An Obscure Military Program Helps Local Cops Buy Armored Cars and Spyware. It Might Balloon Under Trump.

The 1122 program, as it’s known, presents a danger to protesters facing off against militarized cops, according to a new report.

Local cops have gotten tens of millions of dollars’ worth of discounted military gear under a secretive federal program that is poised to grow under recent executive action from Donald Trump, according to a new report.

Armored vehicles, video surveillance programs, and thermal imagers are all examples of the ware purchased by local police under a lesser-known cousin to another controversial program that gifts them the gear outright.

Police guard as a protest outside a Sheriff's Station to demand prosecution of the deputies who were involved in the shooting deaths of Anthony Weber and Dijon Kizzee, Sept. 27, 2020 in Los Angeles.

The floodgates could be opened now that President Donald Trump has revoked an executive order issued by his predecessor, Joe Biden, meant to tamp down on the “warrior cop” trend.

When paired with the increasing number of local agencies aiding mass deportation, the 1122 program — so named after a section of federal defense law — presents a danger to people facing off against militarized cops, according to Women for Weapons Trade Transparency.

“All of these things combined serve as a threat to free speech, an intimidation tactic to protest,” said Lillian Mauldin, the co-founder of the nonprofit group, which produced the report released this week. “I fear that the 1122 program not only has wasted tax dollars, has increased the violent tactics by police departments, but is also part of a larger chilling effect.”