Virginia Republican U.S. Representative Bob Good is set to introduce the Protecting Our Police Act this Thursday, in commemoration of National Police Week, which falls between May 12th and May 18th.
The bill aims to strengthen the authority of the police by preventing the Biden administration from imposing any limitations on the Section 1033 program. This program enables police departments to obtain surplus military equipment. Additionally, the legislation seeks to formalize Executive Order 13809, which has already removed the existing restrictions on the Section 1033 program.
The bill aims to ease the burden on American taxpayers by facilitating a streamlined transfer of military-grade weapons from the armed forces to police departments. This will enhance the capabilities of law enforcement agencies in their efforts to combat crime.
According to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Warwick in England and the Norwegian School of Economics in 2017, equipping police with military-grade weaponry has the potential to reduce crime. The study found that areas where the police received an increased supply of military aid experienced a decrease in the crime rate.
According to the study, when the total value of military aid given to a community increases by 10%, there is a corresponding decrease of 5.9 crimes per 100,000 population.
According to the study, transferring $5,800 worth of military equipment to the police can result in savings of approximately $112,000 in terms of crime reduction.
The transfer of military equipment to police has always been a contentious issue. According to official records, over 8,000 police departments across the nation have been provided with surplus military equipment from the Pentagon’s Defense Logistics Agency since 1997. The total value of these transfers exceeds $6 billion.
The 1033 Program, also known as the subject of occasional criticism, raised concerns when law enforcement employed armored cars and military equipment to suppress protests following the 2014 shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.