U.S. Dept. of Justice (DoJ) and the Federal Interagency – Law Enforcement Equipment Working Group Briefing

Manny Ovalle, Director at Large, represented HAPCOA on July 8, 2015 to discuss recommendations pursuant to Pres. Obama’s Executive Order 13688:  Federal Support for Local Law Enforcement Equipment Acquisition.

The Working Group, on an ongoing basis, will evaluate all suggestions and/or recommendations relating to the President’s Executive Order.

SPECIFIC ISSUES DISCUSSED:        

1.   Possible Recall of Prohibitive Equipment

• Tabled until next meeting.

2.   Breadth of Controlled Equipment List

• Working Group agreed that the list of the controlled equipment lists must be expanded.

3.   General Policing and Specific Controlled Equipment Standards Guidance

• Tabled until next meeting.

4.   Training Requirements

• It was suggested that LEAs train on their own policies.

5.   Significant Incident Reports for Non-Federally Acquired Controlled Equipment

• There were some philosophical differences among the members  of the Working Group (i.e., a few LEAs wanted to keep their incident reports in-house; the federal providers wanted to know how and why the non-federally controlled equipment was used).

6.   Local Civilian Government Review

• Offered as a means for LEAs to communicate with their communities.  Police civilian academies is one example of government review and education.

PLANS FOR FUTURE ENGAGEMENTS

• The Working Group will conduct annual reviews.

• Federal government agencies not included in Executive Order 13688 have adopted policies that are similar to the LE Working Group.

•  LE officers at the street level want to be heard.

• Citizens need protection and education on understanding the use of LEA controlled equipment in their communities.