PARIS — Military equipment purchased through the U.S. Department of Defense by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office is primarily used to save lives, Oxford County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Hart Daley said. 

Sales of former U.S. military equipment to local police authorities around the country are being examined following the riots in Ferguson, Mo., where an unarmed black teenager was shot to death by a white police officer.

Widely published reports have noted that as the U.S. winds down wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, military equipment — from weapons to vehicles and medical supplies — has become available to local law enforcement to purchase at a fraction of its cost. 

Since the military began selling gear in 1997, local agencies have purchased nearly $5.1 billion through the Law Enforcement Support Office’s 1033 program; nearly half a billion was purchased in 2013 alone. 

The tally for local agencies, which can apply for U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants and only pay for shipping, has been much lower, Daley said.

In 2013, Oxford County commissioners agreed to accept a free explosive-resistant armored personnel carrier, worth $658,000, which was designed to protect U.S. soldiers from deadly improvised explosive devices on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. 

The deal had to be postponed because the cost to ship the carrier proved too expensive, Daley said. 

However, Daley recalled past instances when having a large, bulletproof vehicle would have been a vital component to neutralize dangerous situations much quicker, possibly saving lives. 

On Sunday, a Paris man died while exchanging gunfire with police in Mexico. Police surrounded the stolen truck and closed off Main Street for several hours.

Daley said the armored cruiser could have ended the situation, possibly with the individual still alive, much sooner. 

“If we had our own vehicle, it would have been resolved in 25 minutes,” Daley said. 

Daley also pointed to a standoff in 2007 where a woman bled to death in a driveway because police could not safely approach the house because the gunman, who was the woman’s son, was holed up in the house. 

The cruiser also increases the range of gear utilized, from first aid kits with trauma dressings, to tourniquets, cameras, helmets and night vision equipment, all of which could save lives, he said. 

The Sheriff’s Office also uses cold-weather gear and prepacked meals offered through the program to outfit deputies on details patrolling the Canadian border in northern Oxford County. 

“People keep on thinking it’s military, military, military; but how about the kid that gets lost in the woods?” he asked.

Purchasing military equipment doesn’t necessitate deputies use it to escalate a situation; Daley said the level of force is determined by the individual scenario. 

“If we can respond with additional equipment that protects law enforcement and the people we protect, we’re going to use it,” he said.

ccrosby@sunjournal.com