Dane County Sheriff’s Office secures grant for armored rescue vehicle

The Dane County Board of Supervisors approved a state-funded grant Thursday to finance the replacement of an armored rescue vehicle that was damaged in 2008 for the county Sheriff’s Office.

Provided by a division of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, the $225,000 grant will fund a third-generation Lenco BearCat vehicle to be used by the Sheriff’s Department Tactical Response Team in situations with armed subjects.

The BearCat is not a military-grade vehicle, but its use by the Sheriff’s Department has still raised concern about arming local law enforcement with heavy equipment.

Dane County Supervisor Heidi Wegleitner, District 2, said that although she doesn’t think the vehicle should be considered militarization of the Sheriff’s Department, she still had concerns about its impact on racial tensions in the county.

“I worry we have a lot of mistrust in our community for a history of racial discrimination and being harassed,” she said.

The vehicle model name, BearCat, stands for ballistic engineered armored response counter attack truck. It is designed to protect law enforcement and civilians in high-risk incidents with an active shooter, by allowing emergency personnel to reach injured or endangered victims, according to the company website.

Although nonbinding, the approved grant resolution states that the BearCat shouldn’t be used for crowd control.

“An armored rescue vehicle is a mobile shield that enables law enforcement officers to safely engage armed suspects without being injured or killed. The bearcat is a defensive vehicle asset and is not used in peaceful crowd control functions,” the resolution says.