Senator Dick Durbin Responds To My Letter RE: Militarization Of Local Police Departments

March 9, 2015

 

 

 

Mr. William Rosen

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Lombard, IL 60148-1176

 

Dear Mr. Rosen:

 

Thank you for contacting me about Department of Defense (DOD) equipment provided to local law enforcement agencies. I appreciate hearing from you and share your concerns.

 

DOD operates the 1033 Program, through which the Defense Logistics Agency provides excess military equipment free of charge to state and local law enforcement and the 1122 Program, which allows local law enforcement agencies to purchase excess military equipment.

 

In September, I wrote to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel urging an examination of DOD programs that supply such equipment. DOD must implement oversight mechanisms for the use of tactical equipment provided under the 1033 Programs. DOD must also ensure that local law enforcement agencies receive effective training for the use of this equipment and establish a complaint resolution procedure for communities where the equipment is being used.

 

Our communities need and deserve the safeguards, accountability, and oversight that would come with transparency and evaluation of these programs. I will keep your concerns in mind as Congress considers this issue in the future.

 

Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to stay in touch.

 

 

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin

United States Senator

 

RJD/kp