Since 2008, the Bellingham Police Department has deployed the Bearcat armored vehicle to weapons calls, hostage situations, flooding rescues and more, without having to deploy a full SWAT team.
The department paid $250,000 for the 20,000-pound Lenco armored vehicle. It is constructed from a Ford F-550 Super Duty truck with a steel body 0.5 to 1.5 inches thick and ballistic glass. Prior to 2008, the department relied on a pickup truck they surrounded with hand shields for protection in weapons
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