Members of Congress Rebuke Obama on Military Surplus Order

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Six Republicans in Michigan’s congressional delegation appealed to President Obama Monday to allow local law enforcement agencies to keep surplus military vehicles the president ordered returned to restore trust between the public and police.

Local sheriffs’ departments and a national organization representing sheriffs’ offices in the nation’s largest counties have said the return of vehicles, such as tracked armored personnel carriers, leaves police at a disadvantage in responding to active shooter situations or terror attacks like the one in San Bernardino, CA, last week.

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The Detroit Free Press reports that U.S. Reps. Mike Bishop of Rochester, Bill Huizenga of Zeeland, Candice Miller of Harrison Township, John Moolenaar of Midland, Dave Trott of Birmingham and Fred Upton of St. Joseph signed off on a letter to President Obama that stated, in part:

“You have registered your concerns about the perception the public could have when seeing state and local law enforcement agencies utilizing such equipment in responding to criminal situations. However, we caution you to avoid penalizing every state and local law enforcement agency … for the bad acts of a few.”

The Obama administration ordered a review of the use of surplus military equipment last January after complaints about the militarization of local police agencies surfaced during the 2014 Ferguson, MO, riots that erupted after the police shooting of Michael Brown, who was unarmed.

“So we’re going to prohibit some equipment made for the battlefield that is not appropriate for local police departments,” he said.

In the letter, Michigan’s Republican congressional officials took note of the San Bernardino situation, which Obama cited in an address from the Oval Office Sunday night as an indication that “the terrorist threat has evolved into a new phase.”

They wrote that “local police and emergency personnel are on the front lines of this new phase of the terrorists’ war against us,” and said it “stands to reason” that surplus military equipment should remain in the hands of local police agencies.

Both Oakland and Macomb county sheriffs’ offices were required to return tracked armored personnel carriers they’ve used in SWAT team responses.

» Photo via Oakland County Sheriff’s Office