Policy changes streamline LESO access for local law enforcement agencies

The Defense Logistics Agency is rolling out the most significant changes in years to its Law Enforcement Support Office, shifting more surplus federal gear to local police while easing paperwork requirements, according to a recent agency announcement.

Created in the 1990s with congressional backing and formally established in 1997, LESO has helped move more than $8 billion worth of used military equipment to thousands of law enforcement agencies nationwide. Most of what leaves federal inventories under the program is non-controlled property—such as clothing, office supplies, tools and emergency response equipment—transferred at no cost to recipients. A smaller share involves controlled items, including tactical vehicles like Humvees and mine-resistant vehicles, which historically have been loaned and tightly tracked, and small arms such as pistols and rifles.

The latest overhaul follows an April 2025 executive order directing agencies to increase the provision of excess federal equipment for law enforcement. DLA said it joined discussions with the War Department, the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security and produced a set of recommendations informed by participant feedback, state coordinators and agency leaders.

The first major change, adopted in August, gives law enforcement agencies priority over other DOW special programs during the opening phase of the Defense Department’s 42‑day reutilization, transfer and donation cycle. Military units still have first claim during the initial 14 days, but when they decline, LESO requisitions now rise to the top of the early-access queue. DLA says recent metrics show a marked increase in the share of LESO requests being filled.

In October, the agency began transferring immediate title for most non-controlled, commercially available property—such as used pickup trucks, street sweepers and bulldozers—outside certain Humvee models. Previously, DLA retained ownership for a year, keeping items on its books and requiring participants to maintain additional documentation. “Recipients had to maintain and track and inventory at the LEA level and the state level,” said LESO Branch Chief Brienne Hallifax. “This has been a very positive administrative change for them.”

In the most consequential shift to date, DLA has started transferring ownership of small arms to local departments. In March, the Alpena County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan became the first non-federal recipient to receive full title to two weapons, followed in April by 17 small arms transferred to the Clawson Police Department. Michigan—home to more than 300 LESO participants, including 166 departments currently holding federal small arms—has served as a pilot for the national rollout.

“It’s a huge benefit to our departments,” said Michigan LESO coordinator Larry Goerge. “They can now treat these weapons like they treat their own inventory they purchased. If they make modifications, if a weapon is damaged, there’s no longer a reporting requirement. Ownership will save them a lot of time and administrative burden.”

About 40,000 small arms remain in the LESO inventory nationwide, with DLA working alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to ensure transfers meet federal registration and compliance requirements. Program officials credited Michigan’s groundwork with smoothing the process. “Larry was active, responsive, motivated and easy to work with,” said LESO Eastern Team Lead Jake Collier. “He worked very hard to make sure all those small arms were registered correctly. He’s ready to go.”

LESO conducts compliance reviews with every participating state every other year. Hallifax said the new policies—and additional changes under consideration—are intended to free specialists to spend less time auditing inventories and more time providing training, troubleshooting access to systems and building property want lists that help agencies find what they need. “Our customer isn’t DOW,” she said. “They’re not a traditional RTD customer, in the sense of being military that’s used to some of our ‘DOW-isms.’ These are law enforcement agencies, whose primary responsibility is protecting and serving, not being property disposal specialists or logisticians. … We’re focused on helping get these LEAs over their hurdles to make it easy for them to be in our program.”