additionally, increasing the power and precision of the weapons available to police officers in local rural communities does little in the way of protecting them from the weapons criminals may have.
If the goal of the program is to protect officers, then it would make sense to provide law enforcement officials with items such as body armor, helmets and other protective riot gear instead of simply handing them high-powered rifles. This program has infiltrated almost every police department across the nation including Alamance County.
Since the programs inception in 2008, Alamance County received the 20 high-powered weapons despite the fact the violent crime rate has not increased dramatically in the past 10 years.
According to The New York Times, nearby Wake County, DoD 1033 has provided local law enforcement with an excessive amount of military gear surpassing what Alamance County received. Since 2008, Wake County has been received 84 assault rifles, nine helicopters, two grenade launchers, two sets of night vision goggles and an armored assault vehicle. Even though Wake County is North Carolina’s second most populated county, these weapons and vehicles have no place operating within the borders of our country.
When the Posse Comitatus act was passed by congress in 1878, it sought to keep the military from acting as a police force within the borders of the United States. As the Department of Defense continues to arm state and local law enforcement with military style weaponry, police departments move closer to acting like a military force.
As police forces operate more and more similarly to the military and less as force sworn to protect and serve the citizens of the U.S. they are at risk of violating the Posse Comitatus Act.
With the spotlight on the tactics and weapons utilized by the Fergusson Police Department, police departments across the state of North Carolina should strive to re-envision their mission statement and work with the state government to return to the core purpose of police duties — to protect and serve the community.