Indiana is a frequent destination for military guns, boats, office furniture and other surplus equipment that the Defense Department gives away free to state and local law enforcement agencies.
During fiscal year 2005, some 75 Indiana agencies ranging from the Amo Police Department to the Tippecanoe County Drug Task Force received 25,337 items valued at $10.45 million, second among states to California's 51,512 items valued at $17.04 million, an analysis by The Associated Press shows.
"About every police department throughout the state does use it," said Dick Graves, director of the State and Federal Surplus Division of the Indiana Department of Administration, which oversees the distribution of the surplus in Indiana.
Police agencies check out the items they want on a Web site, then send the paperwork to Graves' office for approval or rejection before it's sent along to the Defense Department, he said. The items must be used for homeland defense or anti-drug efforts, he said.
And some requests do get turned down, Graves said, without going into specifics. For example, if a police department of only five officers calls to request 30 automatic handguns, Graves said, he's not likely to look favorably upon it.
Guns likely are the most popular-surplus items that Indiana agencies request, he said.
"Lake County right now is looking for some helicopters," Graves said.
Other vehicles include ambulances, which some agencies add armor to and convert into SWAT-type trucks, and boats.
Agencies receive the surplus items free of charge, but must pay for shipping or otherwise arrange for the transportation of the items themselves, Graves said.
. Suck on that Daley.