Staff Writer
President
Barack Obama has banned the federal government from equipping police
departments with certain military-grade equipment. This ban comes after a year of controversy
over the militarization of the police forces in cities like Ferguson and
Baltimore. Grenade launchers and armored vehicles will no
longer be provided, while riot gear and certain explosives will be more closely
regulated. Many U.S. citizens have
expressed concern over what they view as the excessive use of military weaponry
by police officers, especially in black communities.
Obama
has recently been making other efforts to increase a feeling of community and
transparency in law enforcement. He is
planning to announce $163 million in grants in order to give police departments
an incentive to be more transparent. The
Justice Department announced a $20 million grant program earlier this month
that will increase body camera use by police officers. Obama travelled to
Camden, New Jersey this Monday to praise the city’s achievements in improving
the relationship between its police force and community. While in the city, he remarked on his
decision to cut back on police militarization, saying, "We've seen how
militarized gear can sometimes give people the feeling like there's an
occupying force as opposed to a force that's part of the community.”
