Rep. Johnson applauds President Obama’s move to de-militarize police

In the wake of Ferguson, President Obama's executive action on Federal Support for Local Law Enforcement Equipment Acquisition mirrors Rep. Johnson's Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) released the following statement as President Obama today prepares to announce in Camden, New Jersey, specific executive actions that can improve federal support for the appropriate use, acquisition, and transfer of controlled equipment for state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies (LEAs):

"I applaud President Obama for his bold action. As one of the leading voices in Congress against police militarization, I'm pleased to see that many of the recommendations in the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2015 – H.R. 1232 – a bill I re-introduced earlier this year – are part of the President's Executive Order, including banning the free transfer of certain military-grade equipment, and imposing strict oversight and transparency measures to ensure the equipment that is transferred is used properly.

"I'm going to continue fighting to see these and other ideas passed into law and made permanent. Just last week, House Republicans stonewalled my efforts to restrict free transfer of weaponry under the 1033 program. Instead, they voted to expand the program that transfers free military surplus to local police departments under the guise of border security, proving that this Congress and a future Republican president cannot be trusted to rein in this program.

"I appreciate the President's leadership on this issue and look forward to working with my colleagues to rein in the Pentagon's weapons pipeline – we must remember that military equipment fundamentally changes the relationship between police and the communities they serve, and is the opposite of what should be happening on our main streets."

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