Protecting communities and balancing the needs of police

There is a national dialogue taking place about what equipment law enforcement agencies in the United States should have access to, and if the federal government should supply law enforcement with surplus military resources to help officers keep order and protect themselves from the threats they face in the line of duty. The Department of Defense’s 1033 program provides items such as night vision, ballistic vests and helmets, and personal protection equipment including protective clothing and gas masks, as well as impact and ballistic shields.

As executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association, an organization that represents more than 1,600 Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units and tactical teams nationwide, I have seen firsthand the importance and value of this vital program. This is why I am working closely with leaders in Congress and the Obama administration to ensure that the 1033 program not only continues, but is effectively reformed to benefit both the police and the communities officers are charged with protecting.

{mosads}Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, police forces around the nation have taken greater advantage of the 1033 program, reflecting concerns that the nation could be vulnerable. Although the United States has seen a steady decrease in overall crime over the last decade, local law enforcement agencies have been challenged with increasing threats, such as violent gang and extremist group activity, border security issues, and active shooter scenarios in schools, businesses and other public venues.

Managing these types of threats required an increased capability in prevention, investigation and response, and called for additional aircraft, vessels and armored rescue vehicles. Much of this equipment was already in use by U.S. law enforcement. The 1033 program did not create the need for this specialized equipment; rather, it allowed law enforcement to more easily gain access to the tools they would need to perform their duty.

The 1033 program also assists departments facing a growing problem: shrinking budgets. By helping local law enforcement agencies secure the equipment they need, it allows many police departments to have more funding to pay officers’ salaries and overtime. This keeps officers on the streets and on patrol. Having law enforcement protecting our neighborhoods is one of the most important aspects of keeping America safe. The opposite is also true; not having funding to pay police puts communities at risk.

The 1033 program is critical, but we can still improve it. There are many changes to the program that the NTOA supports, including creating standardized training requirements for tactical SWAT teams. This will help ensure that law enforcement officers gaining access to this specialized equipment are properly trained to use it. More importantly, knowing how and when to use the equipment could help reduce tensions between communities and law enforcement.

The 1033 program must also do a better job of assessing the needs, rather than the wants, of local law enforcement agencies. Ensuring that law enforcement agencies get the equipment they need will also reduce instances of equipment being deployed simply because it exists. There must also be standards as to what qualifies as a SWAT team. SWAT teams need proper equipment, training and personnel to be effective. If a SWAT team is understaffed, undertrained and lacks the necessary equipment, it is unsafe. If smaller communities want access to SWAT capabilities, they should work with surrounding localities to dedicate the necessary resources to create a single SWAT team. This is much more effective – and safer – than each municipality having its own, understaffed SWAT team.

The calls for reforms of the 1033 program are justified in the wake of recent events in towns such as Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland. SWAT team members all across America support that goal, as long as those reforms allow us to effectively fulfill our mission of safely resolving critical incidents where the safety and security of the public is at stake.

Lomax is the executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), a law enforcement membership organization representing over 40,000 individual members and 1,600 tactical teams.