A recent request by Henderson Police Department Chief Billy Bolin for a heavily-armored vehicle could get funded quickly—possibly this year.
At the Henderson City Commission’s Tuesday work session, Bolin made a down-the-road request for a Lenco Bearcat, a vehicle that is used in nearly every SWAT operation in the nation.
The chief said his department needs the vehicle, especially currently when more people have access to and use high-powered rifles that have the capability for its bullets to pierce through normal vehicles.
The work session’s agenda centered around mid-year budgeting, and in the course of the discussions, it was determined that mid-year revenues minus budget amendments could leave $200,000 available.
Mayor Brad Staton said he wanted to get the vehicle for HPD officers’ safety and asked Finance Director Chelsea Mills to determine if there was money available to make it happen. There was discussion about the possibility of a public-private partnership to fund the vehicle.
A YouTube video forwarded by Bolin to the Hendersonian shows that the pricetag is $337,000 for a Bearcat. Bolin said it takes between 12-14 months for the company to build each vehicle.
The vehicle would be used by HPD’s Emergency Response Team, a group of eight officers that responds to standoff situations when shots have been fired or have been threatened to be fired. According to Bolin, the team lead of the ERT, Sgt. James Jarboe, estimates his team would use the Bearcat 12 times a year.
Bolin said at virtually all standoff situations involving sizable cities a Bearcat will be at the scene. The Evansville Police Department has one, and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office also has one, he said.
HPD’s ERT “does not currently have an armored vehicle” of any sort, Bolin said.
He said it’s a vehicle that won’t be needed every day but is needed “in these life and death situations.”
The bearcat is built with half-inch armor that can withstand shots from high-powered rifles. The vehicle is four-wheel drive and has the option to include a battering ram, among many other options.
