Tanks for Chico Police?

by Jack

Local law enforcement wants to spend $230k (plus) from a Homeland Security grant to buy an [armored] vehicle with a battering ram! I’m all for giving the police the tools they need, but I dunno about this one folks. My past experience says there are very, very few situations which would require a tank-like vehicle with a gun turret and a battering ram. The police agencies that thought it would be great to have a monster vehicle like this and bought one – eventually got rid of them. Turns out they were too expensive to maintain and there were too few opportunities to use one.

(Chinese version shown left sells for less than $60k) I realize that over the past 30 years there has been a growing tendency to militarize law enforcement in order to match the increased threats that come almost exclusively from big-time drug dealers. These creeps had the cash to buy weapons, warning devices, surveillance equipment, security doors, etc. More than once the police found themselves outgunned because these crooks had better equipment and a bigger budget. When that happened cops might wish they had a tank to bust down the doors and kick butt – but, in all seriousness that’s not practical 99% of the time. Look how well that armor worked at Waco with the Branch Dividians.

The answer to heavily armed persons has been to use S.W.A.T. that would mean

special weapons and tactics, er, uh, not tanks. These police teams have state of the art weapons and good body armor and that has worked out pretty well so far. But, no matter how they arrive at the scene, police car, taxi or tank, eventually the police must make arrests the old fashion way, and that’s up close and personal. However, all that being said, if local law enforcement is absolutely determined to have an armored vehicle, why do they have to spend so much money to get one? Armored vehicles are readily available on the surplus market in new to near new condition from a variety of sources starting much less than $230,000! For example an FV432 is a tracked armored vehicle with rubber pads for paved roads, It’s made in England and can carry a squad of soldiers. Parts are readily available. Price is around $9000 at surplus auctions.

A new Russian OT64 (see top photo), can be purchased as surplus for under $20k. It’s amphibious, has a sealed air system, run flat tires, diesel TATRA engine, one of the best made and they’re extremely reliable and the parts are available. This is a virtually as new vehicle for under $20,000! Why spend $250,000 and get less?

These military vehicles meet or exceed the criteria for local law enforcement’s needs. Currently our military does not sell armored vehicles to state, county or cities. Our expensive, high quality, surplus armored vehicles are currently only used as range targets or they are cut up and scrapped for pennies on the dollar. An armored Humvee would be ideal, even has the turret they want, but you can’t get them…well, not at this time anyway. However, the armored vehicles from most other nations’ is available, and at a fraction of the cost of what is being proposed. (The tan vehicle is the kind of beast we would get for around $250k)

This is why I say, if they just have to buy one, then I think it’s better to spend $15k-20k on a high quality ex-military vehicle that would likely exceed the specs of this civilian version that’s being proposed.