The Jim Winder article got me thinking. Where would police departments get most of their equipment? Would they use the budget from Unified Police Department? Would the government give them money? Or would they use the 1033 program?

If they choose to do the latter, it will be more terrifying to the people in the community because it provides weapons that were made for war. The 1033 program allows police departments to get surplus military equipment, from microwaves and radios to rifles and drones that were manufactured for military purposes. That’s why I would like to ask Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee to co-sponsor S1856, or the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act. The bill would limit what the police departments can get, resulting in diminished use of dangerous weapons made for war and not for protecting our families and communities.

Salvador Oregon-Torres, Salt Lake City