City of ABQ Public Health and Safety Committee Public Hearing

Resolution R-20-65: Ending Albuquerque Police Department Participation  in the 1033 Military Surplus Program

When: Thursday, July 16 @12pm

The City Council is introducing legislation R-20-65 that would formally end the Albuquerque Police Department’s (APD) participation in the 1033 military equipment surplus program. The resolution is sponsored by Councilors Pat Davis and Lan Sena.

While APD has not received surplus military equipment since 2015, the City still remains eligible for future allocations. Ending this program is part of profoundly changing the police relationship with the public. There’s much to do, but this is one winnable piece of the puzzle.

See the City Council Public Safety Committee agenda here.

Background

The 1033 Military Excess Program was created in 1997 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The program allows the Department of Defense to get rid of excess equipment by passing it on to local law enforcement agencies–including to school and campus police–who only pay for the cost of shipping. The Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), which oversees the program in the Defense Logistics Agency, has transferred over $7.4 billion in military equipment to local law enforcement agencies since the program’s inception, and more than 8,000 law enforcement agencies have enrolled.

Militarized police forces, like SWAT teams, that use military weapons including tanks and grenade launchers are deployed in response to drug and terrorist operations, but they are also used in response to peaceful protests. Blacks, other minorities, and migrant communities are disproportionately impacted by operations that use military weapons through the 1033 program. Customs and Border Patrol also use military equipment through the program, deploying military weapons against migrants.

In 2015, former President Barack the Obama signed an executive order limiting the type of military equipment available for local acquisition through the 1033 program, but the Trump administration repealed the order.

How you can help …

Please sign up to speak in support of the resolution.

If you would like to give a public comment, you will only have 2 minutes. You must sign up by 10:00 a.m. on July 16. The sign-up sheet can be accessed here:  https://www.cabq.gov/july-16-2020. You must sign up by entering your contact information–be sure to scroll down and enter your details to sign up.

You can also view the meeting by going to: https://www.cabq.gov/culturalservices/govtv

Here are some key points you are welcome to reference in your comment:

• The resolution should include language that requires APD to destroy or return any and all military equipment acquired by APD under the 1033 program.
• The resolution should include language that explicitly calls for a permanent ban on APD using military equipment for civilian law enforcement.

We honor all those that have worked to transform policing, including here in Albuquerque.It’s time that all sectors join in the call for change to truly address systemic racism. We are in a historic moment to rethink and reimagine policing in our country, state, and city and is why we support defunding the police. Defunding the police is about shifting massive spending from police practices that do not keep us safe—and specifically terrorize and target communities of color—and reinvesting it in a shared vision of community safety that actually works.

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