By William C. Singleton III
Journal contributor
If a tornado or severe storm makes streets impassable in the Over the Mountain area, several local police departments are more prepared to navigate these treacherous roads–thanks to the U.S military.
Both Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook own Humvees they’ve received free from the Department of Defense. Vestavia Hills has three vehicles, and Mountain Brook has two.
“Basically we utilize them in inclement weather when there’s a storm or anything like that and when the roads are impassable by patrol car,” said Mountain Brook Police Capt. Greg Hagood. “During our last snow, we staged them in different areas. We didn’t have to use them, but we had them just in case.”
The Humvees are some of the larger items both police departments have acquired through the military, but the departments have also received trucks, rifle scopes, rifle racks, backpacks, sleeping bags, cots and even pots and pans.
The police departments received the equipment through a program coordinated by the Defense Department’s Defense Logistics Agency. The program allows law enforcement agencies to acquire surplus military equipment. The equipment can range from computers to helicopters to weapons to combat boots to even nuts and bolts.
“The military will use equipment for a specific length of time for a specific purpose, and when the item is upgraded or if the unit is no longer designated to use that particular item, then the military turns it into surplus, and it goes into the defense reutilization process,” said Trussville Police Lt. Herb Rosenbaum, a state coordinator for the 1033 Program (the program’s official designation).
Items are made available to other military units or departments. If no one claims them, then the items are made available to law enforcement agencies nationwide.
“Almost anything you can think of that would be benefit the military at some point in time becomes available through this program,” Rosenbaum said.
Rosenbaum estimates more than 400 Alabama law enforcement agencies have participated in the program. Some are more active participants than others, he said.
As state coordinator, Rosenbaum handles requests for equipment made available by the U.S. military. Law enforcement agencies must make a formal request for the item or equipment and must justify their use of the equipment. The justification must be based on a law enforcement need.
“They can’t say, I’d like to get 25 night vision goggles because I enjoy bird watching,” Rosenbaum said. “But if they’re doing night narcotics surveillance, there’s a good justification for why they might need those items.”
In Vestavia Hills’ case, the police department received several stainless steel pans it uses to clean weapons, Officer Eddie Crim said. The department also received a large Army tent.
“The Army would use it for a temporary barracks,” Crim said. “In our case, if we had another disaster like a tornado, we could use the tent to set up a command area where we could provide medical supplies or use it as a rally point for families.”
Humvees are popular equipment because they’re versatile vehicles for law enforcement agencies, Rosenbaum said.
“The Humvees are great for not only tactical applications but for other purposes,” Rosenbaum said. “Here in Alabama, we have bad weather. In situations like that, you need tactical-type vehicles to move around in to pull people out of houses that have been damaged or maneuver through areas due to fallen trees. Or even when you have someone with dementia or kids lost in the woods. A lot of times it’s hard to get into the woods because of trails that may be too muddy or rough to take a regular vehicle. You can drive these tactical-type vehicles into these areas and search for these missing people.”
Equipment offered through the program can be either new or used. Crim said the Vestavia Hills Police Department received rifle scopes through the program.
“Some of them were in great shape and just needed to be cleaned up,” he said. “Some of them were not, and we just use those for parts.”
The military also considers the size of a law enforcement department and when a request was made (first come, first served) as factors in awarding equipment, Rosenbaum said. The individual department is responsible for picking up the equipment from wherever it’s located, Rosenbaum added. Once a law enforcement agency receives approval of its request, it has 14 days to acquire the item.
Hoover Capt. Jim Coker said through the Hoover-Jefferson County Air Support Unit, his department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department share helicopters. Much of the military supplies Hoover receives supports that unit. Those items include two aircraft tugs, which pull helicopters from airport hangers, an aviation fuel truck, an aviation fuel trailer, a Hummer, generators, tools and toolboxes, flight clothing, helmets and other types of flight gear.
“When you have aircraft, you need supporting tools and vehicles,” Coker said.
The program has been a blessing to local law enforcement agencies, particularly during a slumping economy that has greatly restricted city budgets, Rosenbaum said.
“It allows law enforcement agencies to acquire an item that they probably couldn’t afford to purchase because of budget constraints,” Rosenbaum said. “Or it allows them to divert funding that may have gone to purchasing a Humvee or a tactical-type vehicle to somewhere else in the police department.”
Crim, Hagood and Coker said they agree.
The items would be a huge expense if the Hoover department had to buy them, Coker said.
“These items aren’t something we’ve actually put in our budget,” Crim said. “Of course, the Humvees are huge ticket items. But even something like scopes and pans, we wouldn’t necessarily put in our budget because we kind of try to make do with what we can. But it’s nice when you get equipment like this, and it doesn’t affect your budget.”
A military Humvee can range from $130,000 to $170,000, depending upon the vehicle’s age and accessories.
“It’s not practical for us to budget for a Humvee or something like that due to the cost,” Hagood said. “Obviously, this is an affordable way to be able to get this type of equipment.”
The Mountain Brook Police Department painted over the military insignia and repaired the Humvees it acquired from the military. The Vestavia Hills Police Department also tweaked its vehicles to fit the department’s needs.
Despite minor tweaks and repairs, officials from both police departments said they are happy to have the Humvees as part of their transportation fleets.
“They’ve done some metal work to it and done some modifications to it, but it’s a great vehicle,” Crim said.
