Police Hope Armored Truck Helps Protect Officers

St. Petersburg Police on Jan. 24, 2011 when Sgt. Thomas Baitinger and K-9 Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz were shot to death by Hydra Lacy Jr. During that day, police initially had trouble recovering the two men for fear other officers were at risk of being shot. 

Since that day, the department has been looking at ways to lessen officer risks in situations where police are dealing with armed suspects. After previously purchasing new shields, guns and vests, today police unveiled an armored vehicle, the 2012 Bear Cat. 

It is an armored truck that will be used for the transport of police tactical personnel to and from hostile situations. The vehicle will assist with the rescue, recovery and protection of both officers and civilians found in harm's way during terrorist threats, hostage situations or encounters with armed offenders.

"In the events of Jan. 24 of last year, we did not have immediate access to a vehicle like this to help with the rescue of the officers that we had trapped inside the house," Police PIO Mike Puetz told Patch. "We had to seek assistance from other law enforcement agencies, who got here very rapidly, but time is of the essence in those situations. We felt we needed something more immediate."

The armored truck will cost the department $225,000 out of the police forfeiture seizure fund. That fund, Puetz said, is from money police extract and seize from criminals.

"None of the (expenses) came out of taxpayers money," Puetz said. 

State law says that those funds can only be earmarked for capital improvement projects for the police department. 

The armored vehicle unveiled today came out of discussions from a June 2011 meeting with Chief Chuck Harmon and other law enforcement officials who were meeting to look at ways to better protect officers. The Bearcat is the last purchase recommend from those meetings. 

Unrelated to the BearCat, police are also close to unveiling another armored vehicle to be used in St. Pete. 

Puetz said the second armored truck, which was donated to the department, will be outfitted with surveillance cameras and probably placed in high-crime areas of the city. 

Council member Karl Nurse and other councilors have expressed hope that this vehicles, along with the , will help combat drug dealing in the city. 

"People tend to not want to conduct in criminal activity when their actions are being recorded," Puetz said. 

The surveillance truck funds have been secured and Puetz said it is a matter of purchasing the all the necessary equipment before it can be used.