What is it about?
In the aftermath of the riots at Ferguson, MO, much attention was focused on law enforcement agencies use of surplus military equipment. This article summarizes research into the extent of law enforcement agencies' use of military surplus equipment.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
The media, politicians, and citizens expressed concerns over the perceived militarization of law enforcement agencies. This articles provides insight into the extent of law enforcement agencies' participation in the military surplus equipment program. Further, this article summarizes the type of equipment that many law enforcement agencies seek to obtain through this program.
Perspectives
This study was based upon my experiences as a former police chief. While my agency participated in this program, we did not acquire weapons or tactical vehicles. It was my perspective that most agencies that participated in this program also did not acquire weapons or tactical vehicles through this program. However, media hype suggested that the agencies that did participate were using the program to become more militaristic through the acquisition of military-grade weapons and tactical vehicles. It was my intent to provide a more accurate portrayal of law enforcement agencies' participation in the program.
Thomas Johnson
Western Carolina University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Law enforcement agencies’ participation in the military surplus equipment program, Policing An International Journal, November 2016, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/pijpsm-03-2016-0035.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
