2-20-07 - Dozens of local law enforcement agencies are taking advantage of federal surplus equipment, saving local tax dollars with unheard of deals. In "Sale of the Century," KAKE News breaks down the numbers.

The federal government spends billions of dollars every year upgrading equipment for the military. It has to be done before things wear out to make sure the men and women in uniform are kept safe.

That's where the LESO Program comes in, Law Enforcement Support Office. It funnels old military gear to local law enforcement agencies once it's outlived its life span for the military.

Some examples of the prices local agencies pay:

Gore-Tex jacket - $10
Sleeping mat - 35 cents
Helicopter - $30,000

The items for sale cover everything from rolling armor to treadmills. Small agencies like Cheney, with five sworn officers, don’t have the budget for anything extra. Yet the department has laptops in patrol cars, a well equipped machine shop and even a small gym - at virtually no cost to Cheney taxpayers. In the end, the city pays five percent of the original cost of the equipment. The State of Kansas charges that five percent as an administration fee to fund the program itself.

KAKE's investigation turned up a list of every surplus item acquired through the program over the last two years. The items range from helmets and boots to computers to an M-16 and a couple of trucks. The biggest items the state has ever acquired include four helicopters for police patrols and the occasional armored personnel carrier.

All told, the state has received over $8 million worth of equipment for less than $400,000.

The state has a similar program that, unlike the federal version, is available to the public and they have an online catalog. You can check it out by clicking http://da.ks.gov/surplus/.

LESO Program Usage