Freedonia Analyst Weighs in on Trump Executive Order Lifting Restrictions on Military Equipment for Law Enforcement

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Sep 01, 2017, 14:27 ET

CLEVELAND, Sept. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier this week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that local law enforcement agencies would once again have access to a broader range of surplus equipment from the military. The change occurred via an executive order President Donald Trump signed on August 28 and will allow law enforcement agencies to once again have access to restricted items such as military grade weapons and vehicles.

This decision is a reversal of a limitation placed by the Obama Administration in May 2015, which restricted which types of military equipment could be sent to police. The 2015 decision was influenced by national concerns regarding unnecessary use of force by police, particularly during protests following the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The program has supplied more than $5 billion in equipment to state and local law enforcement agencies since its inception in the 1990s, including more than $500 million in 2013 alone.

According to Freedonia Analyst Katherine Brink, "Sales of riot gear have been historically volatile, seeing rapid gains following key events such as the September 2001 terrorist attacks. After several years without major incidents, many agencies found that their limited use of the equipment did not justify replacing it as it expired or was compromised. However, there has been growing interest more recently to once again have riot gear and related equipment on hand. The renewed access to surplus equipment will provide a means for agencies to replace or obtain new equipment without depleting their limited budgets."

For more information on the outlook of the law enforcement equipment market, see the Security studies page featuring the following industry studies by The Freedonia Group:

More information about the Law Enforcement & Guarding Equipment study can be accessed here: https://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/law-enforcement-guarding-equipment-3431.htm

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