Lawmakers eye NDAA to limit military gear transfers to police

Lawmakers eye NDAA to limit military gear transfers to police

Pentagon has transferred $6 billion worth of surplus equipment to local law enforcement departments

The program, which is run through the Defense Logistics Agency, dates back to the 1990s, with the goal of finding additional uses for equipment the Defense Department no longer needs, from guns, trucks and armored vehicles to tents, pants and hand-warmers. Over the past three decades, the Defense Department has transferred over $6 billion worth of equipment to various law enforcement departments across the country.

In 2014, images of heavily armed police officers in riot gear riding in Humvees dominated coverage of protests in Ferguson, Mo., after Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer. Since then, lawmakers have tried to rein in the program, with Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., leading the charge.