Police 'Tank' Purchase Riles New Hampshire Town

[Reca]

We're going to have our own tank." Keene, N.H., Mayor Kendall Lane whispered to Councilman Mitch Greenwood during a December city council meeting.
It's not quite a tank. But the quaint town of 23,000 -- scene of just two murders since 1999 -- had just accepted a $285,933 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to purchase a Bearcat, an eight-ton armored personnel vehicle made by Lenco Industries Inc.
But those plans are on hold for now, thanks to a backlash from feisty residents. Resistance began with Mike Clark, a 27-year-old handyman. Clark, who said he's had a couple encounters with Keene police and currently faces a charge of criminal mischief, read about the Homeland Security grant in the newspaper. "The police are already pretty brutal," Clark said, claiming he was roughed up in both his encounters with local police. "The last thing they need is this big piece of military equipment to make them think they're soldiers."
Clark's father, Terry Clark, is on the Keene City Council, and so far the only council member to publicly oppose the Bearcat. But Mike Clark said he knows how the council works. "They can pass these things without any public discussion," Clark said. "And you don't hear about them until they've already passed. But if you collect enough signatures, you can force them to reconsider the motion." Clark did just that, collecting more than 500 signatures opposing the Bearcat.
More than 100 people packed a Feb. 9 meeting of a city council committee, nearly all to oppose equipping the police deaprtment, with about 45 sworn officers, with a Bearcat. One speaker quoted in the Keene Sentinel was Roberta Mastrogiovanni, owner of a newsstand downtown. “It promotes violence,” Mastrogiovanni said. “We should promote more human interaction rather than militarize. I refuse to use money for something this unnecessary when so many people in our community are in need.”
Since the 1990s, the Pentagon has made military equipment available to local police departments for free or at steep discounts. This, along with drug war-related policies, has spurred a trend toward a more militarized domestic police force in America. Law enforcement and elected officials have argued for years that better-armed, high-powered police departments are needed to fight the war on drugs.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the war on terror has accelerated the trend toward militarization. Homeland Security hands out anti-terrorism grants to cities and towns, many specifically to buy military-grade equipment from companies like Lenco. In December, the Center for Investigative Reporting reported that Homeland Security grants totalled $34 billion, and went to such unlikely terrorism targets as Fargo, N.D.; Fon du Lac, Wisc.; and Canyon County, Idaho. The report noted that because of the grants, defense contractors that long served the Pentagon exclusively have increasingly turned looked to police departments, hoping to tap a "homeland security market" expected to reach $19 billion by 2014.


Article taken from Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post Click Police 'Tank' Purchase Riles New Hampshire Town
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[Five-0]

I don't have a pending charge of criminal mischief and even I'm asking why.

[213th]

I don't have a pending charge of criminal mischief and even I'm asking why.

Me too. I grew up not terribly far from Keene. I don't see the practicality of this for the town. New York City, LA? Maybe, but I can't see any use for Keene to have this. Other then to spend the grant money.

[Jks9199]

Is it really a regional purchase? Is Keene going to house & care for it -- but will it really be used by all the agencies in the area, like as gear for a regional SWAT unit?

[Shoestring]

if the bearcat was used to support many agencies and be available for more than a city of 23000 then i would not be apposed to it because it it were to be used by the county and adjacent counties, then it could be a great tool to have especially if it was a grant and not the city flipping the bill to buy it.

[Bob Loblaw]

Is it really a regional purchase? Is Keene going to house & care for it -- but will it really be used by all the agencies in the area, like as gear for a regional SWAT unit?

we looked into applying for this grant to get one to share with all the agencies in our county, but i guess it never happened.

[Car 4]

We have one and Seattle has two....they work great for ruffing up folks on traffic stops who also commit criminal mischiief.

Car 4

[Bob Loblaw]

We have one and Seattle has two....they work great for ruffing up folks on traffic stops who also commit criminal mischiief.

Car 4

"That dude has a suspended license...CALL OUT THE BEARCAT!"

[countybear]

A bearcat isn't a tank... jeez. Mount a 75 on it, maybe...

[Odd]

The questions I do have come too close to tactics to ask, but I do have a thought on this.

Oh what a cute widdle buggy. Yup, another hyperbole fail. Tank not found, and when I went to the site looking for something tank-like that's how my exceptions were met. Those opposed have a couple views worth discussion, and that conversation could have been long and productive enough to cover what they're misinformed about too, but by shouting TANK at the start all hope of reasonable talk was lost.

Or in other words, another Thursday down the drain.

[213th]

Is it really a regional purchase? Is Keene going to house & care for it -- but will it really be used by all the agencies in the area, like as gear for a regional SWAT unit?

I didn't think of that, but really, Keene is the largest town except concord in the area.

It's not even on the interestate system


Google Maps

[ChesCopPodz]

We got one with the same grant. I'm not sure, but I think the county SO can also use it on their SWAT call-outs, but Im not sure if they have one of their own.

I do know that the smaller area agencies can request that our SWAT guys respond in it. My department has just under 700 sworn, and the SO has about 150 road deputies. I think the next largest department in the county has 35 or so.

[pgg]

If they don't want it give it to us.

[bayern]

I say go ahead and buy one. It can be used to predict the coming of spring, just like Punxsutawney Phil.

[countybear]

I am deeply concerned and even offended when I see Brinks or Wells Fargo minimum wage security guards driving armored trucks. The police? Give them M1A1's.

[gopherpuckfan]

Our SWAT team has wanted a Bearcat for a while. Nevermind that they've only been activated once or twice in the 9 years I've worked here. I think they want it so that other agencies can use it if needed. They could require one or two of our guys be deployed to drive it any time an agency requests it. There's only one other agency in the area with one and that's what they do.

[lewisipso]

We have one and Seattle has two....they work great for ruffing up folks on traffic stops who also commit criminal mischiief.

Car 4

Hahaha!!!

[Bjohnson63]

All of the bigger cities in Wisconsin got one on this grant. Including the city of 50,000 nearby. We have used it on our ERT calls 3 times since I have been on the team. Also a few years back, three were brought in for a two day stand off resulting in the biggest shoot out in Wisconsin history. The bearcat was struck twice in the front windshield, and stopped a 300 win mag that would have hit the front passenger. The bearcats will go whereever they are needed. In that incident, the nearest of the three bearcats was 60 miles away. The point is, you never know, and so long as it is shared with other jurisdictions, it shouldn't be a problem.

[Jenna]

I say go ahead and buy one. It can be used to predict the coming of spring, just like Punxsutawney Phil.

How can anyone be concerned about something so adorable?

[jmur5074]

All of the bigger cities in Wisconsin got one on this grant. Including the city of 50,000 nearby. We have used it on our ERT calls 3 times since I have been on the team. Also a few years back, three were brought in for a two day stand off resulting in the biggest shoot out in Wisconsin history. The bearcat was struck twice in the front windshield, and stopped a 300 win mag that would have hit the front passenger. The bearcats will go whereever they are needed. In that incident, the nearest of the three bearcats was 60 miles away. The point is, you never know, and so long as it is shared with other jurisdictions, it shouldn't be a problem.

I was just going to reference that shooting.


I see no problem with it. Why not equip your department as best you can?

Our SWAT has, essentially, a home made bearcat/armored vehicle. They've probably been using it for 20 yrs. It's tired. I know they're looking into getting a bearcat, but the price tag is tough to swallow.

And like countybear said...it's not a tank.