Action Alert: Tell Congress it’s time to demilitarize civilian law enforcement!

We’ve witnessed too many deaths of Black men and women at the hands of the police. Weapons of war should have no place in our local communities. 

We are urging our members of Congress to co-sponsor and vote for amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to demilitarize the police by limiting the transfer of military equipment to civilian law enforcement agencies. 

We urge members to support amendments to the NDAA: the bi-partisan Senators Schatz-Murkowski-Harris-Paul (amendment 2252); and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) (amendment 622).

NDAA for FY 2021 is one of those must-move bills. A key amendment by Senators Schatz (D-HI), Murkowski (R-AK), Harris (D-CA), and Paul (R-KY) S.Amdt.2252 now has 15 cosponsors but is in need of more support, especially among Republicans. The amendment is expected to be voted on possibly as early as Monday, July 20. Residents of IA, IN, ME, NC, OH, OK, and UT have a special opportunity to be helpful by contacting their Senators now. 

The “1033 program” has allowed the transfer of billions of dollars of military equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies. This militarization has transformed civilian law enforcement agencies into occupying forces, especially in Black and brown communities.

Sen. Brian Schatz (amendment 2252) and Rep. Hank Johnson (amendment 622) seek to reform and require oversight of the free transfer to state and local law enforcement agencies of the most militaristic equipment through the Department of Defense (DoD) “1033 program.” Since 1997, the program has permitted the transfer of surplus military equipment including weapons of war--rifles, armored vehicles, and aircraft -- to local law enforcement. The 1033 program got increased public attention, notoriety, and scrutiny after the police deployed military-style equipment in Ferguson, MO, in 2014. Research shows that militarized law enforcement does not create safer communities.

Talking Point: Our country needs to shift from a law enforcement warrior culture to a guardian culture, therefore we support the amendment as a step to reform policing practices. 

Talking Point: Why do police need bayonets, grenades, asphyxiating gases, and high-caliber munitions to deal with our communities? While much surplus military equipment has dual uses, especially in emergency and disaster response, some items are clearly weapons of war intended for use in a context of war, not civil unrest and expressions protected under freedom of speech and the right to free assembly. 

See the Fact Sheet for detail about the Senate amendment S.Amdt. 2252 and a list of endorsing organizations provided by the office of Sen. Schatz (D-HI).