Pubdate: Sat, 10 Dec 2005
Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH)
Copyright: 2005 The Columbus Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.dispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/93
Author: James Nash, The Columbus Dispatch
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

TWO MILITARY-TYPE ARMORED VEHICLES ON PATROL'S WISH LIST

Responses to Riots, Terrorism, Crime Among Possible Uses

The State Highway Patrol has three helicopters, 12 airplanes, a mobile
command post and 1,200 cruisers in its fleet.

But the agency that patrols Ohio roadways lacks a military grade
vehicle that can resist a grenade blast, evacuate 25 people at once
and detect radiation.

Soon, the patrol might have two.

On Monday, the state Controlling Board will consider an unbid contract
with Lenco Industries Inc., of Massachusetts, for a pair of the
Ballistic Engineered Armored Response & Rescue vehicles at $341,519
each.

The 15-ton armored vehicles can swoop into hostage situations, riots,
terrorist incidents or other special situations.

Patrol officials say the changing nature of law enforcement,
particularly concern about terrorism, justifies the purchase.

The money will come from a $1.2 million fund consisting of money and
property seized during drug investigations, the patrol said.

Several local police and sheriff's departments in Ohio have bought
armored vehicles in recent years, including the sheriff's offices in
Delaware and Franklin counties and the Columbus Division of Police.
Most have opted for the BEAR's lighter and cheaper cousin, the
BearCat, which retails for about $187,000.

The Highway Patrol needs the big BEAR for specialized incidents such
as the I-270 serial shooter case, civil disturbances in Cincinnati and
Toledo, events such as the International Children's Games, and
large-scale drug operations, patrol officials said.

"This would be a very good addition to the entire state, not just our
fleet," said Sgt. Tony Bradshaw, a patrol spokesman. "These are
quick-to-deploy vehicles that can get to a scene very quickly, and
they're very versatile."

Officials from both the Highway Patrol and Lenco were tight-lipped
about the specific features of the BEAR, saying that too much
information about the vehicles could jeopardize homeland security. A
Lenco invoice to the patrol noted that the vehicles include radiation
detectors, an intercom system, a thermal image and color camera, and
six tires that can be used even when flat.

In a letter to the patrol, Lenco director of government sales Jim
Massery wrote that several branches of the military are using BEARs in
the war on terrorism.

Reached by phone, Massery declined to say much about the
vehicles.

"It's the No. 1 police-rescue vehicle in the United States, and some
of the largest police agencies in the country use it," he said.

Those agencies include the Oregon State Police and police departments
in Cincinnati, Los Angeles and Atlanta.

In Ohio, the armored vehicles would have come in handy in 12 incidents
this year, notably the October riots in Toledo, Bradshaw said.
Although the patrol focuses on traffic enforcement, the BEAR vehicles
would be deployed in cities and areas across the state in conjunction
with local police, he said.

The two vehicles likely will be housed in northwestern and
southeastern Ohio, the two parts of the state where no local police
agencies already have them or similar models, Bradshaw said.

Although many specialized vehicles purchased since the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attack are much pricier than standard police vehicles,
they're generally good investments, said David Katz, president of the
risk-management consultant Global Security Group in New York.

"How often are you going to respond with a vehicle like that?" Katz
asked of the BEAR. "Probably not very often, but if you do need it,
there's no alternative."

Jim Roberts, executive director of the Ohio State Troopers
Association, said the patrol has done well in giving troopers the
latest crime-fighting and counter-terrorism tools.

"Money's tight and there's a lot of things that we would like to have
that we don't have, but everything helps," Roberts said. "The purchase
of these (BEARs) was really kind of mandatory." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake