June 16, 2009 Gov. Patrick ends assault weapons program Play video

(NECN: Kenneth Craig) - The state has suspended a program that distributes high-powered, military weapons to local police Departments.

The program had been criticized for which towns were getting those weapons, and what those weapons were.

Responding to strong concern over a 15 year-old weapons programs in the bay state that supplies local police agencies with military weapon leftovers. The governor Tuesday says he's putting the program on hold.

This after the Boston Globe reported that eighty-two police agencies across the state have more than one-thousand military grade weapons on hand combined.

It's a question that's come into full focus as state officials review a program that's raised concern over how necessary the high powered weapons are on the local level.

Former Connecticut state trooper Bill McCarthy now teachers criminal justice at Becker College and Quinsigamond Community College.

He says then need for the weapons are highlighted in tragedies like Columbine and the North Hollywood shootout where he says officers were unprepared.

It's why some departments have beefed up their cache with automatic and semiautomatic machine guns and in some areas even grenade launchers.

In Worcester, police say although they've never had to use the weapons - they have over 70 of the military weapons at their disposal and have had them for nearly ten years.

By comparison - West Springfield, Massachusetts has two grenade

They're numbers the governor is keeping a close eye on as the state takes a closer look at the way the program is operated.