The White House on Monday defended federal programs that equip local police departments with military gear but called for new standards to guide them, amid criticism that the programs “militarize’’ the police and added to tensions during the protests in Ferguson, Mo. President Barack Obama said his administration would develop new rules for the programs, adding that more transparency and consistency is needed to ensure that police use the equipment safely. The president, though, isn’t seeking to scale back the programs, and senior administration officials said the focus was on improving oversight. “We found that in many cases these programs actually serve a very useful purpose,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. Read more http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-to-focus-on-ferguson-protests-in-monday-meetings-1417446423
