Letter to the Editor

It is very troubling that more local police agencies receive more and more military-grade equipment. Why does Delmar Police Department, with only 13 sworn officers, receive nearly $1.6 million in equipment? Not to mention military-grade weapons and ammunition distributed to local police that the Defense Department conveniently does not publish. Our local police are being militarized whether we realize it or not.

We are seeing news reports of local police across the U.S. using SWAT teams and battering rams to serve search warrants. Environmental enforcement units use armored personal carriers to enforce a fine or a judgment. If Georgetown Police Chief Topping believes he is not militarizing his department, then why did he gladly accept military-grade Humvees that could be used for aggressive law enforcement? Providing local police with military-grade equipment and weapons sets a dangerous precedent.

The potential for abuse will increase when local law enforcement does not balance their sworn duty to enforce the law to the temptation of military-grade equipment to project a more aggressive style of law enforcement. It is also a very convenient way to get around the Posse Comitatus Act by using local police agencies to project military-style law enforcement that could threaten constitutional safeguards, while not violating federal law. If you accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist, then you should ask, "Does Mayberry need an MRAP?"

Andy Rokita

Wilmington