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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-21-2013 c4 acceptance of regional swat armored vehiclecouncrL âq€nòâ RepoRt l\4eeting Date osDl /17 Item Number C4 FROM: Prepared By: CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO Stephen Gesell, Chief of Police Chris Staley, Police Captain SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF ARMORED RESPONSE VEHICLE FROM THE SAN LUIS OBISPO SHERRIFF'S OFFICE ON BEHALF OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO REGIONAL SWAT TEAM RECOMMENDATION: Approve the acquisition of a refurbished Lenco Bearcat for primary use by the San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT Team through the use of regional Homeland Security funding. DISCUSSION Regional SWAT Team Lacks a Purpose-Built Vehicle The San Luis Obispo Regional SV/AT (Special 'Weapons and Tactics) team was formed in 2008. The team consists of approximately 28 multi-agency team members that serve the municipalities of San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Paso Robles, Morro Bay, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande as well as Cal Poly State University. This regionalized concept of a SV/AT Team was driven by the challenges smaller agencies face in meeting the training requirements through the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (POST). The new standards from POST required a minimum number of hours of training time and mission capability for teams to meet the SWAT criteria. With the limited number of resources at each of the different agencies, it was collectively determined that regionalization was the best course of action for all of the involved agencies. City Council approved the Police Department's participation in the regional SWAT Team in 2008. Since that time, participating agencies have trained, pooled equipment resources, and have been deployed to high- risk situations throughout the county, including the City of San Luis Obispo. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff s Office houses the only other SV/AT team in the County. Since inception, deploying the SWAT team into hazardous environments has been exceptionally precarious as the regional team has been without a dedicated vehicle that protects officers from gunfire. The regional team has occasionally been able to depend on outside resources for executing search warrants and call out scenarios with dangerous individuals that pose great safety risks to the officers and the general public. [n many other instances, regional SWAT officers have been forced to improvise and deploy in a manner affording far less protection. Currently, the only other Bearcat in SLO County is operated by the Sheriff s Office. Reliance on this singular asset not in the regional team's control has proven to be inadequate. This was most recently exemplified by a number of simultaneous high-risk warrant services in the County where regional team members were exposed to unnecessary risk as the Sheriff s Bearcat was being utllized at another location. Moreover, many singular events can necessitate more than one armored vehicle. Additionally, the police chiefs representing agencies participating in the regional SWAT team support the Sheriff s plans to enhance law enforcement's ability to prepare and effectively respond c4-1 Bearcat Acquisition Page 2 to a hostile action event at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in accordance with new federal nuclear plant emergency planning standards. Expense and dwindling availability of grant funding have been barriers in securing a purpose-built vehicle. At this time, there is an opportunity to acquire a factory refurbished Lenco Bearcat Armored vehicle through the use of Homeland Security Grant funds to correct this deficiency. The Lenco Bearcat is the civilian law enforcement industry standard for deploying tactical teams into hazardous environments. The County of San Luis Obispo facilitates the distribution of Homeland Security Funds within the County and has agreed to purchase and transfer ownership of a factory refurbished Bearcat to the City of San Luis Obispo for use by the San Luis Obispo Regional SWAT Team at the request of the police chiefs representing each participating agency. The City of San Luis Obispo's Police Department has been requested to control this asset due to the City's central geographical location, population, close proximity to Cal Poly and Cuesta College, and largest commitment of personnel to the regional SWAT team. Relationship to Homeland Security Grant The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created to help prepare cities for terrorism attacks. DHS was tasked with managing several Federal grants aimed at preparing and closing security gaps for cities that were most at risk from attack. On March 6, 2012, the County Board of Supervisors accepted a grant under the State Homeland Security Grant Program for Federal Fiscal Year 2011, and approved an associated budget adjustment request. The Board action appropriated $175,000 for the purchase of a License Plate Recognition System. The most obvious potential terrorist target site in San Luis Obispo County is Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. Even though the plant itself was built to prepare and prevent such an attack it remains a top potentialtarget that would necessitate a response from more than one tactical team. There are only two nuclear plants in California, one of which is Diablo Canyon. In light of new federal nuclear regulations and some recent training at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant that focused on a "Hostile Action Based" event, the Sheriff and local police chiefs reassessed law enforcement needs in responding to an event of this type at Diablo Canyon, should one occur. Based on that assessment and needs addressed above, the Sheriff and police chiefs agreed to amend the County's 20Il grant approval and instead purchase a Lenco Bearcat refurbished armored response/rescue vehicle. SWAT Board Approves Use of Grant Funds for Bearcat Purchase The governing board for the regional SV/AT team (comprised of each participating agency police chief) has unanimously approved the use of the Homeland Security Funds to acquire a refurbished Lenco Bearcat response vehicle. No formal action is required by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors to facilitate the purchase and transfer of this vehicle. In addition to the response to Diablo Canyon, this vehicle will also be available for other acts or threats that occur within the County. Since 200'7, there have been six mass shootings in the United States and approximately 65 people were killed in those shootings. Many of these shootings can be c4-2 Bearcat Acquisition Page 3 considered an act of domestic terrorism. [n almost all of these shootings, the ability to safely approach and rescue victims is of critical importance, especially in the onset of the shootings. Since 2008 the regional SV/AT team has been deployed to no less than seven critical incidents that should have required an armored vehicle to ensure the safe approach of SWAT officers to a location as well as potential extraction of injured victims. On each of these occasions the team has been forced to improvise a less adequate method of approach such as the use of ballistic shields or blankets carried by team members to provide minimal protection exposing officers to additional risk of serious injury or death. The Lenco BearCat has a maximum seating capacity of ten and comes with ballistic engineered steel armor. The refurbished model would be purchased directly from the factory with a one year warranty. It has emergency features and equipment Siren PA system and Strobe Lighting Front and Rear. The BearCat can be used in a variety of Special Response 8. HAZi|;/.AT missions, including responding to local violence, threats or acts of terrorism and school-building or public-area high- powered vreapon threats. The Truck is based on a Ford F-550 truck chassis with a gasoline engine capable of highway speeds and has a gross vehicle weight of 19;500 lb. with 4 wheel drive Standard. CONCURRENCES The Fleet Manager and Finance/IT Director agree with this acquisition of the Bearcat. FISCAL IMPACT The total purchase price is approximately $155,458 including delivery and will be completely absorbed through grant funding. The fiscal impact would be limited to the maintenance of the Bearcat since this vehicle does not have a replacement cycle and would require an additional grant or other money source for replacement. The estimated time this vehicle would be in the fleet is approximately 15 years. The maintenance on the vehicle is minimal and the Fleet Manager has indicated it would have very nominal impact on the fleet management budget and operation. ALTERNATIVE 1. Do not approve the acquisition of the refurbished Lenco Bearcat for use by the San Luis Obispo Regional SV/AT Team. c4-3 Page intentionally left blank. c4-4