A policy expert is sounding the alarm on a “secretive federal program” that could dramatically increase the militarization of law enforcement—a program likely to expand under the Trump administration, The Intercept reported Thursday.
The program in question is the 1122 Program, which allows state and local governments, including local law enforcement agencies, to purchase equipment through the Department of Defense at the same discounted rates available to the military. Although the program was created more than three decades ago, recent policy changes have brought it back into the spotlight.
On his first day back in the White House, President Trump reversed a Biden-era policy that had restricted the transfer of high-end military equipment to local law enforcement. This move has raised alarms among experts like Lillian Mauldin, a policy analyst and co-founder of a demilitarization advocacy group, who warned that the decision could quickly spiral out of control.
“All of these things combined serve as a threat to free speech, an intimidation tactic to protest,” Mauldin told The Intercept. “I fear that the 1122 Program not only has wasted tax dollars and increased violent tactics by police departments, but is also part of a larger chilling effect.”
A recent report from Mauldin’s organization, Women for Weapons Trade Transparency, found that a significant share of local law enforcement’s spending in recent years has gone toward military equipment. Between 2020 and 2024, the expenditures included:
– $6.1 million on Lenco BearCats armored vehicles through the 1122 Program
– $8.1 million on surveillance technology
– $6.2 million on weapons and weapons training
“It is concerning to think that our police departments have increasingly more access to this type of military-style gear to facilitate these raids and arrests,” Mauldin said.
With the revocation of the Biden administration’s limits on the militarization of law enforcement, coupled with the Trump administration’s frequent use of federal law enforcement agencies, Mauldin warned that such spending could soon become astronomical—especially in cities already struggling with rising poverty.
“It really calls into question, when so many cities in the U.S. are facing crises of homelessness, food insecurity, and rising rent prices, how are police departments justifying these hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of purchases?” she asked.
“We suspect that total spending could be in the upper hundreds of millions; my best guess would be above $500 million.”
https://www.rawstory.com/police-2674250830/
