By Jillian Fry, Benton Courier (Arkansas)
The Benton Police Department has joined local law enforcement units across the nation by donating its used equipment to Iraqi police.
Sgt. Lisa Wylie, Benton police spokeswoman, said when Chief Gary Sipes heard about the effort, he decided to donate the department’s old gear instead of disposing of it.
Patrol officer Brett Carpenter, who served as an Army reservist in Iraq from June 2003 to March, said the Iraqi police need the equipment. “They need all the help they can get,” he said.
Carpenter served time in Baghdad and Fallujah with the 489th Engineer Battalion training officers for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior. He said he specifically trained the officers to protect water resources.
The used equipment to be shipped to Iraq includes utility belts, holsters, handcuff cases, mace carriers, batons, baton holders, radio cases and handcuffs.
Sipes said that because the department recently upgraded its equipment, the used supplies were not needed by Benton police.
When the idea was brought to Sipes’ attention, he said, he thought: “What a great idea. Rather than disposing of it, we’ll send it to those who don’t have anything.”
Sipes said he saw from a Web site that Robert E. Parcell, a senior deputy with the Missoula County, Mont. Sheriff’s Department, was asking for donations of used police gear to send to Iraq.
Wylie said when Sipes learned of Parcell’s request, the chief immediately authorized sending the outdated and surplus equipment to Iraq.
Parcell, a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, has been selected to serve as the officer in charge of the replacement team for the police training section of the Iraqi Security Forces in the Marine Corps’ area of responsibility in Iraq.
In his request, Parcell said, big items such as vehicles, radios and weapons are being received, but that other necessities are lacking such as the gear Benton police are shipping.
Carpenter is one of six Benton officers who have served or are serving in Iraq. Nathan Rath, Jason New and Jody Morphew are serving now. Phillip Varnell and Brian Bigelow also have served.