The new vehicle was picked up by law enforcement on Wednesday.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The county's Special Response Team has a brand-new toy ready to deploy.
On Wednesday, law enforcement agents picked up a new and locally built BearCat armored vehicle.
The new truck is now the primary vehicle for deployment in such events as high-risk search warrants, active shooters, workplace or school shootings, officer rescue and barricaded gunmen.
The bullet-proof vehicle allows county Special Response Team members to approach a situation safely, according to Police Chief Michael Wynn.
The former vehicle will now be moved to another part of the county and act as a backup. That one is 10 years old and needed replacement, Wynn said.
The $300,000 vehicle is being hosted by the city but is available to other municipalities and will be ready to be deployed as early as Thursday night. The truck is only used in certain situations.
"We're very excited. It's been a long process for us," Wynn said.
It is a "relatively low-tech" and doesn't have all of the computer technology available in other armored vehicles, but it does include a variety of Homeland Security equipment, cameras and radios.
The team was looking for a replacement truck for a while but it wasn't until they realized three other law enforcement agencies were looking for the same thing that they teamed up.
The state negotiated a bulk purchase with Pittsfield's own Lenco Armored Vehicles for the three departments.
From there, the Western Mass team secured money from the Homeland Security Council, which reallocated funds to make it happen.
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
.jpg)
