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9 Investigates: Some law enforcement agencies banned from military surplus program

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Channel 9 learned several law enforcement agencies in central Florida are banned from receiving surplus military equipment after losing two M-16 rifles.

The federal government will hand over just about anything the military doesn’t need, but at least two local agencies lost machine guns and can’t get any more equipment.

The Daytona Beach Police Department lost an M-16 assault rifle, and one was stolen from a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer’s home, according to reports.

Daytona Beach police said they noticed the weapon was missing and reported the missing gun to federal officials.

As a result, the department was banned from receiving military surplus, a decision they are appealing.

The weapon that was stolen from an FWC’s officer’s home was recovered but the agency is still banned from receiving military equipment.

The Volusia County Beach Safety Division is on the banned list too, but nobody from the department would say why or what might have been lost.

One hundred and forty-five agencies nationwide are currently suspended from the military surplus program.

The most common reason for an agency’s ban is a lost weapon.