MANSFIELD — A new $392,539 armored rescue vehicle primarily to be used by the countywide Allied Special Operations Response Team will soon arrive for duty.
That was the message Tuesday night from Mansfield Safety Service Director Keith Porch to City Council members, letting lawmakers know a nearly two-year wait is over.
The four-door Lenco BearCat was purchased and ordered in 2023 through the combined financial efforts of the City of Mansfield, Richland County Board of Commissioners, the City of Ontario and the City of Shelby.
Porch told local lawmakers his department will send members to the company in Pittsfield, Mass., on Jan 16 to pick up the vehicle. Council members could check it out at their first meeting in February.
“We will bring it in … you guys can play with it and drive it around. Just don’t crash it,” he said.
Council President Phil Scott responded with a laugh, “Are you sure you trust us?”
Porch, also laughing, said, “I was joking about the driving it around.”
Originally, Lenco officials told Porch it would take 12 to 16 months to produce the vehicle.
“They are custom built, so that’s going to require some time. With supply chain issues, here we are in almost a two-year window. We were not expecting it to be ready in the first quarter of 2025, so it came in a little early,” Porch said.
“Lenco is the leader in the industry for police tactical vehicles, specially utilized by SWAT,” Porch said.
“We purchased one in 2007 and it absolutely changed SWAT operations and how we approach those situations,” the former MPD chief said. “(It made it) much safer in the way operations are handled when we have those vehicles and are able to utilize them.”
BearCats are typically used to transport tactical teams, i.e. SWAT, to and from hostile situations and to assist with the recovery and protection of civilians in harm’s way during terrorist threats, hostage incidents, or encounters with large gatherings of aggressors.
Porch recalled a 2007 incident in which an off-duty city police officer was shot and killed while trying to provide medical assistance to a wounded man, who also died.
“During that incident, it was troubling as the SWAT team was on (the) premises and could not get to them to get them out of the hot zone, to get them to safety, to render medical aid,” he said when the decisions were being made to purchase a new one.
“From that horrible incident led to the discussion that an armored vehicle was needed for our multi-jurisdictional SWAT team,” Porch said.
He said in 2023 that the current BearCat has been “phenomenal” for area law enforcement officers.
“I can stand and say for every law enforcement officer in this room, since that BearcCat arrived, it changed SWAT operations for the better. It has absolutely, in my opinion, saved SWAT officers’ lives.
“That vehicle’s probably been shot … over 20 times in the different incidents that it’s been involved in. Every time the SWAT team is put into operation, that vehicle is also put into operation. So it has definitely changed the way tactics have been done in the SWAT realm,” Porch said.
“The (BearCat) vehicle has been deployed in every jurisdiction within this county.”
The Richland County Sheriff’s Office is paying about $50,000 for the older BearCat, which Porch said would keep it in the county for future use.
more coverage on the bearcat for local police asort effort
In other City Council activity on Tuesday, lawmakers:
— renewed for another year the city administration’s ability to sell “unneeded, obsolete and unfit” property on GovDeals.com. The city has used the internet selling location since 2004.
— voted to accept a $20,000 donation from the Gorman Family Foundation to be used by the Mansfield Police Department drone program.
— selected 3rd Ward Council Rev. El Akuchie, 6th Ward Councilwoman Deborah Mount and 5th Ward Councilman Aurelio Diaz to participate on various functions of the Richland County Regional Planning Commission.
— approved the appointment of Gabe Zader to represent the 6th Ward on the Police Review and Community-Police Relations Commission. The 4th Ward is the only ward remaining to not have a new representative on the commission.
— approved changes in pay grades for certain city employees.
— were invited by Mansfield NAACP President-elect Alomar Davenport to attend a community meeting on Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. at the NECIC Community Outreach Center, 486 Springmill St. Davenport, a former council member, told council members that the civil rights organization will emphasize collaboration with the community over the next two years.
— praised the work of the city’s Service Complex for snow removal efforts during the last few weeks. Mount said she had heard from many residents pleased with improved street clearing after snow.
“They’re very grateful for the improvements for the ice and snow removal this year. It’s been significantly better.
“It used to be if you could get out of your neighborhood, you could get to where you were going. Now it is, you can get out of your neighborhood, but you might not be able to get where you’re going (outside of the city),” Mount said.
