DEMYSTIFYING "MILITARIZATION": A PARTIAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S "1033" EQUIPMENT TRANSFER PROGRAM ON POLICE OFFICER SAFETY OUTCOMES

Abstract

While considerable popular and academic ire has been dedicated to the rather nebulous concept of "police militarization," very little research attempts to examine the tangible outcomes of issuing military equipment to law enforcement agencies. This thesis attempts to fill this glaring gap in the literature by analyzing the impact of transfers of military equipment from the US Department of Defense to local, county, and state police departments on officer safety outcomes. Findings indicate that transfers may increase the incidence of assaults on officers, but that they have an extremely insignificant effect on the likelihood of officer injury.