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bentley williams

Beach Fanatic
Feb 24, 2005
652
127
SoWal
So I guess if you get a million bucks in BP money you get to buy one of these???
I'm not sure if this is obscene or not but I sure don't want to hear them crying about not being able to afford cars.

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has a new ride and it can take a beating. The Sheriff’s Office purchased a military surplus Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected or MRAP. This is an armored fighting vehicle used by various armed forces, whose designed purpose is surviving improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. The Sheriff’s Office says the purchase will allow them to respond quicker and make it safer for both deputies and residents.

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The vehicle was purchased for $2,000.00 in October 2013. The retail price is in excess of more than $500,000. The Walton Sheriff’s Office says this armored MRAP vehicle gives them a unique capability to provide elevated ballistic protection for its deputies as well as increasing their ability to rescue citizens involved in a hostage barricade situation.


With the Walton Commissioners agreement to provide money for new vehicle purchases, the SO confirmed BP money was not used to buy the MRAP and the outfitting was done in house. The vehicle will be operational within a month.

Walton Sheriff Public Information Officer Catherine Rodriguez says she understands some residents are questioning this purchase feeling they should be able to call on other agencies from a state or federal level. She says it is the Sheriff and the Sheriff’s Office’s responsibility and not the state or federal government responsibility. She also says it is not practical for citizens to wait for an outside agency to respond. Rodriguez says that when a citizen of Walton County is in danger the response time is critical. She says it doesn't matter if there is one barricaded individual or 20, citizen’s safety is important.

Rodriguez says that having a tool of this caliber not only increases the safety of citizens but of the officers who have to respond. She says paying $2,000 is worth every cent if it saves someone's life. She also says this type of vehicle is not an uncommon purchase for local law enforcement agencies. At the end of last year, over 100 MRAPs were acquired by law enforcement agencies all over the country, with some of those going to municipalities in Florida
 

Lake View Too

SoWal Insider
Nov 16, 2008
6,862
8,298
Eastern Lake
Well, if they are only 2K, I want one too. I bet it's a chick magnet.
 

weeniedawg

Banned
Dec 18, 2010
36
6
Bruce
Boy, those high school and college kids really must be getting rowdy! When they see this thing patrolling the beaches it's time to hide the brew.
 

Leader of the Banned

Beach Fanatic
Apr 23, 2013
4,095
6,092
Does it come with a sunroof?
 

Leader of the Banned

Beach Fanatic
Apr 23, 2013
4,095
6,092
The wheels look like manhole covers.
 

agenthr

Beach Comber
Jul 11, 2013
22
10
ACLU does not like it, that's good enough reason to get another one!



FBI Mine Resistant Ambush vehicle.
United States Department of Homeland Security Rapid Response Teams have used MRAPs while assisting people affected by natural disasters such as hurricanes.[101][102] The Department of Homeland Security has also used MRAP-style vehicles while fighting illegal narcotics smuggling.[103] The Federal Bureau of Investigation used an MRAP-type vehicle in a kidnapping and hostage case in Midland, Alabama.[104]

Police departments inside the United States are acquiring MRAP vehicle through the 1033 program, which allows the Defense Department to redistribute equipment it no longer needs to state and municipal agencies. Rather than buying a new vehicle, which would cost $535,000-$600,000 to produce, some police departments like the Ohio State University Police Department have picked up surplus MRAPs from the Pentagon for free. By October 2013, nearly dozen departments in several states had acquired the armored vehicles. Domestic agencies plan to use them in disaster relief roles, as they can go through flooded areas unlike normal police armored vehicles, and to respond to terrorist threats, like playing a role in guarding sports stadiums. MRAPs used by police forces have the machine gun turret removed and are repainted from their original flat desert tan to black. Organizations have become critical about police use of military vehicles and worried about police militarization. Proponents of the domestic acquisitions say they fill the same role as the standard police Lenco BearCat armored vehicles which cost $200,000, while the MRAPs can be received for free.[105]

In early October 2013, the Northwest Regional SWAT team in Indiana received a BAE Caiman 6x6 MRAP. The armored vehicle will primarily be used for rescue situations. In a situation with a gunman, it could be put in between them and personnel. In a natural disaster situation like a flood or blizzard, the Caiman could drive through feet of water or snow and possibly rescue people trapped in their homes. The Caiman normally costs $412,000, but was obtained for no cost through a federal program to give surplus military equipment to law enforcement agencies. Northwest Regional SWAT was on a waiting list for over a year for a vehicle before receiving the Caiman.[106]

Since becoming available in the summer of 2013, 165 MRAP vehicles had been acquired by police and sheriff’s departments. The American Civil Liberties Union has concerns of "increasing militarization of the nation’s police," and that the military hardware could escalate violent situations. Many vehicles have been obtained by rural police with few officers or crime. Police have rejected the notion of militarization and maintain that an MRAP would be an addition to their inventory to be prepared for any situation, with the main purpose of protecting occupants. Police in Boise, Idaho used their vehicles to serve a warrant to a suspect that was thought to be armed, and was found with two guns and 100 lb (45 kg) of explosive material. One was placed in front of officers to protect from a possible explosion. The Albany County Sheriff's Department has received an MRAP, which will be used alongside military surplus Humvees that have already been used for storm evacuations and to pull downed trees. About 150 other surplus vehicles, including Humvees, are in use by police departments in situations that the MRAPs could be used in. 731 more MRAPs are requested for domestic use. Though the vehicles are obtained for free, they have drawbacks for law enforcement. Some types weigh as much as 18 tons, which limits mobility on certain bridges, roads, and uneven ground. Fuel efficiency can be as little as 5 miles per gallon. Refitting a vehicle with a closed turret, black paint, new seating, loudspeakers, and emergency lights can cost around $70,000.[107]

The Defense Logistics Agency is in charge of off-loading 13,000 MRAPs to 780 domestic law enforcement agencies on waiting lists for vehicles. The DLA does not transfer property to the agencies, so the vehicles are allocated to the agencies with costs picked up by them or the state, while the vehicles still remain property of the Defense Department. To receive an armored vehicle, a requesting agency has to meet certain criteria including justification for use like for shooting incidents, SWAT operations, and drug interdiction, geographical area and multi-jurisdiction use, ability to pay for repairs and maintenance, and security and restricted access to the vehicle. The goal is to keep citizens in their jurisdiction safe from terrorist and criminal drug activity.[108]
 

Lake View Too

SoWal Insider
Nov 16, 2008
6,862
8,298
Eastern Lake
It will really come in handy when Seaside decides to crack down on beach chair poachers.
 
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