The U.S. military deploys armored vehicles designed to withstand explosions and combat while protecting active service members at home and abroad.
Local Licking County law enforcement utilize some of the same vehicles.
Why do the local police and sheriff’s departments need military-grade equipment?
All of the equipment is acquired through the federal “1033 program,” which gives local law enforcement agencies access to used military surplus at little to no cost to the department. That includes anything from firearms, computers and office equipment to office equipment.
Since the program’s inception in 1990, more than $7.6 billion in supplies have been transferred to departments across the nation, according to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which manages the program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), part of the DLA, indicated the most commonly requested items are first-aid equipment such as tourniquets, bandages and medical supplies, along with socks, gloves and cleaning supplies.
Employees at the LESO were furloughed during the federal government shutdown, and the program was put on an indefinite pause in early October.
Employees began returning to the office on Nov. 13, although many remained locked out of computer systems and were in the process of bringing their program back online, according to one employee, who said the office staff was looking forward to assisting local law enforcement agencies again soon.
Nearly $52 million in property has been given to local law enforcement agencies in Ohio throughout the history of the program, including almost 4,500 items distributed to 287 agencies in the state.
Nearly 12,000 individual items have been delivered to 287 Ohio agencies. The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office leads in terms of most acquisitions, with 1,478 items including 300 tourniquets, 200 magazine cartridges, 25 flashlights, nine advanced combat helmets, seven parkas and more.
Licking County departments, comparatively, have among the lowest number of acquisitions in the state, although several local agencies participate.
Various law enforcement agencies in Licking County, including the sheriff’s office and local police departments in Newark, Pataskala and Utica, have all participated in the program to acquire rifles, binoculars, utility trucks and even the landmine-resistant vehicle worth $733,000.
The Licking County Sheriff’s Office acquired the vehicle in May 2014, and despite the near-nonexistent threat of landmines in Licking County, officers say it has been a valuable tool for the department ever since.
The vehicle gives the sheriff’s department transportation and protection for rare SWAT-related calls, according to Lt. George Lorenz.
“It’s a mine resistant vehicle, and if it’s mine resistant, it stops bullets,” Lorenz said.
The vehicle itself has not been used in quite a while. That’s a good thing, Lorenz said, as it means fewer serious incidents are occurring in the community. While the vehicle may be locked up in the LCSO, they also display the vehicle at community events.
Similarly, the Newark Police Department participates in the program to receive army surplus.
“We try to be mindful of taxpayers’ dollars, so we try to find ways to eliminate costs where we can, like the 1033 program,” said Sgt. Jarad Harper. The department did not have the initial funds for larger vehicles for their Special Operations group, specifically dedicated for emergency response calls. So Harper signed up for the 1033 program, and the department was able to procure two utility trucks – which the military paid $282,413 to acquire – and was only responsible for costs related to transportation and storage.
Harper explained that most of the 1033 program is made up of the “junkyard of the military.” Many of the resources in the program would go to waste, simply rotting away, if someone did not take it off the hands of the government.
“One of our trucks is from 2003. It was just going to rot, so we ended up taking it to be used. All we have to do now is replace its oil,” Harper said jokingly.
The vehicles did not come in the most pristine condition when they reached Newark, as they had been sitting unused for some time. Harper enlisted the help of the community to fill in the gaps. Paint was donated and reapplied to the exterior. Mechanical parts were donated to help with repairs.
“It’s been great because we thought outside the box. We had the community donate to help us out,” Harper said.
He stressed that the two utility trucks in the NPD’s possession can go to some “incredible places.” Similar to other vehicles in the county, those used by NPD are used for natural disaster response, able to wade through four feet of standing water, unlike standard vehicles.
The Utica Police Department has also taken advantage of the program. It acquired seven rifles and a utility truck.
While military surplus vehicles and equipment may stand out on city streets, the Licking County law enforcement has stressed that their purpose is rooted in safety in the community.
Others have broadly expressed that the program can create the impression of militarized police forces, potentially inciting more violence with the easy access to military-grade weaponry.
The 1033 program allows Licking County agencies to continue to find ways to make use of surplus materials. The county has not acquired any more items since a utility truck in 2023, but the program remains open for the departments to continuously use.
Tyler Thompson writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.