Watchmen or Warfighters? A Conservative Proposal for Limiting Military-Grade Weapons Sent to States

In this new report for the Center for Effective Justice, Derek Cohen, Greg Glod, and Michael Haugen examine the Department of Defense’s 1033 program, which provides surplus military equipment—including weaponry—to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

Over $124 million worth of such gear has been distributed to various law enforcement agencies in Texas since its inception, largely without any transparency or oversight from state authorities. This report recommends the establishment of transparency standards, and suggests that in addition to limiting disbursements to non-traditional law enforcement agencies, oversight authorities should have veto power over who receives surplus military gear.