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Councilmember Heineman commented that there have been case studies related to individuals <br />attempting to harm themselves or others. He asked if the vehicle would be retrofitted to add a <br />command and control station, such as a loudspeaker, which would allow the department to adapt <br />to those scenarios. <br />Sergeant Hemmerich replied that there are companies that can add features to the vehicle if desired <br />and reviewed some of those options. <br />Councilmember Heineman recognized that training is very important for this type of equipment <br />and asked if that would be provided by LESO. <br />Sergeant Hemmerich replied that the training is not provided through the program but the National <br />Guard offers a three-day free training or another outside company can provide training through a <br />one -day course at a relatively low cost. He stated that the plan would be to utilize both types of <br />training dependent upon the number of Officers that desire that training. He stated that the fire <br />suppression service would be removed from the vehicle as they do not intend to need that service. <br />Mayor Kuzma asked if there is a length o f time the department would be allowed to use the vehicle. <br />Sergeant Hemmerich replied that the department can keep the vehicle for whatever length of time <br />it would like. He stated that when the department is done using the equipment or if it reaches the <br />end of its lifespan, the department would return it to LESO at no cost. He estimated a lifespan of <br />at least 20 years. <br />Councilmember Woestehoff appreciated the responses to the questions he emailed staff. He <br />referenced the cost to paint the vehicle, noting that he wants the department to be protected but has <br />concerns with public perception. He asked if there are ways that could be counteracted through <br />painting of the vehicle. <br />Sergeant Hemmerich stated that he received quotes varying between $10,000 and $12,000. He <br />stated that the intention would be to make it look more like a squad car, similar to what Elk River <br />has done. He also provided an example of the painting that Anoka did for their vehicle which they <br />use for SWAT. <br />Councilmember Woestehoff asked the number of surrounding departments that have this type of <br />equipment. <br />Sergeant Hemmerich replied that the Anoka County Sheriff's Office, Anoka, Elk River, Big Lake, <br />and Saint Cloud all have similar equipment. He commented that it is becoming more common but <br />noted that he did not research all communities. <br />Councilmember Specht commented that he supports this as this is a great opportunity to protect <br />Officers and assist citizens. <br />Motion by Councilmember Specht, seconded by Councilmember Riley, to authorize acquiring a <br />RG33 MRAP vehicle from the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) 1033 Program. <br />City Council / March 23, 2021 <br />Page 20 of 24 <br />