On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is expected to announce the Trump administration’s plans to roll back more Obama-era restrictions. According to The New York Times, the administration plans to fully restore a program that allows the Pentagon to transfer military surplus – such as large caliber weapons and grenade launchers – to local police departments.
Sessions is expected to make the announcement at a Fraternal Order of Police conference in Nashville. There has been some confusion as to why Sessions would make an announcement about a Pentagon program, however he has been critical in reversing Obama-era policing reforms. Sessions has also taken the lead in building a strong relationship between police forces and the Trump administration.
The program started in the 1990s as a way to bolster local police agencies fighting the drug war. It gave police departments easier and cheaper access to sniper rifles, armored cars, and riot gear. However, after the shooting death of Michael Brown triggered violent protests and a heavily armed police response in Ferguson, Missouri, President Obama placed significant limits on the program. He prohibited transfers of weaponized vehicles, large caliber ammunition, explosives, battering rams, and riot gear. “We’ve seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like they’re an occupying force,” Obama said.
Trump believes that the program is simply a way to equip law enforcement to effectively handle any situation that may arise in their communities. His executive order would erase Obama’s 2015 restrictions and restore the program in its entirety. In a document obtained by the New York Times, the administration calls the military equipment “entirely defensive in nature.” It also describes these changes as a “policy shift toward ensuring officers have the tools they need to reduce crime and keep their communities safe.”
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.