Some U.S. school police departments are taking advantage of free U.S. military surplus gear to stock up on mine-resistant armored vehicles, grenade launchers, and M16 rifles.
At least 26 U.S. school districts have already participated in the Pentagon’s surplus program. The program isn’t new, but it has come under scrutiny after incidents of police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri. During peaceful protests following the killing of unarmed teen Michael Brown, police produced teargas, armor-clad military trucks, and riot gear.
However shocking it is that our people who are hired to “protect and serve” have these items, it is even more?shocking that school districts are stocking up on this equipment. Why? Seriously, why do they have this stuff???
Numerous education and civil liberties groups have sent letters to the Pentagon and the Departments of Justice and Education urging that this program be stopped. Several school districts have said that they will return some of the equipment to the government, while others have no shame and plan to keep it. Los Angeles and six other California school districts, for example.
From The Guardian:
The Los Angeles unified school district, the nation’s second-largest at 710 square miles with more than 900,000 students enrolled, said it would remove three grenade launchers it had acquired because they ?are not essential life-saving items within the scope, duties and mission? of the district’s police force.
But the district would keep the 60 M16s and a military vehicle known as an MRAP used in Iraq and Afghanistan that was built to withstand mine blasts.
District police Chief Steve Zipperman told the Associated Press that the M16s were used for training and the MRAP, parked off campus, was acquired because the district could not afford to buy armoured vehicles that might be used to protect officers and help students in a school shooting.
?That vehicle is used in very extraordinary circumstances involving a life-saving situation for an armed threat,? Zipperman said. ?Quite frankly I hope we never have to deploy it.?
Some of the schools that have no intention of returning any equipment:
- Texarkana, Texas ISD
- Pinellas County Schools, Florida
- Utah’s Granite school district
- Nevada’s Washoe County School District
Jill Poe, police chief in southern California’s Baldwin Park school district, will be returning?the three M16 rifles?that were acquired under her predecessor.
?Honestly I could not tell you why we acquired those,? Poe said. ?They have never been used in the field and they will never been used in the field.?
Districts that are participating in this program include schools in Georgia, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Texas, Nevada, and Utah. They?are justifying the acquisition of this equipment by citing school shootings like Columbine.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California) says that he can understand why some types of surplus equipment could potentially be of use by police departments, but schools? Not so much.
?It’s difficult to see what scenario would require a grenade launcher or a mine-resistant vehicle for a school police department?.
Yeah, we agree. Insanity.
Let us know your thoughts at the Liberal America Facebook page. Sign up for our free daily newsletter to receive more great stories like this one.
Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
h/t The Guardian
