The governors of Iowa and Nebraska announced last week interagency initiatives to donate police protective gear, including military-grade equipment such as helmets and vests, to Ukraine to help civilians defend themselves against Russia's invasion.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said his state will send 550 pieces of protective gear and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said her state's department of public safety and 18 law enforcement agencies will provide Ukraine with 860 pieces of gear.
It's unprecedented, experts say, for U.S. law enforcement agencies to donate police protective equipment and military-grade gear to a foreign country. The effort also raises questions about the roles of police departments and whether, as domestic law enforcement agencies, they should send equipment to a foreign conflict outside of their jurisdiction.
In accordance with the UACC's export license, the equipment can only be provided to Ukrainian civilians who have joined territorial defense units to defend their country against Russian troops, according to Mick Safron, an executive member of the board of UACC. A spokesperson for the Department of Commerce told CNN in a statement that it does not "comment on specific license applications or parties, including whether a party has filed a license application."
The State Department is advising groups involved in the donations to consult with the Ukrainian government, "to confirm the items will meet an immediate requirement," a department spokesperson told CNN. "After that, items must first be assessed to determine how they are controlled for purposes of export ... prospective donors must follow necessary export licensing rules before sending.
"What gives them the authority to do that? The short answer is nothing," Cook added. "But do we have a mechanism? I don't think we do -- to say before a local police department can do such a thing, they have to clear with DOD or state."