The new plan would allow some of the military’s surplus equipment, including armored vehicles and large-caliber weapons, to be acquired local police departments.
The move by Donald Trump to toughen up law enforcement would repeal former-President Obama’s executive order, which was put into place after armoured vehicles and heavily armed policeman clashed with black lives matters protestors during the 2014 civil unrest in Ferguson.
After enacting the ban in 2015, President Obama claimed the use of military equipment made officers look like an “occupying force”.
He said: “We’ve seen how militarised gear can sometimes give people a feeling like they’re an occupying force, as opposed to a force that’s part of the community that’s protecting them and serving them,”
But law enforcement groups have pushed heavily against Obama’s ban, claiming military equipment provides much needed resources for cash strapped police forces.
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Plans seen by USA today claim the Trump Administration’s plan would restore “the full scope of a longstanding program for recycling surplus, lifesaving gear from the Department of Defence, along with restoring the full scope of grants used to purchase this type of equipment from other sources.”
“Assets that would otherwise be scrapped can be re-purposed to help state, local and tribal law enforcement better protect public safety and reduce crime.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is set to address the annual meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police later today, where he may outline the policy shift.
The plans go on to claim “much of the equipment provided through the 1033 program is entirely defensive in nature… that protect officers in active shooter scenarios and other dangerous situations,”
A representative for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It comes after Trump faced criticism for granting a pardon to former Arizona sheriff and political ally Joe Arpaio.
The self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff in America,” was convicted of criminal contempt less than a month ago in a case involving his department’s racial profiling policy.
Trump signalled earlier this week that the first presidential pardon of his administration would go to the 85-year-old sheriff.
The President has frequently praised Mr Arpaio for his hardline stance on immigration – and for investigating the Republican’s unproven claim former President Barack Obama was not a US citizen.
But civil rights advocates have hit out at Trump’s decision as an endorsement of racist and unlawful immigration prevention practices – including the ‘tent city’ jail set up by Mr Arpaio which was likened by experts to a “21st century concentration camp”.