Los Angeles Unified has decided to return three grenade launchers acquired under a federal program that sent military surplus gear to school police, and an Iraq War vehicle could be the next to go.

The gear isn’t practical for campus-based officers and creates a less-than-flattering public perception amid growing scrutiny over the militarization of local law enforcement agencies, Los Angeles School Police Department Chief Steven Zipperman said Wednesday.

School police haven’t needed to use the three M79 grenade launchers in the 13 years since they were acquired to shoot rubber bullets in case the sheriff’s department or Los Angeles Police needed assistance controlling civil unrest in the city, he said.

“The less-than-lethal munition M79s are something we don’t do as part of our mission for school police,” Zipperman said. “So I made the decision to turn those back in.”

They were built for firing 40 mm explosives during the Vietnam era. “We don’t even keep munitions for those weapons,” Zipperman said.

As for the Mine-Resistant Ambush Proof (MRAP) vehicle that school police received in June, Zipperman said he’s examining other options for rescuing students.

The vehicle — upwards of 14 tons and measuring nearly 20 feet — was designed to protect troops during ambushes in the streets of Iraq.

But the steel-plated behemoth can’t be deployed quickly enough to help pupils in the event of an attack such as Columbine, Zipperman said, adding it would only come in handy in a widespread and lasting siege that might prevent LAPD officers and sheriff’s deputies from helping school police in a timely manner.

“I would rather have something that’s more appropriate,” Zipperman said.

While school police obtained the $733,000 vehicle for free, keeping it comes at a price, he said, noting a driver has to be certified and there are maintenance requirements. Civilian alternatives, however, cost about $300,000.

The never-deployed grenade launchers and vehicle — along with 61 fully automatic rifles that have since been converted to semi-auto — were acquired through a federal program that sought to send military surplus to local law enforcement agencies, Zipperman said.

School police, however, are keeping the M16A1 assault rifles obtained by school police in the wake of 9/11. Capable of firing up to 950 rounds per minute, the M16A1 was built for battling North Vietnamese armed with AK-47s. They have been modified so the guns are only able to shoot one round per trigger pull.

The firearms, Zipperman said, are primarily used in training for officers to qualify to shoot assault rifles. The department typically arms school police with similar looking semi-automatic rifles designed for law enforcement, he said. Qualified officers keep the guns in their cars in case they need them to counter an assault, such as a mass shooting, he said.

The schools’ arsenal came to light in public records released by California and examined by this news organization amid growing scrutiny over police actions in Ferguson, Mo., where officers used military gear to combat protests triggered by the officer-involved shooting of an unarmed teen.

The Strategy Center’s Community Rights Campaign — a think tank that worked with school police to create a softer approach to policing students — wants the department to send back all its military weapons, spokesman Manuel Criollo said.

“As many of our members ask, are these weapons here for our safety or because they see us as a threat,” Criollo said. “I think it’s an important question the district has to ask.”