Morristown Police Department Analysis

The 1033 program was enacted in 1996 under the direction of former President Bill Clinton, allowing excess equipment originally purchased for the military to be transferred to state and local law enforcement agencies at no cost (GovTrack, 1996). The equipment is stated as being surplus, moreover, several notations are made on the Defense Logistics Agency’s website advising the equipment was not purchased for the sole purposes of providing it to law enforcement (n.d.). The equipment that has been deemed surplus range from first aid kits to helicopters, each being made available to law enforcement agencies that wish to apply for them.

The program has been utilized by over 8,000 departments, receiving items valued at more than $6 billion dollars (Defense Logistics Agency, n.d.). The equipment provided to state and local law enforcement agencies save billions of tax dollars from the communities in which they serve. The equipment would otherwise be destroyed by the Federal Government if it were not reallocated to these other agencies. I am a huge advocate for reducing waste, this program supports my stance. The Morristown Police Department has been a recipient of some of
Each year a city, county, or township has a limited budget they allow their law enforcement agency to operate with. The costs associated with daily operations, staffing salaries, patrol vehicle programs, as well outfitting personnel eat up a budget quickly. The 1033 program could provide needed equipment to my department, saving available funds for additional resources outside of those items available with the program. As a police executive I would want my officers to have the availability to any and all equipment they may need to carry out their duties effectively and safely. For this reason I support the 1033 program allocating surplus items from the military to state and local law enforcement