Federal grant gets Calif. PD armored vehicle

By Andie Adams and Omari Fleming
NBC San Diego

SAN DIEGO — A heavily armored vehicle is now a part of the San Diego Unified School District Police Department’s arsenal, though administrators say it will only be used for rescues.

The hand-me-down Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle was granted to the department through a federal government program. The district did not have to pay for the $733,000, taxpayer-funded piece of equipment, similar to those used in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to protect troops against IEDs. However, this one does not have any weapons.

According to SDUSD Police Capt. Joseph Florentino, local fire and EMS personnel will train with the equipment to find ways to get paramedics into “warm/hot zones” during an emergency.

Full Story: Feds Grant Armored Vehicle to SDUSD Police