Pentagon Donations To Police Are Skyrocketing

Small town police bosses in the United States have been eager to get their hands on surplus military hardware stacked in overflowing armouries as the withdrawal from Afghanistan picks up pace. MRAP mine resistant vehicles, helicopters and assault rifles are just some of the items on police shopping lists across the country.

The 1033 program allows the U.S. military to donate unwanted military hardware to law enforcement agencies. The equipment is free and the police only have to pay the shipping costs. Excess amounts of expensive MRAPs have led to a spike in donations this year, which have already surpassed $750 million, as illustrated by our latest infographic on Forbes. Over $500 million of military equipment reached law enforcement agencies in 2012. This figure dropped slightly to just under $450 million in 2013.