DiIcolSWAT 1 Kurdzuk

A Newark Police S.W.A.T. team during security exercises. The governor today approval new oversight in the acquisition of surplus military gear by New Jersey law enforcement agencies. (Tony Kurdzuk | Star-Ledger file photo)

TRENTON — New Jersey police departments seeking surplus military hardware—including combat vehicles, assault rifles and grenade launchers—will first need the approval of local officials, under legislation approved today by Gov. Chris Christie.

But the governor shot down a companion bill requiring approval by the state Attorney General as well, conditionally vetoing the measure and sending it back to the Senate with recommended amendments.

Christie said he agreed the acquisition of tactical equipment from Department of Defense should be subject to administrative and logistical oversight, signing the bill requiring formal approval by local authorities of all surplus gear made available through the Pentagon's 1033 program.

"This local approval adds an additional layer of oversight to the existing supervision provided by the DOD Law Enforcement Support Office and the Office of Emergency Management in the New Jersey State Police," said Christie in signing off on one of the bills.

However, he called the requirement of having the Attorney General review all equipment transfers "a burden to that department," noting that the State Police is able to handle such a role.

"The Attorney General advises me that in the last federal fiscal year, which ended in September of 2014, the New Jersey State Police reviewed approximately 2,000 transfer requests for over 17,000 individual pieces of equipment under the 1033 program," said Christie in his conditional veto. "This bill would have the unintended consequence of completely consuming the time and attention of the Attorney General."

Both pieces of legislation — which sponsors said would add transparency and supervision to the controversial federal program — sailed through the Statehouse with bipartisan support.

State Sen. Nia Gill (D-Essex), one of the sponsors of the legislation, has repeatedly questioned whether police agencies in New Jersey need equipment "more suited for war rather than for use in our communities."

Gill, who said New Jersey is the first state in the nation to require local oversight of the federal program, called it "a very significant change" to the way it will be administered in the state.

"It is a huge victory for transparency and community participation," she said following the action by the governor.

While the Legislature will be looking at the proposals in the conditional veto, Gill said she still believes the Attorney General should be involved in directly monitoring the program.

The governor said the existing oversight requirements mandated by the federal government, as now administered by the State Police, combined with the new authority provided to local governments through the companion bill he signed today, created substantial transparency and oversight of the program.

Free for the asking

The Pentagon giveaway has come under question since police in Ferguson, Mo., last August responded to demonstrators with armored vehicles and tactical armor following the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen by a white police officer.

Much of the equipment under the program—all of it made available for free to law enforcement agencies across the United States—has no tactical use, and includes material such as surplus office equipment, computers, pumps, winches and trucks. Police officials say the program has allowed them to greatly stretch their budgets.

Critics, however, have questioned whether police departments need high-powered rifles, mine-resistant armored vehicles, or sniper scopes.

In New Jersey, records examined by NJ Advance Media found 155 law enforcement agencies have obtained material under the Pentagon giveaway, which has grown tremendously in recent years.

Those records show 80 police departments acquired 894 M-16 and M-14 military assault rifles, an armored combat vehicle that went to Middletown, a grenade launcher that went to the Bergen County Sheriff's Department, and a free Vietnam-era helicopter to Newark that has cost the financially strapped city more than $2 million in maintenance, salaries and operational costs, an analysis of city records revealed.

In December, the White House said it would impose more controls over what federal property was allowed for transfer as well, and require local police departments get proper training on use of military equipment.

Ari Rosmarin, public policy director of the ACLU of New Jersey, called the new oversight requirement a positive step for the state.

"The growing trend toward militarization of police departments is one the ACLU has been concerned about for some time. The chance for local official to weigh in first is a welcome step," he said. "The challenge is now for local government to pay attention and engage."

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.