$1.8 Billion in Military Gear Transferred to 8,200 Local Police Agencies

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[This is from 2020, but the numbers in here are quite shocking and worth looking at. Jan]

TOP 10 TAKEAWAYS

1. The Pentagon transferred 581,034 items of surplus military gear worth $1.8 billion since 1993 – an amount that only includes the items still held today by law enforcement agencies.

2. Heavy equipment – transfers included mine resistant vehicles (1,099 items, $743.8 million value); trucks (cargo, panel, van, dump, utility, lift, and military) (3,465 items, $251 million value); helicopters (344 items, $83.6 million value); airplanes (24 items, $104.8 million value); and armored trucks and cars (284 items, $24.4 million value).

3. Weaponry – transfers included rifles, 5.56mm and 7.62mm (66,375 items, $26.2 million value); pistols (.38, .40, .45 caliber) (7,339 items, $689,553 value); riot 12-gauge shotguns (1,218 items, $121,611 value), and grenade launchers (seven items, $27,814 value).

4. Other gear – transfers included night-vision sights, sniper scopes, binoculars, telescopes, and goggles (131,358 items, $42 million value); mine detecting sets, marking kits, and probes (230 items, $599,341 million value).

5. Military Robots – transfers included remote controlled vehicles, underwater vehicles, explosive ordnance disposal, and stun devices (451 items, $20.4 million value).

6. Top 10 states – California ($153.1 million), Texas ($144 million), Tennessee ($133.7 million), Florida ($105.6 million), Arizona ($93.9 million), Alabama ($88.7 million), South Carolina ($76.3 million), Ohio ($66.9 million), Georgia ($62.8 million), and North Carolina ($51.3 million).

7. Top Law Enforcement Agency – the Department of Law Enforcement of Tallahassee, Florida ($20.6 million) an amount that exceeded the sum total of the bottom seven states. Items included fixed wing aircrafts ($17 million), multi-mode imaging system ($2.5 million), and a utility system modular tent ($229,062).

8. Interactive Map – Search our interactive map to see all military equipment transferred to local police agencies under Program 1033 by ZIP Code across America. Just click a pin (ZIP Code) and scroll down to review the results rendered in the chart beneath the map.

9. Most Expensive and Least Expensive Items – The California Highway Patrol received a $22 million fixed wing aircraft in 2016. The Arizona Department of Public Safety received $51 million in fixed wing aircraft delivered on December 3, 2015 with each plane valued at $17 million. Least Expensive Item – two wood screws (23 cents) transferred to the Weatherly Police Department in Pennsylvania on June 5, 2019.

10. The only state not in the federal data receiving Program 1033 surplus military equipment is Hawaii.

Source: https://www.openthebooks.com/program-1033-18-billion-in-military-gear-transferred-to-8200-local-police-agencies–openthebooks-oversight-report/