BOARDMAN TWP., Ohio - The Trump administration is preparing to restore the flow of surplus military equipment to local law enforcement agencies around the nation.

Military equipment that would otherwise be chopped up for scrap are now going to go to local police agencies around the nation.
President Obama stopped the practice in 2015 following protests in Ferguson, Missouri when Michael Brown was shot by an officer.
Police in riot gear fired tear gas and drove armored vehicles in those protests, causing some to feel the police were too militarized.

Mahoning County Sheriff, Jerry Greene, said, "I thought that was ironic because every time to enter a potential riot situation or with crowds that the exact type of equipment you need to handle those types of situations. We use the federal surplus program quite a bit actually."

But now President Trump plans to lift those restrictions to allow the surplus to once again, flow to local departments, free of cost.

Boardman Township has benefited from the program for years.  They have 7 different humvees. many of which are valued at $50,000 a piece. They are used to transport equipment throughout the township. 

Boardman was given an armored vehicle valued at nearly $800,000 a few years ago.
Police Chief Jack Nichols says it could save lives in a shooter situation.

"Let's say for example, one of the area schools would ever have one of those unfortunate events we could load 30-40 kids in the back and transport them away from the school in complete safety. There is no type of rifle that could ever penetrate it or allow harm to come to anybody," said Nichols.

Trump vowed to restore the surplus supply initiative after he received the endorsement of the FOP in 2016.