DHS: conspiracy theories about DHS purchases unequivocally false
“However, combined with leaked, secret Justice Department memos that authorize the killing of Americans without due process, and other unusual developments, it would seem that the government is preparing for something that we, the people, are as of yet unaware.”
DHS’s Lee confirmed the departmental solicitation for the ammunition, but insisted that the actual purchase will be considerably lower than 1.6 billion rounds – that figure is only the ceiling — and that the size of the solicitation was not unusual for the agency.
Such solicitation contracts usually request information about large quantities in order to secure good prices on bulk purchases. A documentreleased last year — a 13 November 2012 response to a request for information by Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okahoma) — shows that between 2010 and 2012 DHS purchased between100 million and 150 million rounds of ammunition annually. The totals spent for the purchases were between $36 million and $48 million per year, in line with the $37.3 million DHS budgeted for fiscal year 2013 ammunition acquisitions.
“One solicitation under Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) has a contract ceiling of UP TO 750 million rounds of training ammunition, a maximum quantity allowing FLETC flexibility over the next 5 years for training of over 90 federal agencies,” Lee wrote. “A separate 5-year department wide contract allows the purchase of UP TO 450 million rounds of duty ammunition for our law enforcement officers and agents.”
Those who suspect DHS’s motives and plans also question why DHS would issue solicitations for 111 Centurion CPX2500 Soft Shell Riot Control System upper-body and shoulder protection; 123 Centurion TPX200 thigh/groin protection systems; 110 Hatch TS70 Centurion hard-shell shin guards; 189 MaxPro-Police riot helmets; and 100 Tac 700 pepper-ball launchers along with tens of thousands of pepper-spray-filled projectiles. InfoWars was quick to write that, “Whether the DHS is preparing for riots targeting government buildings remains to be seen, but this will do little to dampen concerns that big government is arming itself to the teeth while Americans are being lectured about relinquishing their Second Amendment rights.”
DHS adamantly rejects such assertions as baseless fear mongering.
“The reports about the Department of Homeland Security preparing for any extraordinary situation or domestic unrest are unequivocally false. DHS’ Federal Protective Service routinely purchases equipment for training purposes,” Lee wrote. “This routine acquisition contract, through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will provide essential training equipment for FPS federal law enforcement officers who are charged with protecting more than 9,000 federal buildings and 1.4 million federal employees and visitors who occupy them throughout the country every day.”
