The San Diego Unified School District police recently acquired a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, through the federal government’s surplus military equipment program.
All they had to pay was $5,000 for shipping; the vehicle was free.
The district acquired the MRAP as part of the Department of Defense’s Excess Property Program (aka 1033 Program) which recycles no-longer-needed military equipment to local police forces, for free–Ferguson, Missouri took advantage of this, too.
No joke: in response to public outcry (“Why does the school district need a tank?”) the police say they’re going to stuff it with teddy bears and emergency supplies, and use it as an emergency response vehicle. Seems legit.
From inewsource.org:
The district intends to deploy the MRAP solely as a rescue vehicle.
“When we have an emergency at a school, we’ve got to get in and save kids,” said [ Joe Florentino, a captain with the department].“Our idea is ‘How can we get in and pull out a classroom at a time of kids if there’s an active shooter?’ said Florentino. “‘If there’s a fire [or] if there’s an earthquake, can we rip down a wall?’ Stuff like that.”
KPBS has more, and inewsource.org was among the first to report.
