SINCE 2006, MICHIGAN police have received $43 million worth of surplus military equipment, including 17 mine-resistant armored fighting vehicles and 1,795 M16 automatic rifles. One of those 17 mine-resistant vehicles is parked in Washtenaw County, along with a handful of M16 assault rifles. While it’s easier to ask why Wayne County police need a grenade launcher, it’s just as important to point out that nowhere in Washtenaw County is any police vehicle likely to encounter a minefield. We are relieved to know that our county’s law enforcement officials have avoided stocking up on surplus M16s, body armor, night vision equipment and military observation helicopters.

However, such equipment is being amassed by law enforcement officials in surrounding Livingston, Oakland and Wayne Counties. Together, law enforcement agencies in those three counties own the bulk of the 1,795 M16 automatic rifles which have been purchased by law enforcement in Michigan. Those three counties also have amassed large collections of night vision equipment, body armor and each county owns a mine-resistant vehicle.

Local police, like the military, answer to civilian overseers. Those civilian overseers should not only rid Washtenaw County of its mine-resistant vehicle, but state legislators should rid Michigan’s local police agencies of their stockpiles of military assault rifles, mine-resistant vehicles and grenade launchers.