What’s the Deal With: Bellingham Police Department’s Bearcat vehicle?

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