US President Barack Obama will ban the provision of some military-style equipment to local law enforcement amid ongoing strife between police and communities of color.
The ban is a policy reversal for Obama, who indicated last year that programs by the federal governments to provide military-style gear to local police departments would remain in place because of their broader contribution to public safety.
The White House said the federal government will no longer fund or provide tracked armored vehicles, weaponized aircraft or vehicles, firearms or ammunition of .50-caliber or higher, grenade launchers, bayonets or camouflage uniforms.
Police officers fire tear gas to disperse protesters two days after a St. Louis County police officer shot and killed unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson on Aug. 9.
Obama is expected to announce the measures as he visits police headquarters in Camden, New Jersey, one of the country’s most violent and poorest cities.
The announcement comes nine months after police in riot gear and driving armored vehicles clamped down on racially-charged protests in Ferguson, Missouri, drawing international condemnation.
“I’ll highlight steps all cities can take to maintain trust between the brave law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line, and the communities they’re sworn to serve and protect,” Obama said in his weekly address on Saturday.