Thread:

At least 12 police agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area have received mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicles from the federal government.

I wanted to see what they're used for, so I asked the departments for a list/narrative of every time the vehicle has been used

Two departments haven't responded. All sent photos except Southlake and Allen, which both sent letters to the AG fighting the request.

Southlake said releasing photos would give people who encounter police at an advantage. Allen redacted the letter so idk why they're fighting.

I'm not sure why either department has an issue with releasing the photos when every other department didn't see a problem with it.

I mean, you could clearly google what these vehicles look like. The only thing some departments have changed are the color + adding "police."

The vehicles are most often used in parades and fairs, but when it comes to criminal investigations, they’re normally brought out for situations where people are barricaded in homes or cars. One was also brought out during a bomb threat at a local school.

Mike Lewis, the SWAT commander for the Waxahachie Police Department, said they don't use the vehicles in the way the military did and use them as extra protection/a shield from people who might shoot at them.

Ayesha Bell Hardaway, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University, said police departments that want to strengthen their relationships with the communities they serve cannot do so while also responding to calls with military gear.

“It is constant with the approach of thinking about an American government being at war with its own citizens,” she said. “We think about the war on crime and the war on drugs, having military grade weapons at their disposal really fits into these notions of war."

Here's the full story with more from Lewis and Hardaway and more details on how the vehicles are used.

At the bottom, there's an inventory list of what DFW departments have received from the LESO program. https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article244055107.html