Rep. Hank Johnson to introduce bill to stop providing military equipment to local police forces

[babylonsister]

Rep. Hank Johnson to introduce bill to stop providing military equipment to local police forces

by Meteor Blades


As a consequence of the war zone police have turned Ferguson, Missouri, into during the past few days, Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia's 4th Congressional District will introduce a bill to end the federal government's program of providing billions of dollars worth of military equipment free to local police. Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman report:

Rep. Hank Johnson sent a “Dear Colleague” letter Thursday morning alerting lawmakers that he is putting forward the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act. The action comes in the wake of a policeman shooting an unarmed black man that has created an increasingly tense relationship between the police and the city’s largely African-American population. The response of local police, including the use of tear gas on protesters, has been criticized as overly aggressive.

“Our main streets should be a place for business, families, and relaxation, not tanks and M16s,” Johnson wrote. “Unfortunately, due to a Department of Defense (DOD) Program that transfers surplus DOD equipment to state and local law enforcement, our local police are quickly beginning to resemble paramilitary forces.”

Further, Johnson said the legislation would “end the free transfers of certain aggressive military equipment to local law enforcement and ensure that all equipment can be accounted for."

The program began as an amendment to the 1996 military spending bill. It's called "1033" for the section of the bill where it is included. It was meant at first to supply after the 9/11 attacks and the massive spending by the Pentagon to respond, as the military soon had massive amounts of surplus war material. Thanks to 1033, local police agencies—some serving populations as small as 5,000—have armored vehicles, machine guns, night-vision equipment, tactical vests and bullet-resistant shields, ballistic helmets, silencers, and aircrafts, which includes a pilotless drone in Montgomery County, Texas. Police departments began to look more like invading armies than units designed to serve and protect, as if they were putting down insurrection in Fallujah as opposed to keeping the peace in Ferguson.

As a consequence, police began acting ever more like invading armies, too. Vast numbers of military-style raids took place. One report cited by Bill Moyers & Co. counted 80,000 of these. When Occupy Wall Street and sister organizations emerged three years ago, some militarized police departments dressed in riot gear and camouflage and deployed aggressive tactics including tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets to control protesters.

more...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/14/1321575/-Rep-Hank-Johnson-to-introduce-bill-to-stop-providing-military-equipment-to-local-police-forces?detail=facebook#

[Ilsa]

1. KNFNR!!!!

[myrna minx]

2. More good news today! K&R

[conservaphobe]

3. I expect every single Democratic representative to co-sponsor and vote yes.

This is one we need to watch closely.

[msongs]

4. great news but the majority of democrats recently voted down similar legislation in Alan Grayson's

amendment to the defense appropriation bill

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/20/1308333/-Only-62-Members-of-Congress-Voted-Against-Police-Militarization-Last-Night

[MohRokTah]

5. Remember how Barney Fife always wanted up to date equipment on the Andy Griffith show?

We have a whole police departments of Barney Fifes who got their wish.

[Dems to Win]

6. Excellent. Calling my Rep to ask him to sign on, pronto

This is an appropriate response.

[calimary]

7. That's a very good move.

Somebody on the Ronan Farrow show this morning pointed out something that I don't think too many "authorities" have thought through:

You endow these forces with this kind of equipment - and they're gonna wanna use it.

You give them these toys, they're gonna want to start playing with them. YOU change the game by doing that. They're just going to respond and react according to the new conditions YOU set up. ("You" in the figurative sense, that is.) Sure seems to make sense to me.

[DefenseLawyer]

10. It's not just the equipment, it's the mentality that goes along with it

The militarization of our police culture goes way beyond the equipment.

[easychoice]

14. Yeah,how about that Patriot Act...

talk about enablers.

[EEO]

8. Okay. Now watch the "small government," "fiscally conservative," "freedom loving" Republicans...

Oppose it.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. They'll claim the Dems are "soft on crime".

[Enthusiast]

18. They have been making that claim for 50 years.

If you are an advocate for constitutional rights and due process you are soft on crime, according to Racist Republicans®.

[DefenseLawyer]

9. End direct federal funding of "drug task forces" while we're at it.

In many states these groups are organized over several counties, have their own massive budgets and really, don't answer to anyone.

[hopemountain]

17. ^^ this ^^

especially where/when children are present. too many of our children have been at the receiving end of gunfire, grenades, and other traumatizing force perpetrated by adrenaline high "war" programmed steroidal law enforcement.

[kentuck]

11. Not only to stop it but...

...to buy back all the military equipment that was given or sold to them. Those weapons were bought by the people and they should have the last word on where those weapons go?

[Plucketeer]

13. I agree with what you say

Raising hell AFTER the horse's left the barn is just window dressing. Put the horse BACK IN the barn - then close the door.

[KoKo]

12. K&R! Good for him for standing up..!

[TheKentuckian]

16. A start, I like ban the use of better but a start.