President Obama made good on his decision to overhaul the DOD's 1033 program that miltarizes our local police departments which means (finally) localities in South Floridaand five central Florida counties need to give up their armored vehicles. (BTW why did Sweetwater ever think they needed a grenade launcher? but I digress.)
The executive order (pdf see pgs 11, 36) issued last May recalls items issued to local police departments and specifies the required training to retain approved items under the DoD's program. This is a good start on demilitarizing our local police departments, I'm a little sorry that drones are not more regulated.
More to the point, here's the list of recalled items:
RECOMMENDATION 1.1 — PROHIBITED EQUIPMENT LIST:I understand (now) that grenade launchers are used for tear gas, but really now, what's the need for .50 caliber or higher firearms? And jeebers! Weaponized aircraft!?! Bayonets!?!Tracked Armored Vehicles: Vehicles that provide ballistic protection to their occupants and utilize a tracked system instead of wheels for forward motion.
Weaponized Aircraft, Vessels, and Vehicles of Any Kind: These items will be prohibited from purchase or transfer with weapons installed.
Firearms of .50‐Caliber or Higher
Ammunition of .50‐Caliber or Higher
Grenade Launchers: Firearm or firearm accessory designed to launch small explosive projectiles.
Bayonets: Large knives designed to be attached to the muzzle of a rifle/shotgun/long gun for the purposes of hand‐to‐hand combat.
Camouflage Uniforms: Does not include woodland or desert patterns or solid color uniforms.
* The definitions on the equipment lists capture categories of equipment and, therefore, may be broader than specific item descriptions on existing authorized equipment lists. In implementing these recommendations, Federal agencies will provide guidance on which equipment falls under the defined categories of the Prohibited and Controlled Equipment.
Most of the central Florida Sheriff's and Police Departments are glad to get the expensive to maintain vehicles off their inventories, but Osceola County (Kissimmee) Sheriff Bob Hansell is disappointed in the recall and Sheriff Ben Johnson of Volusia County (includes Daytona Beach) is convinced this is a bad idea. Johnson doesn't want to give up his M113 armored vehicle that uses tracks, not wheels.
Volusia's M113 cannot run on roads because it damages the pavement, but it does do well in shallow swampy conditions. It has to have a larger vehicle ferry it to the off road location. I can see the appeal of this gadget, but then again, what's the ROI on this expense? How many swamp operations is the Volusia County Sheriff's Department implementing and why?
The department doesn't use it every day, but it has taken bullets for deputies, and the ban is "taking a valuable piece of equipment out of our fleet," Johnson said.Volusia County is not a crime haven (pdf), but it does have a higher per capita arrest rate. It's hard to know if it is because more dangerous people live and visit Daytona Beach than Orlando or if there's something odd about Volusia. Either way it's hard to justify the need to treat the domestic population like they are enemy combatants and it would be interesting to hear Sheriff Johnson justify why he "needs" anything on this list of prohibited items."People will die because of this decision," he said.
If there was anything good to come out of Ferguson, it is this recall. It's not enough, but it is a start. I'm sorry that it took the raw reality of seeing the protests over Michael Brown's death to bring this sane policy about; we should have seen it sooner.