Federal Grant Purchases Law Enforcement Asset
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office will house an armored vehicle that was purchased through a $250,000 federal homeland security grant.
Built by Lenco, the “Bearcat” is a Ford F550 specialized vehicle that will be utilized by regional area SWAT teams in Northwest Florida. The 16,000 pound vehicle will be deployed for extreme circumstances such as rescues, violent situations, and to mitigate and respond to terrorist situations.
“All equipment purchased under The Department of Homeland Security grants can be utilized in an all hazard approach," Chief Deputy Mike Coup stated. "The Bearcat is another tool used to protect citizens. For example, if you have a situation where officers are pinned down under heavy gunfire, the Bearcat will be the best available tool to go in and pull them to safety”.
Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Bay County are the four area SWAT teams for the Region One Domestic Security Task Force. Each will have the opportunity to train and utilize the Bearcat to respond within the ten county area which makes up Region One. The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office was chosen to maintain the Bearcat due to its central location within the region.