Federal programs providing heavy-duty surplus military equipment to local police departments will be reviewed in light of increasing public outcry against the practice, a senior presidential aide confirmed Saturday. The official announcement of the review is scheduled for Monday.

President Obama ordered the review following heavy criticism of the over-the-top military equipment employed by local police during the Ferguson, Mo. Michael Brown incident protests last week.

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First up for review is the Defense Department Excess Property initiative that has given away more than USD$4 billion worth of equipment to local police since 1997, according to the senior administration official who spoke on the record, but asked not to be named since the review has yet to be announced officially.

The review will look at gifts of everything from pickup trucks, all-terrain vehicles, tents and generators to heavily armed personnel carriers, all-terrain vehicles, grenade launchers and even military aircraft. The review will look at all appropriate programs transferring military hardware to local law enforcement agencies, the official said.

White House staff will head the review. Officials with the Homeland Security, Defense and Justice departments will be involved as will representatives of the Office of Management and Budget, National Security Council and Domestic Policy Council.

The review will address whether local and state police have been trained properly and know how to use the equipment and whether federal officials are auditing the distribution and use of the equipment.

Congress plans hearings next month to determine whether local law enforcement is being too militarized. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) last week said overly-militarized police capabilities and responses were problems rather than solutions.

Attorney General Eric Holder said providing surplus military equipment to police agencies was in response to terrorism concerns, but using that equipment to deal with peaceful civilian protests was problematical.

Titled the 1033 program, transfers from the Pentagon to local agencies amounted to USD$33 million in 2006 for nearly 35,000 items. Those numbers grew to almost 52,000 transfers worth USD $420 million in 2013. The program transferred more than 15,500 pieces of equipment worth USD$206 million during the first four months this year.

About 5 percent of equipment transfers were weapons, according to Michelle McCaskill, no relation to the senator. Total value of the give-away was more than USD$5 billion since the 1033 program began in 1995.

The 1033 program is simply one of many related to transferring weapons and systems from federal to local and state control, according to Kara Dansky, ACLU senior counsel who wrote a report on the subject. Homeland Security and Justice Department programs have facilitated billions of dollars in funding for local agencies seeking to beef up their military-grade capabilities, she said.

Tagsmilitarization of police, President Obama, defense department, ferguson protests, police, Iraq, michael brown