Long Island's Suffolk County Police Pull Out the Humvees for Blizzards

There's a snowstorm blasting the Northeast right now—which means it's a day where police departments in the area are likely grateful for the Department of Defense's 1033 Program. which provides law enforcement with military surplus equipment for little or no money. In the case of New York's Suffolk County Sheriff's Office and Suffolk County Police Department, that means breaking out the Humvees to respond to local emergencies like alarms, medical problems, and recovery efforts in the nasty weather. 

The fleet of Humvees is perfect for conditions where traditional police cars fear to tread 

Between hurricanes and blizzards, Long Island often takes the brunt of the Northeast’s heavy weather. Emergency services don’t get a day off, so a fleet of decommissioned military vehicles is the best option. That's where Suffolk County's fleet of military surplus off-roaders comes in. The county police department has 14 Humvees and three five-ton trucks, according to its Facebook page, all of which are designed for search-and-rescue missions and other situations where traditional first responder vehicles would have difficulty. And the Suffolk County sheriff has them, too.