Police in Central Indiana received up to $1.8M in military surplus. Here's what they got.
Correction: This article was updated to correct the list of equipment received by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
A federal program has put millions of dollars of decommissioned military equipment into the hands of law enforcement departments across Indiana.
The 1033 Program transfers surplus military property — equipment officials say would otherwise be destroyed — to local, county and state agencies. These items obtained from the Law Enforcement Support Office of the Defense Logistics Agency include basic office furniture to the more visible MRAP armored vehicle.
Up to $7.6 billion in excess military property has been reallocated to roughly 9,000 police jurisdictions around the country since the program's inception in the 1990s.
Proponents of the 1033 program say it offers immense cost-savings to smaller police departments that file grants to acquire decommissioned property already bought and paid for by American taxpayers. Prior reporting by IndyStar found Johnson County shelled out an estimated $5,000 for an MRAP the government paid $733,000 when it was new.
Beech Grove PD has an armored vehicle: Here's what's inside it.
Debate wages about police using equipment meant for the U.S. military
Critics argue militarizing the police is blurring the lines of law enforcement — from 'protect and serve' to 'punish and intimidate.' A pair of studies published in the scientific journal Nature of Human Behavior found no evidence military gear used by police reduces crime.
Police officers operating armored vehicles in the Indianapolis area have received criticism both from the political left and right.
"Far right conservative here and this is an absolute joke," wrote one IndyStar subscriber last week after the city of Beech Grove revealed it received a BearCat through a federal grant. "The militarization of police departments is a huge issue. No way should local PD be trolling around in military surplus. If they can use it for you, then they can use it against you."
In the past, police departments have defended their use of armored vehicles by invoking officer safety. What was good enough to stop bullets from hitting U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, they say, can be employed during SWAT situations in Indianapolis.
"There's backup steel maybe a half-inch thick behind the lights, the engine compartment, everything," said BGPD Sgt. Joe Garrison in describing the BearCat. "Nothing short of military-grade ammo would pierce this."
Police officer safety or surplus zeal: Military equipment in Indiana spurs debate
Millions in military surplus have been shipped to Indiana
More than $38.2 million in equipment, including firearms, scopes, night vision goggles and mine-resistant vehicles, have entered the Hoosier state.
IndyStar examined public data provided by the Law Enforcement Support Office to determine which agencies in Central Indiana have joined the 1033 program, what equipment they've requested, and the amount of money each item was valued at by the federal government at the time it was purchased.
The following is a list of items totaling more than $1.8 million shipped to 10 Central Indiana law enforcement agencies between September 1994 and October 2022, the last date of entry.
The list IndyStar examined is not a complete accounting of all items shipped from the federal government to Indiana law enforcement agencies. Property on the list falls under two categories: "controlled" and "non-controlled."
Controlled property refers to military items loaned from the Department of Defense, officials said, and includes small arms, demilitarized vehicles, aircraft and night vision equipment. When a law enforcement agency no longer wants an item of controlled property, it must be returned.
Non-controlled property refers to items that could be sold to the general public such as first-aid kits, office equipment, hand tools and sleeping bags. After one year, these items are removed from the LESO database and become the property of the law enforcement agency.
The majority of military surplus shipped to law enforcement agencies are non-controlled items, according to the DLA, which states that small arms weapons make up only 5% of what law enforcements receive.
Each item's cost, officials say, is what government agencies or military branches paid at the time the item was procured. Their current value is difficult to determine due to depreciation. It's also unknown whether the departments still have the items they received in most cases.
Avon Police Dept.
What did they request?
22 Automatic Pistols, .45 Caliber (initial purchase price: $58.71 each)
30 Rifles, 5.56 mm (initial purchase price: $499 each)
11 Rifles, 7.62 mm (initial purchase price: $138 each)
Acquisition value: $17,779.62
Beech Grove PD
What did they request?
1 Combat / Assault tactical wheeled vehicle (initial purchase price: $150,000 total)
1 Utility truck (initial purchase price: $41,447 total)
Acquisition value: $191,447
Carmel Police Dept.
What did they request?
3 Image Intensifier / Night Vision devices (initial purchase price: $6,392 each)
8 Rifles, 7.62 mm (initial purchase price: $138 each)
Acquisition value: $20,280
Cumberland Police Dept.
What did they request?
2 Rifles, 5.56 mm (initial purchase price: $749 each)
9 Rifles, 5.56 mm (initial purchase price: $499 each)
5 Rifles, 7.62 mm (initial purchase price: $138 each)
2 Sights / Reflex (initial purchase price: $1,472.55 total)
Acquisition value: $8,151.55
Fishers Police Dept.
What did they request?
12 Automatic Pistols, .45 Caliber (initial purchase price: $58.71 each)
17 Illuminator IR laser sights for small arms (initial purchase price: $1,058 total)
7 Rifles, 7.62 mm (initial purchase price: $138 each)
Acquisition value: $2,728.52
Greenwood Police Dept.
What did they request?
1 Unmanned vehicle, Ground (initial purchase price: $77,060 total)
4 Armor, Transparent, Vehicular Windows (initial purchase price: $4,572.04 total)
1 Mine Resistant Vehicle (initial purchase price: $658,000 total)
Acquisition value: $739,632.04
IndyStar reached out to the Greenwood Police Department last week for more information about its unmanned vehicle and mine resistant vehicle but heard nothing back as of Wednesday.
IMPD
What did they request?
4 duffel bags (initial purchase price: $79.80 total)
6 pairs of men's boots (initial purchase price: $150 total)
12 pairs of cold weather boots (initial purchase price: $153.69 total)
25 Bivy covers / sleeping bag covers (initial purchase price: $131.53 total)
50 pairs of cold weather gloves (initial purchase price: $10 total)
1 gym bench (initial purchase price: $500 total)
46 cold weather jackets (initial purchase price: $65.68 each)
3 extreme cold weather jackets (initial purchase price: $94.15 total)
12 modular sleep systems / sleeping bags (initial purchase price: $262.82 total)
6 mounted sights (initial purchase price: $38.52 total)
120 Rifles, 5.56 mm (initial purchase price: $499 each)
8 Rifles, 7.62 mm (initial purchase price: $138 each)
336 Sight reflexes (initial purchase price: $2,226 total)
30 telescopes, straight (initial purchase price: $1,010 total)
Acquisition value: $65,968.91
Lawrence Police Dept.
What did they request?
1 Mine Resistant Vehicle (initial purchase price: $733,000 total)
10 Rifles, 5.56 mm (initial purchase price: $499 each)
4 Rifles, 7.62 mm (initial purchase price: $138 each)
Acquisition value: $738,542
Marion County Sheriff's Office
What did they request?
31 Rifles, 5.56 mm (initial purchase price: $499 each)
4 Rifles, 7.62 mm (initial purchase price: $138 each)
Acquisition value: $16,021
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Metro School Dist. Pike TWP Police Dept, K-12
What did they request?
4 Rifles, 5.56 mm (initial purchase price: $749 each)
4 Rifles, 5.56 mm (initial purchase price:$499 each)
Acquisition value: $4,992
John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 1033 program provides military surplus to Indiana police departments
