NAMPA, Idaho — The Nampa City Council unanimously approved a $377,469 price tag Tuesday for the Nampa Police Department (NPD) to purchase a Lenco BearCat armored vehicle.
NPA has used a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle (MRAP) since 2013. The department received the MRAP from the federal government as part of the 1033 program where local police departments can received surplus military equipment for free.
The MRAP is deployed roughly twice a month, according to NPD Lt. Chad Shepard.
"There was a lot of community support and there was people in the community who did not appreciate the vehicle being here. The reality is our officers needed some form of protection," Shepard said. "It's not the most friendly vehicle."
The MRAP served a necessary purpose; however, ongoing maintenance left it in the shop for repairs more often than Lt. Shepard would have liked to see. The BearCat serves a more narrowly tailored purpose specific to local police work.
"This vehicle is much more maneuverable than the MRAP. We can put it in locations we couldn't put the MRAP. We can load injured personnel much easier than we could in the MRAP. And it has a wider space for medics to work if they have to," Lt. Shepard said.
The department is paying for the BearCat with leftover funds from the 2022 fiscal year, according to Lt. Shepard.
"It's partly because of under spent capitol on other vehicles, and partly because of some reduced labor and operating costs. But we ended up with more than sufficient funds to cover this BearCat," Lt. Shepard told city council in Tuesday's meeting.
The Boise Police Department and the Ada County Sheriff's Office both utilize BearCat's as opposed to an MRAP, department and agency spokespeople told KTVB. The Caldwell Police Department currently utilizes an MRAP.
Lt. Shepard is in contact with Lenco to purchase the armored vehicle. He will have a better understanding of when the department can officially receive their BearCat by the end of the month.
NPD is keeping the MRAP and will utilize the vehicle on a back-up basis.
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