LESO Program
The Law Enforcement Support Program (formerly 1033)
The Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), located at Defense Logistics Agency’s (DLA Disposition Services Headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, oversees the program.
For states to participate in the program, they must each set up a business relationship with DLA through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Each participating state’s governor is required to appoint a State Coordinator to ensure the program is used correctly by the participating law enforcement agencies. The State Coordinator is expected to maintain property accountability records and investigate any alleged misuse of property, and in certain cases, to report violations of the State Plan of Operations to DLA. The State Coordinator is aggressive in suspending law enforcement agencies that do not adhere to the requirements of the State Plan of Operations.
DLA has a Program Compliance Review (PCR). The PCR’s objective is to have the LESO staff visit each state coordinator and assist him or her in ensuring that property accountability records are properly maintained, minimizing the potential for fraud, waste, and abuse. During the PCR a percentage of the participating LEAs are chosen for a physical inventory of all weapons, armored vehicles, and aircraft. Every year all participating LEAs must certify their information is correct and each piece of property during the Annual Inventory Certification period.
State law enforcement agencies from all 50 states and the U.S. territories participate in the program. A law enforcement agency is a government agency whose primary function is the enforcement of applicable federal, state, and local laws and whose compensated law enforcement officers have the powers of arrest and apprehension.
Once law enforcement agencies have been approved to participate in the 1033 Program by the State Coordinator and the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), the law enforcement agencies appoint officials to screen for property online or visit their local DLA Disposition Services Site. They will screen property and place requests for specific items by submitting requisitions on the Enterprise Business Portal RTDWeb page. The item must have a justification and be approved by both the State Coordinator and the LESO Staff. Law enforcement agencies that receive approval for property must cover all maintenance, transportation, and shipping costs.
DLA has final authority to determine the type, quantity, and location of excess military property that is made available for use by law enforcement activities. All property available to Law Enforcement through LESO is available to Law Enforcement on the open market.
DLA, specifically its DLA Disposition Services, has responsibility for Department of Defense property disposal. There are several stages in the property disposal process. Reutilization and transfer comprise the first stage. Reutilization involves the military services and other DoD components and organizations receiving access to the excess property either by public law or DoD policy-the Law Enforcement Support program is part of reutilization. Transfers occur when federal civilian agencies receive excess property.
The second stage is the donation stage, where the excess property that is determined to be surplus to the military’s needs is provided to organizations, such as state and local governments as well as homeless shelters, under the General Services Administration’s donation programs. The final stage consists of surplus property sales to the general public.
Law enforcement agencies use the equipment in a variety of ways. For instance, four-wheel drive vehicles are used during rescue missions, to interrupt drug harvesting, haul away debris, and as personnel carriers. The 1033 Program also helps with the agencies’ general equipment needs, such as file cabinets, blankets, and toolboxes that they need but perhaps are unable to afford. More than seventy percent (70%) of equipment through the program is DEMIL A which includes gym equipment, toilet paper, and first aid kits to name only a few of the DEMIL A items available. DEMIL A property saves California’s taxpayers millions of dollars annually.
For all LEAs to qualify for entry into the 1033 program, LEAs must meet all three of these basic criteria:
Is the agency’s primary function the enforcement of laws?
Are the agency’s officers properly compensated?
Do the agency’s officers have the powers of arrest and apprehension?
If the LEA meets all three prerequisites, they will need then:
Submit a Current Certification Packet available from the State Coordinator’s Office.
NOTE: The LESO Application packet will come from your State Coordinator’s Office. DLA Disposition Services LESO will only accept a packet from the State Coordinator’s Office. It is preferred that the LEA types the application rather than handwriting, to avoid errors. If you must handwrite the form, please use all capital letters and print neatly.
By forwarding the application to LESO, the State Coordinator asserts that the State LEA meets the definition and will abide by all terms of the DLA/State Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The LEA must submit the Application for Participation to the State Coordinator for their approval. Once the State Coordinator has signed the application, they will forward to LESO. If LESO approves the application for participation, the State LEA will then become an active member.
Once LESO validates the application and it is approved, they will notify the State Coordinator’s Office and issue the new agency a DODAAC. The approved application serves as the agency’s screening authority.
State Coordinator: Jodi Lopez Jodi.Lopez@caloes.ca.gov
State Point of Contact: Janice Barnes janice.barnes@caloes.ca.gov
Click here for more information on the LESO Program