President Donald Trump’s executive order will also return to full funding grant programs that allowed law enforcement to purchase the types of equipment in question. | Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images Trump to roll back Obama's crackdown on military equipment for local police

President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Monday rescinding former President Barack Obama's restrictions on the transfer of military-style equipment from the Department of Defense to local law enforcement agencies.

In remarks before the Fraternal Order of Police in Nashville, Tennessee, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Monday that Trump will undo Obama’s executive order blocking the Pentagon from transferring such equipment to local law enforcement. The order will take effect Monday and will instruct executive branch agencies to take steps to undo directives, guidelines and policies related to the Obama order.


Obama’s order came in the wake of violent riots in Ferguson, Missouri, in which police, controversially, used armored vehicles and other heavy, military-type equipment in efforts to quell protests sparked by the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was unarmed when he was shot and killed by police. Many blamed the use of such imposing equipment for inciting tensions that ultimately turned violent.

"These restrictions that had been imposed went too far. We will not put superficial concerns above public safety. We will do our best to get you what you need," Sessions said Monday. "Good equipment saves lives. The executive order that the president will sign today will ensure that you can get the life-saving gear you need to do your job and send a strong message that we will not allow criminal activity, violence and lawlessness to become a new normal."

The previously restricted equipment that will potentially once again be available to law enforcement includes body armor, riot shields, firearms, ammunition and computers, according to a Justice Department document. Also potentially available will be grenade launchers — used by law enforcement to fire nonlethal projectiles like bean bags, paint balls and tear gas — as well as tracked, armored vehicles, aircraft, explosives and battering rams.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

In addition to allowing the Pentagon to once again transfer surplus equipment to law enforcement agencies, Trump’s executive order will return to full funding grant programs that allowed law enforcement to purchase the types of equipment in question. Under the statute that initially allowed for the transfer of such equipment, law enforcement agencies must certify that they have adopted publicly available protocols before they can acquire military-style gear.

The vital importance of equipment that will once again be allowed to flow from the military to law enforcement is currently on display in Texas, Sessions said, where first responders, along with the National Guard, have used large vehicles, aircraft and other life-saving equipment in rescue operations related to Hurricane Harvey, which has triggered record flooding in Houston.

In a document detailing the president’s order, the Justice Department suggests that, while controversial, the distribution of military-style equipment ultimately keeps both law enforcement officers and the communities they protect safer. As examples, the document cites the use of an armored vehicle in the police response to a 2015 terrorist shooting in San Bernardino, California, and a military-style helmet that stopped a bullet and saved the life of an officer responding to a 2016 terrorist shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando.

Beyond keeping officers safe and lowering crime rates, Sessions also said Monday that military-type equipment actually reduces the number of complaints against officers. Trump's order will also save taxpayer money, Sessions said, by putting to use military equipment that might otherwise sit idle or be disposed of because it's no longer of use.

“It represents a policy shift toward ensuring officers have the tools they need to reduce crime and keep their communities safe,” the Justice Department document said. “It sends the message that we care more about public safety than about how a piece of equipment looks, especially when that equipment has been shown to reduce crime, reduce complaints against and assaults on police, and make officers more effective.”

