Macomb County forced to hand back military vehicle

MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (WJBK) - Macomb County has less than a month to return a tank to the defense department that was originally part of a program to repurpose military equipment and given to law enforcement. However, after the riots in Ferguson last year, President Barack Obama issued an executive order to take away the equipment. County leaders are fighting the order saying doing so, would put officers at risk.

Macomb County got the armed personnel carrier back in 2004 from the U.S. Military. Now that he's got to send it back, County Executive Mark Hackel isn't happy.

"It's assinine. They're just going to take this thing and send it to some kind of a junk yard," Hackel said. "Our officers need these things when you've got a barricaded gunman. Aside from terrorism, you've got other situations that are domestic related."

The military name of the vehicle is an M113 and, while it may look like it, this is no tank. There are no weapons and it doesn't shoot anything; it's only used to transport police and people. It weighs 10 tons and can hold eight people plus equipment.

Under an executive order signed by the President, all law-enforcement must give up these vehicles by December 7th. 

"What's being said is it's a knee-jerk reaction to some high-profile situations that are happening in law enforcement," Hackel said. " Because of few officers that may have done things that are questionable, what they're going to do is they're going to take something away from the other hundreds of thousands of officers that are out there trying to be part of a solution."

The M113 is gone. That's already a done deal. However, Hackel said he wants to buy another one at a cost of $300,000 to $400,000, possibly more.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says that he will have to give up a similar vehicle, he's also not happy, as will Wayne County.

Either way, these deals are done and these military vehicles are gone - or soon to be.