Wyden, colleagues urge President Biden to step up efforts to demilitarize police

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., joined nine colleagues Wednesday in calling on President Biden to step up efforts to demilitarize the police.

In their letter to the president, the senators cite reports showing that police militarization fails to reduce rates of violent crime or change the number of officers assaulted or killed. Instead, arming police departments with military equipment has led to an increase in officer-involved shootings and civilian deaths, they wrote.

“We urge you to prioritize the demilitarization of law enforcement by limiting the transfer or purchase of certain military equipment for federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local law enforcement agencies,” Wyden and the senators wrote. 

“This should include reforms to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) program to transfer surplus military equipment to law enforcement agencies—known as the ‘1033 program’—as well as DoD’s program to allow law enforcement agencies to purchase military equipment—known as the '1122 program.’ Militarized law enforcement increases the prevalence of police violence without making our communities safer. Now is the moment to make these necessary reforms.”

The letter was led by Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. Along with Wyden, the letter was signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Penn.

The full text of the letter is here.