Obama’s Military Surplus for police Hypocrisy Revealed

It was announced yesterday that the Obama administration would start a review of police use of military surplus. This review has caused many police chiefs to be angered by blatant hypocrisy of the systems and quotas they are forced to meet.

Chief Dave Savage contacted CallTheCops soon after the announcement of this new over sight. “They give me this MRAP and tell me to keep I need to use it ten times per year. Each year I get an audit that I need to provide documentation that my department used the MRAP.

The chief went on to talk about how his city wanted the military truck for hostage rescue situations. His city has two or three hostage standoffs per year. “I only need it a few times a year but Obama says I have to use it ten times. So my SWAT guys start rolling out on search warrants that don’t call for SWAT just to make the audit people happy.”

Many other chiefs told us the same story. Military surplus given to police with orders to use it a specific number of times per year or face sanctions for violation of the terms of the grant program. Part of the terms of the grant are also a non-disclosure agreement so police are not allowed to talk about this quota.

A common statement from chief was “How can they say use it and use it some more or else… and now say we are going to look at how much you are using it…”

Chief Savage says he is willing to talk due to his retirement on December 31. “Cops will say there is no quota for using this military gear but they only say that for fear. Hey I am done in a few weeks what are they going to do to me?”