FERGUSON, Mo., (Reuters) – A U.S. military program that sends armored cars, camouflage and other battlefield equipment to police departments is under fresh scrutiny as demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri, enter their fifth straight night of protests over the death of an unarmed black teenager.
The hundreds of people who have gathered each night since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by an unnamed police officer last Saturday have been met with police clad in body armor and using tear gas, smoke bombs and stun grenades.
Yesterday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said it was clear the scenes playing out in the St. Louis suburb “cannot continue.” And while he condemned acts of violence and looting by some protesters, he said it was the role of law enforcement to reduce tensions in the city, rather than exacerbate them.
“At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message,” Holder said.
Ferguson, along with many other U.S. communities, has taken part in the Pentagon’s Excess Property Program, known as 1033, which distributes surplus military equipment to police. The program began in the early 1990s to assist anti-drug efforts and grew after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
A report released in June by the American Civil Liberties Union, titled “War Comes Home: The Excessive Militarization of American Policing,” documents the flow of armored robots, military-style rifles and tactical vehicles to local police departments.
The program has proved popular with police forces across the country, with local officials saying it saves them money and offers valuable equipment that helps protect police officers.
Through the program, Arizona’s Maricopa County has amassed a stockpile of 120 assault rifles, five armored vehicles and 10 helicopters, the ACLU report found. The city of North Little Rock, Arkansas, obtained 34 automatic and semiautomatic rifles, two robots designed for Afghanistan and ground troop helmets.
‘GOING INTO BATTLE’
“What we’re seeing in Ferguson is a reflection of the militarization of American policing,” said Kara Dansky, senior counsel with the ACLU’s Center for Justice. “They’re trained to think of what they do as going into battle.”
Asked about the program at a Defense Department news briefing on Thursday, a spokesman said the program had proven useful because it allows U.S. law enforcement to reuse military equipment that would otherwise go to waste.
“That said, it is up to law enforcement agencies to speak to how and what they gain through this system. And I’m not going to inject the Pentagon into this discussion,” Rear Admiral John Kirby said.
The response to Brown’s death was almost immediate, with hundreds of people gathering at the site to condemn the decision by the overwhelmingly white Ferguson Police Department to not release the name of the officer who shot Brown.
In the ensuing days, demonstrators in the majority black town have gathered to hold vigils, often reciting the chant: “Hands up, don’t shoot.”
But the police response has generally been regarded as fierce. Early on Wednesday, a protester was shot and critically wounded after police said he pointed a gun. The next night, two journalists covering the protests were arrested at a McDonald’s – and then quickly released.
