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Bullet Buster
Lodi police have eyes set on a new heavy-duty armored truck; they may get it if federal funding is approved
If the wishes of Lodi police officials come true, the department could get an armored, blast-proof vehicle to share with other county agencies, paid for with federal money.
That wish is a long way from coming to fruition, though, because funding for the $250,000 vehicle must go through both Congressional houses and then be signed by the president.
The BearCat Rescue Vehicle, made by Massachusetts-based Lenco Industries Inc., weighs about 15,000 pounds, can maintain speeds of 85 mph and comes with heavy-duty armor plating. It includes a rotating roof hatch, gun ports and can withstand large-caliber gunfire as well as blasts and chemical releases.
In the city's annual request for federal funding, Lodi officials asked Rep. Jerry McNerney, the area's Congressman, to include the BearCat on his wish list.
McNerney will submit the request, along with others from cities and counties in his jurisdiction, to an appropriations committee, said his spokesman, Andy Stone.
"Money is tight, there's no question about that, but the congressman thinks it's an important issue and he will push for funding for it," Stone said.
The request was the brainchild of Lt. Chris Piombo, who commands Lodi's SWAT team and recently organized a large-scale training for active shooter situations. While Lodi does have an armored car already, the department is looking for an upgrade.
In his request to McNerney, Piombo cited half a dozen recent mass shootings, including those at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, as well as shopping mall shootings.
The purpose of such a vehicle, Piombo wrote, is twofold — to transport officers directly into a situation without putting them in jeopardy, and to be able to rescue victims.
"Suspects are arming themselves at an alarming rate and the variety of high-powered weapons they have access to is disturbing," he wrote.
Nearly all police vehicles do not stop high-powered ammunition, but the BearCat is so heavy-duty that it's used in Iraq. BearCat is short for "Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck" and the vehicle is built on the chassis and drive train of a Ford truck, meaning that it can be serviced at local dealers.
Lenco Industries, Inc. was established in 1981 and is based in Massachusetts. The privately owned company has made more than 4,000 armored vehicles that are used in more than 30 countries, according to the company's Web site.
Lenco makes vehicles that the U.S. government uses in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also supplies the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Energy and FBI.
Lenco's site, armoredtrucks.com, says the BearCat vehicles are made of hardened steel armor plate and multi-hit ballistic glass. The vehicles include blast fragmentation resistant floors, specially designed gun ports, roof hatches with rotating turrets, gun mount platforms and gear storage.
— Source: Lenco
Lenco makes vehicles that the U.S. government uses in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also supplies the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Energy and FBI.
Lenco's site, armoredtrucks.com, says the BearCat vehicles are made of hardened steel armor plate and multi-hit ballistic glass. The vehicles include blast fragmentation resistant floors, specially designed gun ports, roof hatches with rotating turrets, gun mount platforms and gear storage.
— Source: Lenco
A number of police agencies are buying BearCats, ranging from Western Australia to Modesto.
It was Modesto's BearCat that was put into use in January 2005, after a man opened fire on Ceres police with an AK-47 assault rifle, according to Piombo. The suspect fled after killing one officer and critically injuring a second. Officers in the armored BearCat were able to get close to the suspect without drawing risk to themselves, and the man was ultimately shot and killed by police.
If Lodi gets a BearCat, it will be available to other agencies in the county, interim Police Chief David Main said. He acknowledged that people with heavy-duty weapons are not known for walking down Lodi streets, and said that if the funding does not come through, Lodi will still be OK.
"(Piombo is) just trying to look in the future," Main said. "There are more and more of these types of incidents occurring in the United States; we should be looking ahead."
As for the probability of getting the funding, that's unknown. McNerney's entire request package will go to the appropriations committee within a couple months, and from there it will go to the House of Representatives, Stone said.
Funding requests must clear the House as well as the Senate, and then they are sent as a bill to the president for signature. The funding request is for the fiscal year beginning in October 2009, so officials should know by then whether a BearCat is coming to Lodi.
Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.
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Reader Feedback
the truth wrote on Mar 21, 2008 3:25 AM:
madman wrote on Mar 16, 2008 6:44 PM:
Maybe a course in "ASSUME EVERY GUN IS LOADED" would be more beneficial and a better investment of our tax dollars. "
sam wrote on Mar 16, 2008 6:39 PM:
I also think, IMHO, a better defense against school shooters would be to enclose campuses and have each entrance have reliable metal detectors. I would pay for that.
