Authored By david.morton

Police officers’ response to protests in Ferguson, Missouri, last year triggered a national debate about surplus military equipment sent to and used by local law enforcement agencies.

State Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, wants the General Assembly to take up the issue this year. He’s filed legislation that would prohibit state and local agencies from owning or using “certain military vehicles, aircraft and weaponry.” The legislation would also require that current inventories of military surplus gear be sold or disposed of.

Kelsey emphasized the need for a “clear separation between the military and police,” telling the Johnson City Press, “I think we can support both our police officers and our citizens by ensuring that our police officers are not viewed as the enemy.”

The newspaper reports that some weapons would be exempted under Kelsey’s legislation, including M16 and AR15 rifles.

One of the biggest sources of surplus gear is the Defense Department’s 1033 Program, which has existed in some form since the early 1990s. Agencies in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia have received weapons, vehicles and supplies through the program. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office got a $733,000 mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle through the program last year.