Why are police and sheriff departments, state universities and departments of resources, among others, getting military M16 & M14 rifles along with grenade launchers?
Despite public concerns, federal data shows that 2014 and 2015 were peak years for shipments of surplus military gear to local police departments across America.
A study shows the transfer of 1.5 million weapons-related items from the Department of Defense (DoD) to federal, state and local law enforcement since 2006. New federal records show police agencies in Florida, Texas, California, Tennessee and Arizona led the nation in procuring military-weaponry from the DoD over the last 10 years.
The study finds a federally-sponsored ‘gun show’ that never ends: small town police are armed with M16 and M14 rifles, night-vision googles, bayonets and armored trucks; junior colleges and county sheriffs procured mine-resistant vehicles (MRVs); even local park districts and forest preserves stocked up on military-style equipment.
In total, the data reveals $2.2 billion worth of military gear including helicopters and airplanes, armored trucks and cars, tens of thousands of M16 and M14 rifles, thousands of bayonets, mine detectors and many other types of weaponry transferred to thousands of units of government across America.
What is the legitimate law enforcement purpose for obtaining military explosives and bayonets?