CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Ferguson, Missouri Situation

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We're joined now by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.

Congressman, first, thanks for joining us. And, first, just tell us your reaction to what you heard there.

REP. EMANUEL CLEAVER (D), MISSOURI: Well, I was mayor of Kansas City, I was the head, the president of the police board at one point.

Most police officers are good and decent people, the overwhelming majority of them. We shouldn't be completely surprised to know that they are infiltrated, like all other professions, with some people who frankly are sick.

I mean, listening to this officer, a lot of people might feel anger. I felt pity because I think he's a sick person. It is also foolish for us to believe that there are not others who think that way. I'm pretty sure there are. And it's going to be the responsibility of people like the chief there to get rid of those people as quickly as they can.

KEILAR: It only takes just one person who feels that way.

I also want to talk to you about an issue that is very important to you, a lot of military equipment that has been going from the Defense Department to police departments across the country. You actually met with Defense Secretary Hagel yesterday to talk about this.

What changes specifically are you hoping that the Pentagon will make?

CLEAVER: Well, we had a good meeting yesterday with Secretary Hagel. He understands the problem. He's been in the Senate. He actually voted on what's called the 1033 program, the excess property program, where police are able to get through an application process, excess military equipment, most of which was left over from Iraq.

The program actually started when the military gave major cities equipment in the drug war, which was appropriate at the time. And then after 9/11, it exploded. We started giving equipment all over everywhere to everybody. In fact, 8,000 agencies have received military equipment.

And so I asked the secretary, along with Congressman Lacy Clay, if they would, you know, do a study, review of what that program is all about because there are some communities that can't afford the training.

It makes no sense to give an MRAP to a community that can barely afford to make police payroll. And so we don't think the program needs to be discontinued all together. But there are some communities that just shouldn't get that equipment.

KEILAR: Is that what -- do you think that some of it, aside from just getting the equipment, I mean, for instance, I think of something like a Newtown or a Columbine and there being certain situations where some of these equipment in an active shooting could be necessary, even if it's in a small town.

But do you think part of it has to do with also how it's deployed?

I mean, the officers there in Ferguson didn't necessarily need to use these military resources the way they should have and the way that so many law enforcement experts have said was really inappropriate.

Should they just be deployed differently?

CLEAVER: Well, Ferguson has a few Humvees. The St. Louis County police were given even more sophisticated weaponry. And most Americans, we've found out since this tragedy started in Ferguson, are completely opposed to seeing heavy military equipment rolling down the main streets of their cities and towns.

Republicans, Democrats, Tea Party, Libertarians are all saying something is wrong with this program. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, the major centers of commerce in our country probably do need that kind of equipment.

But if a community doesn't -- small communities are struggling as it is. Many communities cannot afford to train the officers. They shouldn't have the equipment.

And the other thing that I think that is really troublesome is that because of the requirements you have to use the equipment, people are figuring out ways in which they can justify keeping the equipment by using it.

And so in that way you're going to have cities trying to roll out that equipment at every opportunity; you know, if you have a hammer, everything is a nail.

So we've got to try to figure out how to reform that program. And frankly, Secretary Hagel understands that. So he is in communication with the president. We hope to hear something soon, that that will in fact reform the program and bring it in line with the things that are American. And that is not the things that happen in Tiananmen Square.

KEILAR: We will be watching to hear what the result of that is. As we know, you will be as well.

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, thank you.

CLEAVER: Thank you. Thanks for being with you.

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