WASHINGTON (AP/CLARKSVILLENOW) – President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to restore the flow of surplus military gear to local police departments.
The Obama administration severely limited the program two years ago amid a public outcry over how the equipment was used during protests in Ferguson, Missouri, after the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. But Attorney General Jeff Sessions says those restrictions went too far. He says the new approach will boost public safety.
Sessions announced Trump’s decision to a cheering crowd Monday at the national convention of the Fraternal Order of Police in Nashville, Tennessee.
The White House has released a copy of the executive order signed by Trump.
Sessions says the Trump administration will not put “superficial concerns” over public safety.
Police groups say they need the equipment to keep officers safe. A summary of Trump’s executive order being circulated among police groups says it shows he values safety over appearances. It describes much of the gear as “defensive in nature,” intended to protect officers.
It’s a step that civil liberties groups fear will lead to more violent confrontations among police and protesters. But the Trump administration believes the program that supplies grenade launchers and high-caliber weapons to local law enforcement agencies is necessary for public safety.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.