The 1033 Program
The 1033 Program began in 1997, transferring military equipment from the Department of Defense to local police forces. This turns American cities into battlefields, leading to armored vehicles being used against protestors. President Obama eventually issued an executive order halting the program in 2015 only for the order to be repealed by President Trump in 2017. The documentary Do Not Resist covers this topic well, showing how the weapons and training that police recieve lead them to view their cities as battlefields (website only offers http). Radley Balko, a Washington Post jounralist, wrote
a book on the subject, covering the rise of militarized police from the 1960s until today.
Although the Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington Police Departments do not participate, many surrounding North Texas towns own mine-resistant vehicles, among other pieces of equipment. Below is a simple list of the departments that
particiapte in the program. For our purposes, we're only listing weapons and armored vehicles. Information comes from the Institute for Transparent Policing and Muckrock.
Image of a MRAP from occupy.com
Allen Police Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle and 9 M14 assault rifles.
Bedford Police Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle and 1 armored vehicle.
Dallas County Sheriff's Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle (MRAP), 123 rifles, and 1 bomb-disposal robot.
DeSoto Police Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle and 18 M14 assault rifles.
Duncanville Police Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle, 7 M14 assault rifles, and 1 bomb-disposal robot.
Farmers Branch Police Department: Owns 1 armored truck.
Mansfield Police Department: Owns 1 mine-resistant vehicle.
Mesquite Police Department: Owns 1 armored vehicle.
Rockwall County Sheriff's Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle and 7 assault rifles.
Rowlett Police Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle and 1 bomb-disposal robot.
Southlake Police Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle.
Waxahachie Police Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle.
Wylie Police Department: Owns 1 mine resistant vehicle, 1 truck,and 2 M14 assault rifles.