Congress’s “1033” program, which has been around for a couple of decades, allows for the transfer of military equipment to local law enforcement agencies. According to the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, “over 8,000 federal and state law enforcement agencies from all 50 states and the U.S. territories participate in the program.”
The program has come under heightened scrutiny over the last few years, as the presence of armored vehicles, grenade launchers, and combat body armor has led to a perceived “militarization” of local law enforcement agencies. Opponents of the program say the line between soldiers and police officers has become too blurred while local agencies say the program allows them to procure the expensive equipment for a fraction of the cost.
Alabama was even temporarily suspended from the program while a federal audit of the state’s equipment was conducted. Additionally, President Obama banned certain types of equipment such as grenade launchers and tracked armored vehicles from going to local agencies.
In a nutshell, here’s how it works:
A local law enforcement agency requests a helicopter from the 1033 program and provides justification for their request. The 1033 program coordinator for the state in which the law enforcement agency is located reviews and approves the request. The U.S. Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) reviews and approves the request. The local law enforcement agency pays for it to be shipped. The helicopter arrives.
According to the New York Times, most counties across the U.S. have received equipment through the program since 2006, including all but 10 of Alabama’s 67 counties.
Unsurprisingly, some counties and municipalities in Alabama have received more equipment than others. Heavily populated counties, in particular, have received the majority of the surplus goods.
Here’s a visual breakdown of what some of Alabama’s counties requested and received through the program since 2006.
Though the graphics above are astounding, perhaps even more interesting is the non-military equipment many Alabama cities and counties received through the program—from really expensive tents, to arcades and video games.
The Defense Logistics Agency says that more than $5.4 billion of equipment has been distributed through the program since it began in the 1990s, with $980 million being distributed in 2014 alone.
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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