armored rescue vehicle
© Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez/ChronicleBozeman Police Captain Steve Crawford showcases the department's armored rescue vehicle on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Gallatin County Law and Justice Center in Bozeman. The Bozeman Police Department received the vehicle in May.
Bozeman Police Captain Steve Crawford showcases the department's armored rescue vehicle on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Gallatin County Law and Justice Center in Bozeman. The Bozeman Police Department received the vehicle in May.

Mayor Jeff Krauss isn't the only one fired up over news that the city owns a new armored vehicle.

In the hours after Monday night's City Commission meeting, where City Manager Chris Kukulski admitted he made a mistake by never bringing the grant application for the vehicle before the commission, the public lashed out online against the police department's new 17,000-pound Lenco BearCat G3.

Some commenters went to the police department's Facebook page, usually known for its campy morning posts, and chastised the department for getting such a vehicle. Others hurdled criticism over the department sidestepping the usual process to get it.

The hashtag #senditback was used by some. A satire Facebook page titled "Send in the Rescue Vehicle" was created.

Critics say it's unnecessary and points to the militarization of local police. But police say it's a regional asset that will protect officers and residents.

The BearCat, which stands for Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck, was paid for by the Homeland Security Grant Program. Its base price was $188,793. After add-ons, which included things like a diesel engine and a four-wheel off-road package upgrade, it ended up costing $248,537.

A purchase agreement between the city of Bozeman and Lenco dated Nov. 26, 2013, for a $248,537 armored vehicle.

The bullet-proof, matte-black vehicle is built on a Ford F550 chassis. There are two seats in front for a driver and passenger and two benches in the back. Ports dot the sides, giving occupants access to the outside. A rotating hatch opens from the roof.

Bozeman Police Capt. Steve Crawford described the roof hatch as "simply an observation hatch." The side ports, he said, would most commonly be used to communicate with people in barricade situations, to deliver a phone or other communication devices. They could also be used to shoot from if there was a lethal threat outside, he said.

Crawford said the vehicle will be used for "high-risk incidents," including hostage situations, events with barricaded armed suspects, high-risk arrests, fugitive searches and protection for high-ranking officials, like the president and vice president.

"It's purely a defensive vehicle that provides protection for the people that are inside of it, whether it's officers or civilians," Police Chief Ron Price said.

But a promotional video for the Lenco BearCat G3 tells another story. It shows officers in camouflage pointing guns out of the side ports, the vehicle being used to punch a hole in a building and fill it with an unidentified gas and assault rifles being fired from the roof hatch. The promotional video was posted to YouTube by a private user. The action is shown while AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" plays in the background.


Police insist they need it. In the last four years, there have been four incidents during which shots were fired at local law enforcement, Crawford said. Just this year, another incident occurred when a man was shooting at a neighbor's house on Super Bowl Sunday. The vehicle would have been useful in all of those situations, Crawford said.

While need is one issue, another is that city commissioners never knew about the vehicle's acquisition. Krauss found out about it after logging onto Facebook on Friday night. Commissioner Chris Mehl noticed it during a police ride-along.

Both Price and Kukulski have accepted blame.

"It just fell through the cracks. It's really no more complicated than that," Kukulski said Tuesday.

Typically, the commission signs off on grant requests when it comes time for the city to accept them. That didn't happen this time.

In April of last year, Kukulski signed a letter of intent to apply for the grant. In October, he signed the application and signed off on accepting the grant.

At no time did it occur to him that it did not go through the proper process, Kukulski said.

"There was no attempt to hide the purchase of this," he said.

When asked if he thought the public reaction to the BearCat would affect the upcoming vote for a new municipal law and justice center, Kukulski said the city will remain focused on educating people about the need for the new facility and will provide education on the BearCat if needed as well.

Price said they are separate issues.

"Of course it's a concern. I don't want things out there that are a distraction to the true need of our city, which is the Rouse Justice Center," he said. "To have something like this that refocuses attention in a negative way, it's bad timing, and I wish it wasn't there, but it is."

The commission will now have the chance to weigh in on the grant. With no City Commission meeting next week because it is the fifth Monday of the month, the matter is currently on the agenda for the commission's meeting Oct. 6.

The City Commission could reject the grant, Krauss pointed out at Monday night's meeting.

The BearCat arrived in May. Officers from the Special Response Team, which consists of members of the Bozeman Police Department and Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, were trained on its use in August.

Asked when he planned to tell commissioners about the vehicle, Price said he thought they already knew. As for a public unveiling, Price said he didn't intend to bring out the vehicle until it was needed.