Breaking down the militarization of Montana law enforcement
HELENA — You may or may not have heard of the Pentagon’s 1033 program, which provides surplus military equipment to local law enforcement agencies, but you have probably noticed your local law enforcement agencies looking more and more like our military forces with each passing day.
The Defense Department has long kept secret the details of which local agencies across the country have received items from its 1033 program and which items an agency has received. But in light of the recent events in Ferguson, Mo., the pressure for greater transparency led the Pentagon to quietly release all the data that details every piece of equipment distributed through the program.
The vast collection of data amounts to something of a Christmas wish list for local law enforcement consisting of assault weapons, night-vision equipment, mine-resistant armored vehicles, aircraft and other surplus military equipment, all offered for free with agencies only required to pay shipping costs.
Since 1990, the Pentagon program has distributed surplus military equipment to police departments nationwide with little attention or civilian oversight. Over the more than 20-year span the program has been in operation it has given away $5 billion in equipment across nearly 200,000 transactions — mostly office equipment such as copiers, fax machines and computers — but it has also involved giving $1.6 billion worth of tactical military equipment to over 7,500 law enforcement agencies across the country.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Troy Police Department have participated in the program in years past.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has received equipment totalling $115,984.20 since 2012. The biggest gift was an armored truck valued at more than $65,000 in April of 2013. Other items include a utility truck valued at $41,061, night vision equipment valued at $8,454, and six helmets and phone talkers valued at $233.
The Troy Police Department has received equipment totalling $1,174.17 going back to 2006. The department received two 5.56 millimeter rifles valued at $998, as well as three .45-caliber automatic pistols valued at $175.
A total of 71 law enforcement agencies in Montana received over $5 million in equipment from the 1033 program since its inception. Six agencies in Montana have received over $300,000 worth of equipment: Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, $797,888; Great Falls Police Department, $726,062.89; Anaconda-Deer Lodge County LEA, $369,880; Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office, $337,890; Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, $315,049.21; and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, $300,277.65.
Between the top-two agencies, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Great Falls Police Department each received a mine-resistant armored vehicle valued at over $600,000, a total of 123 assault rifles and two-dozen .45-caliber pistols. The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office also received an armored truck valued at over $65,000.
Agencies in Montana also acquired a total of six helicopters. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks received three, Montana Highway Patrol received two and the Montana Department of Livestock received one aircraft.
If you would like to find out if your local law enforcement agencies participate in the program and see what it received, use the graphic below provided by The Marshall Project. To view an agency’s itemized list, click on the agency name and it will drop down showing what items the agency has received.
Montana has received at least $5,063,491.00 in equipment from the U.S. Department of Defense since the beginning of the 1033 program. The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering America’s criminal justice system, provided the following information:
ANACONDA DEER LODGE CTY LEA
$369,880
BAKER POLICE DEPT
$1,450.13
BEAVERHEAD CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$2,019.68
BELGRADE POLICE DEPT
$1,274
BIG HORN CO SHERIFF DEPT
$690
BLACKFEET TRIBAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
$88,084
BLAINE CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$315,049.21
BRIDGER POLICE DEPT
$754.42
BROADWATER CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$1,242
CARTER CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$276
CASCADE CTY SHERIFF
$140,216.24
CHINOOK POLICE DEPT
$998
CHOUTEAU CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$1,550
COLUMBIA FALLS POLICE DEPT
$414
CONRAD POLICE DEPT
$998
CUT BANK POLICE DEPT
$998
DANIELS CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$414
DILLON POLICE DEPT
$1,104
FALLON CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$2,497.42
FLATHEAD CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$797,888
FORT BENTON POLICE DEPT
$998
FROMBERG POLICE DEPT
$1,371.15
GALLATIN AIRPORT AUTHORITY
$1,790.55
GALLATIN CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$12,112.72
GARFIELD CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$813.13
GLACIER CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$10,702.46
GLASGOW POLICE DEPT
$76,722.02
GOLDEN VALLEY CTY SHERIFF
$690
GRANITE CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$1,497
GREAT FALLS INTL AIRPORT PD
$41,894
GREAT FALLS POLICE DEPT
$726,062.89
HAVRE POLICE DEPT
$3,654.68
HELENA CITY POLICE DEPT
$4,300
HOT SPRINGS POLICE DEPT
$276
JUDITH BASIN CO SHERIFF’S OFFICE
$499
LAUREL POLICE DEPT
$921.81
LEWIS AND CLARK CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$4,300
LEWISTOWN POLICE DEPT
$1,773
LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
$115,984.20
MCCONE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
$42,835.60
MEAGHER CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$276,282.97
MISSOULA CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$112,180
MISSOULA POLICE DEPT
$8,950
MT DEPT OF CORR HELENA
$2,201.94
MT DEPT OF FISH/WILDLIFE/PARKS
$300,277.65
MT DEPT OF LIVESTOCK
$92,290
MT DOJ GAMBLING CONTROL DIVISION
$4,990
MT HIGHWAY PATROL HELENA
$202,658
MT STATE PRISON
$5,988
MUSSELSHELL CTY SHERIFF
$1,327
PARK CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$966
PETROLEUM CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$156,674.87
PHILLIPS CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$276
POLSON POLICE DEPT
$5,492
PONDERA CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$2,994
POPLAR CITY POLICE DEPT
$76,027.57
POWDER RIVER CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$101,999
POWELL CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$34,424.93
PRAIRIE CO SHERIFF DEPT
$42,872.13
RICHLAND CTY SHERIFF OFFICE
$2,151.97
ROOSEVELT CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$337,890
SANDERS CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$92,829.70
SHERIDAN CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$1,068.55
SWEET GRASS CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$205,455.26
TETON CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$2,040.24
TOOLE CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$42,704.81
TROY CITY POLICE DEPT
$1,174.13
VALLEY CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$147,268
WHEATLAND CTY SHERIFF OFFICE
$24,351.29
WHITEFISH POLICE DEPT
$690
YELLOWSTONE CTY SHERIFF DEPT
$0