Ocala council approves Bearcat armored vehicle and approves multiple contracts and budget amendments

Ocala — At its April 1 meeting, the Ocala City Council approved the purchase of a Linco Bearcat armored vehicle for the police department and adopted a budget resolution to fund the purchase, and the council cleared a slate of contracts and budget amendments affecting public safety, utilities and public works. The Marion Cultural Alliance gave its annual report to the council during the meeting.

The council voted to buy the Bearcat armored team transport for $378,165 and to appropriate the funds from the city's infrastructure sales surtax reserve. Police Chief Mike Balkin told the council the vehicle would replace an older mine-resistant armored vehicle the department acquired under a federal program 11 years ago and that the MRAP is heavy, difficult to operate in the city and limited in permissible uses under federal restrictions. "This vehicle operates all over the place, and way more, I think, than most folks imagine," Balkin said, arguing the Bearcat is better suited for SWAT operations and officer safety.

A councilmember questioned the cost and frequency of use, asking, "it just seems like a lot for a vehicle that's hardly, if ever, used." Balkin replied that the city and county SWAT teams execute frequent high-risk search warrants and that his department has increasingly performed simultaneous operations with the sheriff's office. He added the existing MRAP is not ideally configured for those missions and that the Bearcat has features (for example, gun ports) the MRAP lacks.

The council approved the purchase and the matching budget resolution by roll call. The council also approved the police department's request to continue using a Florida alternative-source agreement to buy ballistic vests from Federal Eastern…