SWAT officers with military equipment during training DLA Disposition Services helps the DoD dispose of its "excess property... from air conditioners to vehicles, clothing to computers" via "transfer to other federal agencies, or donation to state and local governments and other qualified organizations", as well as by "sale of surplus property". Availability of surplus equipment has been facilitated by the
reduced American presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. About a third of the offered equipment was new. As of 2022, the total value of transfers since 1990 was $7.1 billion, based on original acquisition value, not accounting for depreciation of used items. The program offers a variety of military weapons and equipment to police, ranging from
handguns and
bulletproof vests to
assault rifles and high-caliber firearms. Among the military weapons (as highlighted by media) are
bayonets and
grenade launchers; however, according to the DoD, the bayonets are repurposed as
utility knives, while the grenade launchers use
tear gas and
smoke grenades instead of
explosive rounds, Vehicle offerings include
light utility vehicles,
MRAPs,
armored personnel carriers,
trucks, and various types of
aircraft and
watercraft. Under the program, equipment is designated as either controlled or non-controlled property. Controlled property comprises military items, including weapons, and is supplied on a conditional basis; ownership remains with the DoD, and property must be returned when no longer in use. Non-controlled property, also known as general property, includes items like office equipment, first aid kits, and sleeping bags, and becomes the public property of the receiving agency. In 2019, non-controlled property accounted for 92% of transfers.
Police departments used by the
Tampa Police Department in
Florida , 8,000 law enforcement agencies participate in the 1033 Program. A
memorandum of agreement between the DLA and the states participating in the program requires that police either use their received equipment within one year or return it. and 117
campus police departments have received equipment through the 1033 Program. The most oft-cited reasons for the acquisition of military equipment by school and campus police are
school shooting responses and cost savings. the
Los Angeles School Police Department, and at least ten school police departments in
Texas, among others. Colleges and universities whose campus police departments are reported to have received or returned equipment from the 1033 Program include
Columbia University,
Yale University,
Hinds Community College, the
University of Central Florida, the
University of California,
Florida State University,
Florida International University,
Arizona State University, the
University of Maryland,
Central Washington University, the
University of Texas System, such as the shared use of an MRAP between the
Davis, California police and the
University of California, Davis Police Department.
Oversight Law enforcement agencies receiving items from the 1033 Program must declare the intended use for each item received, maintain an audit trail for each item, and conduct inventory checks for the DLA. Firearms, certain vehicles and other equipment must be returned to the Defense Department after use. The state coordinating agency is housed within a state agency that varies from state to state, such as the
Alaska Department of Public Safety or the
California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. In 2010, a police detective was appointed as Arizona's state coordinator; this reportedly allowed the
Pinal County Sheriff's Office to amass over $7 million worth of military equipment between 2010 and 2012, which Sheriff
Paul Babeu told county supervisors he would auction off to balance the PCSO's budget. In 2003, a
Department of Defense Office of Inspector General audit found incorrect or inadequate documentation in about three-quarters of the transactions analyzed, declaring LESO records unreliable. The MCSO blamed the errors on outdated computers and tracking devices from when the weapons were transferred in the 1990s. According to Sheriff
Joe Arpaio, the suspension did not affect the MCSO's acquisition of weaponry, as they could already afford them using anti-racketeering funding and confiscated narcotics proceeds. North Carolina officials stated that 3,303 out of the 4,227 pieces of equipment obtained through the program are tactical items including automatic weapons and military vehicles, and that the remainder is not used in combat and includes sleeping bags, containers, and generators. Investigative journalist Susan Katz Keating reported in October 2017 that certain elements of the program were restored despite the compliance issues. In 2017, the Government Accountability Office engaged in a sting purchase operation by creating a fake law enforcement agency website and using its name to obtain controlled military equipment from the 1033 program. == Responses ==