Law enforcement agencies across Tennessee face a major weapons recall.
The Department of Defense has sent a memo ordering agencies to return certain surplus military equipment deemed inappropriate for local law enforcement.
The memo requires departments to return all bayonets, M-79 grenade launchers and tracked armored vehicles, like tanks, that were obtained through the federal military surplus program.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates learned that four Tennessee law enforcement agencies must now return the bayonets they recently ordered through the program.
"They have to return the equipment," said David Roberson with the Tennessee Department of General Services which oversees the military surplus program in Tennessee.
"There aren't any exemptions being granted. An executive order has been issued."
Five Tennessee law enforcement agencies must return grenade launchers that they received.
And 11 departments must return tracked armored vehicles.
Concern about the military surplus program rose after people witnessed the police response to protestors in Ferguson, Missouri.
President Obama issued an Executive Order limiting the program and ordering this recall.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates discovered many Tennessee departments have used the surplus program to order military equipment used to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The departments obtain the equipment at little or no cost but must pay for transportation and maintenance.
Our investigation discovered that the Tennessee Highway Patrol ordered 135 bayonets in 2009 from the military surplus program.
The head of the THP, Col. Tracy Trott, told us last year that his department was getting out of the program and said it had no use for the bayonets.
"They were getting all this junk," Trott said. "Tents, bayonets that I can't see any reasonable need for it."
The recall does not include mine-resistant vehicles -- used overseas to protect soldiers from roadside bombs.
Lebanon Public Safety was one of several local departments to get one of the vehicles.
"The situations we would use this vehicle in is hostage negotiations," said Mike Justice with Lebanon Public Safety.
All departments must return the items by April of next year.
