San Diego Region Gets New Armored Vehicles
Posted on May 29, 2012 Written By: iadminlaw
There are two new armored vehicles in the San Diego region for the Escondido and Oceanside police departments. This purchase, an investment in the nation’s security, was made possible by a generous grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The vehicles will replace some older model SWAT vehicles improving the security of the people inside. They are safer and have already been put to use in both cities.
Police Lenco Bearcat CBRNE Armored Rescue Vehicle. Lietuvių: Šarvuotasis SWAT automobilis. Русский: Бронеавтомобиль SWAT. Бронированный автомобиль SWAT. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
San Diego County bought purchased both Lenco BearCat vehicles at a price of about $250,000 each. The characteristics of the vehicles closely resemble those used by the military. Each vehicle is capable of stopping small bombs, enduring mortar blasts and is impermeable to heavy riffle fire. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the federal government used similar vehicles to provide protection for personnel near military bases.
On April 17 both vehicles arrived from Massachusetts and were manufactured by Lenco Armored Vehicles. Official at Escondido and Oceanside have put the vehicles to use already, not even a two months since receiving them for high-risk situations. Escondido has used it four times and Oceanside has used it once.
Authorities are calling the vehicles a significant upgrade from the older SWAT models – calling the previous ones “hand me downs”. Almost every feature of these vehicles built on a Ford F-550 truck chassis is better from the practicality to the features.
The vehicle measures about 20 feet in length and weighs a little over nine tons, incredibly having the nimble capacity to make a U-turn using less space than a standard sedan and have a top speed of 85 mph. Since the vehicle is built on a truck chassis, there is no special training needed beyond having a regular driver’s license to operate the vehicle. It can be used as a heavy patrol car and hold up to ten people comfortably.
To address the populations concern over the vehicle having too much of a militaristic aesthetic it was not equipped with offensive capabilities such as guns or pepper-spray cannons. After taking a drive down public roads, most people on the road do not pay much attention to it which is good, because someone giving the vehicle too much attention can possibly get into a car accident.
In that case those people will have to deal with hospital bills, people who may have been injured, undergo the uncomfortable feeling of not having a vehicle and somehow getting compensation for what they need. They will need a San Diego car accident lawyer who has the experience necessary to win their case.
Police officials are saying that the vehicle is more a defensive tool offering security to those who need protection from threats. Similarly an experienced car accident lawyer can offer a victim of a car accident protection from the low compensation insurance companies want to offer.
With a vehicle this safe, San Diego police can concentrate on making better decisions when it comes to facing threats and ensuring the safety of those around them.
English: Leco Bearcat tactical vehicle used by the Lee County Sheriff's Office (Florida) SWAT team (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