As for a Mall shooting, we do not have one yet, unless you consider Lakewood mall. "
WY wrote on Mar 16, 2008 9:50 AM:
ihatebloggers wrote on Mar 16, 2008 9:30 AM:
WY wrote on Mar 15, 2008 10:04 PM:
"
ihatebloggers wrote on Mar 15, 2008 5:39 PM:
WY wrote on Mar 15, 2008 12:32 PM:
"
Paladin wrote on Mar 15, 2008 11:49 AM:
WY wrote on Mar 15, 2008 8:53 AM:
WY wrote on Mar 15, 2008 8:48 AM:
WY wrote on Mar 15, 2008 8:40 AM:
How bout you explain what you mean. instead of go "blah blah". Is this for OUR streets or you just need to spend the bond money? cuz it looks like something for Iraq not here. "
ihatebloggers wrote on Mar 14, 2008 11:50 PM:
Paladin wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:57 PM:
WY wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:52 PM:
Bam Zzeet! Now he's up on the roof and falls off. No flying monkey can catch that Faux Pa. "
WY wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:50 PM:
WY wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:49 PM:
Paladin wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:44 PM:
T & C wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:11 PM:
T & C wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:09 PM:
s & W 500 wrote on Mar 14, 2008 7:56 PM:
Deal with meth, lock em up! I personally have given LPD intelligence, they have NEVER FOLLOWED UP! I OFFERED TO GIVE THEM A KEY TO MY HOME TO WATCH DEALERS< NO FOLLOW UP! nice PROMOTION PRICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
Whoa Nellie! wrote on Mar 14, 2008 7:29 PM:
girard74 wrote on Mar 14, 2008 4:45 PM:
Oh, that changes things - I missed this part my first time through.
Yeah, this'll save a lot of money. Oil changes and tires will cost about the same as it would for an Explorer. Yeah, right!
Surely they're not suggesting that a 'stock' chassis would be adequate to support a multi-thousand pound body? I'm no mechanic, but I really don't think this thing will be driven into Geweke Ford for tune-ups!
Thankfully, this won't ever happen. "
wtf wrote on Mar 14, 2008 4:13 PM:
In more ways than one. Not only would the vehicle itself cost a small fortune; but what about fuel costs? "Heavily armed" vehicles suck up a lot of fuel. "
girard74 wrote on Mar 14, 2008 3:54 PM:
No, it's not a toy - it's a boondoggle!
Okay, using your logic, let's suggest that we purchase an attack helicopter for say, $1 million. Would that purchase, having saved one life, been worth the investment? All lives are 'invaluable.' Once could justify spending $1 billion on something to save one life.
I would counter by stating that perhaps New York or L.A. would benefit from such a weapon. Lodi's 101-year history doesn't come close to showing a need for this thing. "
wtf wrote on Mar 14, 2008 3:45 PM:
Then there's the question of if it would be used in a case like this:
SWAT teams disperse crowd of hundreds awaiting housing applications
"We're all working people and we're all bitter right now," said Deborah Davis, 37. "To be turned away like this hurts. They should have anticipated having a large crowd."
http://www.examiner.com/a-1274730~SWAT_teams_disperse_crowd_of_hundreds_awaiting_housing_applications.html
"
Paladin wrote on Mar 14, 2008 3:09 PM:
If this vehicle saves just one life--would you still say it's a toy? If it saves one of your kids in an evacuation from a school shooting, wouldn't you be greateful your PD had the foresight to procure one?
"
sam wrote on Mar 14, 2008 1:53 PM:
sam wrote on Mar 14, 2008 1:52 PM:
girard74 wrote on Mar 14, 2008 12:56 PM:
I say don't wait for Congress or Presidential approval. We NEED it now!!! Write the check. The City Council will just have to forego their raises. "
OTH wrote on Mar 14, 2008 11:46 AM:
Number two. If these other cities our going to use it why don't they help pay for it?
jnnym perharps if we had a few more policeman on the streets it would make a difference. "
sam wrote on Mar 14, 2008 11:31 AM:
The cops are going to have a shoot out with the gangs while they are inside this vehicle?
"
jnnym wrote on Mar 14, 2008 10:44 AM:
Lodian wrote on Mar 14, 2008 10:31 AM:
"
wtf wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:50 AM:
My thoughts exactly. Though you have to admit, the pic in the article looks pretty cool. Still.....driving down the street in Lodi?
I don't think so. "
sam wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:39 AM:
concerned citizen wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:35 AM:
wtf wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:31 AM:
Seriously, though, one of the best ways to prevent crime is a well-armed citizenry. I've seen several studies that have shown that, as the guns of law-abiding citizens were grabbed, the crime rate went up.
After all, the crooks know you're an easy target; especially in "gun free" zones that advertise this fact such as some of the more recent atrocities.
MSM doesn't report when armed citizens have reduced the number of deaths in similar situations. "
boonablis wrote on Mar 14, 2008 9:18 AM:
WY wrote on Mar 14, 2008 8:38 AM:
WY wrote on Mar 14, 2008 8:34 AM:
Was that on LAUGH IN?
If it's for surrounding areas too , then let them buy it and lets ask if we can barrorow it on Thursdays and Saturdays.
It looks very cool though. Woo hooo "
WY wrote on Mar 14, 2008 8:28 AM:
You know what the girls say about guys and there fancy cars right???? They trying to make up for their lack there of. (gigglling about the inky dink to the point of needeing depends)Bahahahaha! NO I'm busting up.
What... are we in Iraq? "
GetUrHeadOut wrote on Mar 14, 2008 8:28 AM:
007Jack wrote on Mar 14, 2008 8:20 AM:
Go Flames wrote on Mar 14, 2008 8:10 AM:
concerned citizen wrote on Mar 14, 2008 7:53 AM:
AKM wrote on Mar 14, 2008 7:20 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.