Orlando police shopping for new $230,000 armored vehicle

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While some law enforcement agencies are snatching up free military surplus vehicles, Orlando police plan to spend $230,000 for a new armored personnel carrier for the department's SWAT unit.

It's not the Orlando Police Department's first armored vehicle — it already has three. But the new one will replace an 8-year-old model, and the city's original one is an older piece of military surplus that hasn't been used in years.

The new Lenco BearCat is the same model used by police in Ferguson, Mo., that sparked concerns about the increasing militarization of local law enforcement agencies across the United States. But Orlando Chief John Mina said the SWAT vehicle is meant to safeguard officers — not put down civilian uprisings.

"It's not a tank with a weapon mounted on it," Mina said. "It's simply to transport officers and protect them from being shot."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-orlando-police-armored-car-20140905,0,2285721.story