Ex-Military Equipment Held by Police Stands at Nearly $2B

June 8, 2018: The current value of former military equipment now held by local law enforcement agencies is $1,888,559,339. Over half that total comprises 849 mine-resistant vehicles and 458 aircraft.[1]

Since 1990, a total of $6 billion worth of former military equipment has been transferred to local police. The ongoing program continually gives surplus military equipment to local police departments.

The militarization of police has been controversial especially since the response to protesters in Ferguson, Missouri, during 2014. President Obama issued an executive order limiting the sale of some equipment to local departments. The Trump administration has rolled back the Obama order.

An earlier Number of the Day noted that 86 percent of people in struggling neighborhoods respect their local police. However, just 51 percent of Chicago residents believe their relations with police are good. Overall, 30 percent of Americans fear walking alone at night.

1. Statista, "How Much Is The Police's Military Equipment Worth?" May 30, 2018

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.​

Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.