Falls Township Police Chief Nelson Whitney announced in early March the launch of his department’s “Operation Urgent Aid.” (Falls Municipality Police Department)
The governors of Iowa and Nebraska announced last week that they will donate police protective gear, including military gear like helmets and vests, to Ukraine to help civilians defend against the Russian invasion.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said his state will send 550 pieces of protective equipment, while Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said her state’s Department of Public Safety and 18 law enforcement agencies would provide Ukraine with 860 pieces of equipment.
The agencies join a growing list of police departments — from California to Ohio to Vermont — who are donating non-lethal police equipment to help Ukrainian civilians, according to a CNN review of state-by-state efforts and interviews with some of those involved.
Among the agencies contacted by CNN and the non-governmental groups collecting supplies, none have said they are collecting weapons or ammunition.
Many of the police departments involved in these efforts work with charities and veterans of the US military. Some sources with direct knowledge of the multiple efforts — but who are not involved — spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity because of concerns about possible legal issues the initiative could raise.
It’s unprecedented for US law enforcement agencies to donate police protective gear and military equipment to a foreign country locked in an ongoing war, experts say. The effort also raises questions about the role of police departments and whether, as domestic law enforcement agencies, they should send equipment into a foreign conflict outside of their jurisdiction.
Because there is no central coordination group, it is not easy to tell what is being shipped or if it is subject to export regulations.
The Ukrainian-American Coordinating Council (UACC), a non-profit organization, is at the center of efforts to send regulated, military and police protective items to Ukraine, including ballistic helmets, hard plates, soft armor inserts and vests, the group says.
Read more here:
