WRAL: The U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday released information about what specific pieces of surplus military equipment were provided to local law enforcement agencies across the state. The N.C. Department of Public Safety had previously refused to release the information citing the public records exemption for specific details about security plans.
On Thursday, the Defense Department released a list of specific pieces of surplus equipment provided to local law enforcement agencies across the country, including North Carolina, WRAL reports. The list shows that more than 9,500 pieces of equipment, worth $15.5 million have been provided to agencies across the state since the program began in 1993.
The N.C. Department of Public Safety previously released information about the equipment provided to North Carolina agencies, but declined to identify which pieces of equipment went to specific departments. In refusing to disclose the “agency-level records,” DPS cited the exemption in the N.C. Public Records Act that protects specific details about security plans.
The information released Thursday provides the agency-level records.
Read WRAL’s coverage, and see the equipment list, here.