Brunswick’s Finance Committee will vet the police department’s $380,000 request for a new armored vehicle during a meeting Monday night.
The proposal has sparked debate in the community and among the town councilors as to whether the town should take on the expense.
A Placer County Sheriff’s Department BearCat armored vehicle drives down Greenbrae Road in Rocklin, California, on July 9, 2023. Sara Nevis / The Sacramento Bee via AP
The Town Council voted in February to send the request to the Finance Committee for further review. The police department asked for the funds to replace its aging Peacekeeper armored unit earlier this year.
The Peacekeeper, which is typically deployed to armed standoffs where it can be positioned to shield officers and allow them to communicate with suspects, is described as vintage and a liability in the memorandum for the city. The U.S. military donated the vehicle to Brunswick.
The current vehicle was used eight times last year, according to police Chief Scott Stewart.
Councilor David Watson, a former Brunswick police officer, expressed support for the request back in February. Watson described the vehicle as lifesaving and said he will “put a person’s life over money any day of the week.”
Councilor Nathan MacDonald has criticized the proposed purchase and cast the lone dissenting vote at February’s meeting.
“It is not necessary for our town of 20,000 people to have a military vehicle,” MacDonald said. “I don’t think it’s an appropriate use of funds.”
Some on the council wanted the department to explore other funding mechanisms that might help offset or avoid the cost of a new vehicle.
As one of 19 accredited police departments in the state of Maine, Brunswick Police developed a Special Response Team that is trained and equipped for critical response and rescue, sometimes requiring the use of armored vehicles.
As the only SRT in the upper Midcoast, Brunswick’s special tactics team provides support to other cities in the region. While Portland and Augusta have armored vehicles and are willing to send them to critical events outside of their respective cities, response times could be two hours or more.
The Brunswick Police Department currently hopes to purchase the G3 BearCat model from Massachusetts-based company Lenco, which offers basic armored protection for 10-12 officers and off-road capabilities. Lenco’s website describes the vehicle as a “standard vehicle in U.S. SWAT.”
The Finance Committee meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday.
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