Auburn PD ordered to return free armored Humvee

[dwaxman1]

Auburn (WSYR-TV) - The Auburn City Manager has told the Police Department to return its new armored Humvee just eight days after they received it for free. The order leaves the City's SWAT team without a vehicle.



A few years ago, the SWAT team's converted 1978 ambulance was taken off the road and ruled unfixable. The Police Department had been searching for a replacement ever since, and finally struck pay dirt with a federal program that reissued military vehicles to police. The armored Humvee was reissued from Fort Drum with about 24,000 miles on the odometer, at no cost.



Almost as soon as it arrived, the department was told to return it by the City manager, but given no explanation. "Common sense would say it's a free vehicle, it's valued at $70,000, works fine, it's actually armored, we could use it for many, many, many purposes," said Auburn Police Union President Tim Cottrell.



Cottrell says the vehicle would offer safety to the SWAT team in a number of situations. "If we ever get somebody with a weapon we could actually move right up on a subject or if we have a subject down move right up on that victim and get them right out of there, also it's four wheel drive and as you know we get a lot of snowstorms here and it would be a perfect use for us," he said.



Without the Humvee, Cottrell says the SWAT team will continue using the same plan they've used for the past few years. They meet at the Fire Department or DPW when a SWAT call goes out and borrow any extra vehicles they might need to use. "It just adds time on getting the officers to a call," he said.



For now Cottrell says they're left waiting for an answer as to why they have to give this armored Humvee back.



Copyright 2010 Newport Television LLC All rights reserved.





Check out the full story here..