WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Plans by the administration of US President Barack Obama to limit the police forces’ access to military protective gear are disappointing, US Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) National President Chuck Canterbury said in a statement.
“The FOP was very disappointed that the ‘controlled’ equipment list identified protective gear like anti-ballistic shields and helmets as well as armored vehicles, as this will make these defensive purchases much more difficult to obtain,” Canterbury said on Monday.
Earlier on Monday, the White House announced plans to ban the supply of some military-style equipment, such as tracked armored vehicles and grenade launchers to US police departments.
Canterbury said the changes announced by Obama were not in line with the FOP's position. He said the problem was not with the types of equipment or how they were procured.
“We need to focus on better command decision-making at the local and state levels with respect to how and when the equipment is deployed in the field,” Canterbury said.
The FOP president also stressed the importance of appropriate training for the officers using the equipment.
At present, US civilian law enforcement agencies receive excess military equipment under a US Department of Defense initiative called the 1033 Program.
The FOP is a national organization of more than 325,000 US law enforcement officers.
