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The Military Gave Local Cops Bayonets, Clarinets, and a $2.4 Million Fridge

Thanks to a new public database, unpacking local law enforcement's Pentagon acquisitions just got a whole lot easier.
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The events in Ferguson, Missouri, have brought new attention to the militarization of state and local police departments. Especially under scrutiny is the Pentagon's Excess Property Program, or 1033 Program, which has transferred about $4.3 billion worth of surplus military-grade gear to cops since 1997, as the Washington Post reports.

It can be difficult to wrap your head around the scope of those hand-me-downs. But thanks to a new database that catalogues some of those transfers, unpacking Ferguson's Pentagon acquisitions just got a whole lot easier.

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The database, which cropped up on the Internet this week, includes the transfers made since 2006, and allows users to see what weapons, vehicles, and other miscellaneous equipment police have in any given area.  The data used was provided by the Defense Department in May to satisfy a New York Times Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, and is open-source, free and open to everyone.  It's searchable by state and county, and you could spend all day reading through the results.

Take Saint Louis County, where Ferguson is located. According to the database, the county received about a dozen 5.56mm-caliber rifles, several utility trucks, a whole bunch of computer stuff (monitors, laptops, hard drives, etc.), a helicopter, and a bomb disposal robot.

Of course, if the protest footage has been any indication, the Ferguson police were armed with much more than that, and the authors of the database note that it's not a complete list of military equipment purchased by cops.

"Agencies also purchase equipment with their own money or with federal grants," the project's GitHub page states.

While not complete, the database gives an idea of just how armed and armored our local police are. For example, a lot of places are apparently concerned about the threat of landmines, as one of the most popular items, even among small counties, is a "mine resistant vehicle." It's unclear why anyone would put down landmines in a place like York County, Maine, but the police there are ready for it.

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Cops are also prepared for more traditional warfare; counties around the country have received hundreds of bayonets and swords, replete with scabbards). Other items included paintball guns, electric scooters, women's handbags, and something called a San Francisco Flashlight. Jefferson County, Alabama, even picked up a clarinet:

While the police departments only pay for shipping on the items, the database also shows how much everything is valued, which can most accurately be described as back-asswards. The rifles picked up by Saint Louis County are worth $120 each, but a washcloth is worth $70. Sacramento, California, got a $20,000 tent, and Monroe, Kentucky, owns a $2.4 million refrigerator.

The most expensive item on the list, a rotary-wing aircraft worth $18 million, went to Brevard County, Florida, which got eight of the craft in 2011. When Santa Barbara, California, got one in 2009, it was only worth $6.5 million. Inflation is a bitch.

My personal favorite result came from Sonoma County, California, home to Windsor, the supposed "safest town in America," is located. The cops there like to stay fit, as the county received $5,500 worth of "recreational and gymnastic equipment" and an assortment of dumbbells, stationary bikes, workout machines, "flag-a-tag" football sets and even a pitching machine. It also received a $212 grease gun and a $500 drum set.

It sounds excessive, but the Pentagon press secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby, defended the 1033 Program in the Washington Post, saying that it's "well thought-out" and has helped counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism units across the country.

Even still, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is reportedly investigating the program, and it could be a starting point for the Obama administration to address calls for police reform in the wake of Michael Brown's death.