Pallone Statement on Limiting Military Surplus Equipment Transfers to Police Departments

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today made the following statement on President Obama’s announcement regarding the limiting of military surplus equipment transfers to local police departments. Pallone called for the effectiveness and negative impacts of this program to be looked into when it first became clear how widespread it had become.

“President Obama’s move to limit the transfer of surplus military equipment to local police departments is an encouraging and much-needed reform. When weapons are used by local police that were designed for our military to fight terrorists, it will antagonize more than it will build trust, which is what we need a lot more of right now. We are clearly at a crossroads where building trust and easing tensions between law enforcement and minority communities can help positively define American policing going forward, and I applaud the President for taking us in that direction.”