Well I guess if anyone needs an "urban assault vechicle" it would be Detroit.  Even if they are on the border of recievership and laying off 150 police officers.   Hit the link for pics and more details of the tank.  

www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0509/28/A01-330549.htm

More cops or tank for Detroit?

$743,000 would be better spent by the ailing Police Department on hiring officers, union says.

By David Josar / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The Detroit Police Department, on the heels of a decision to lay off 150 officers, wants to buy a $743,000 urban assault vehicle that can traverse rivers, is resistant to landmines and is equipped with periscopes.

The Detroit City Council is expected today to approve purchasing "The Commander" general-purpose vehicle for use in executing drug raids. It also could be used in case of a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.

The vehicle is to be bought with drug forfeiture money, cash that also can be used to hire narcotics-dedicated personnel and equipment, department spokesman James Tate said.

"It's a real step up from what we had," he said.

Still, some question whether the cash-strapped city can afford to spend so much on a vehicle while it's laying off police officers and slashing other programs. It costs around $70,000 a year to keep one officer on the street.

"This is all about priorities," said Detroit Police Officers Association President Marty Bandemer. He criticized the purchase, saying the department should be looking at ways to hire more cops rather than buy expensive equipment.

"The city decided to lay off 150 cops, and this is how they decided to spend their money. They just aren't thinking," he said.

As part of the department's restructuring, a number of lieutenants will be promoted to commander and get immediate pay boosts, Bandemer said. "These are all examples of how the department doesn't put a value on street cops."

Last month, Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings, who once commanded the Strategic Response Unit that will use the vehicle, announced a restructuring of the Police Department expected to save the city $43 million.

Drug forfeiture money is used primarily for equipment and vehicles. In certain circumstances it can be used for officers to help "fight the war on drugs," Tate said.

The vehicle will replace an aging Strategic Response Team vehicle, Tate said. "It's more cost-effective to get a new one. The old one they don't even make anymore."

The new vehicle, according to a description on the General Purpose Vehicles LLC Web site, has a 150-gallon gas tank, comes with between seven and 11 periscopes, heat-detecting thermal imaging fiber optics and is built in a way that can deflect the blast from a large antitank mine.

Tate said the vehicle will also allow Detroit cops to process evidence on-scene.

A smaller version, which has four wheels, is called "The Sentry," and the largest version, "The General," has 10 wheels.

Additional gun ports may be installed on the vehicle hull to dispense tear gas or less lethal rounds as necessary.

The six-wheel vehicle is sold by GPV in New Haven, located at 26 Mile and Gratiot, which includes among its clients the U.S. military, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Venezuela, Thailand, Indonesia and Colombia.

"This is really a great vehicle," said James LeBlanc, chief executive officer of the company. "It's like a shoe that does it for all missions."

This is the third Commander that has been sold, LeBlanc said, with the others going to Oakland County and Knox County in Tennessee.

Detroit is the first major city to buy one of the vehicles, LeBlanc said, and added that the Michigan State Police are looking into buying one.

GPV recently loaned two of the vehicles to New Orleans at the request of local law enforcement to help out during the hurricane cleanup, LeBlanc said.

Calling tanks, calling all tanks!

Nice to see their priorities are in order.

This just proves the point that the police don't exist to stop crime but rather they exist to respond to it.  Those extra cops could be placed in neighborhoods to attempt to deter crime, this tank will do absolutel nothing to deter crime.

What's next artillery for the cops?

Isn't "RoboCop" from Detroit?

The Mayor Kwami Hatewhitey, is going to need it to get out of town.  

remember, they just spent millions on some zoo or wildlife exhibit bullshit as well.

TXL

Detroit's population will shrink and crime will go up. So they need fewer cops and more armor. I can't wait to see footage of this APC smashing into a public housing project! Woohoo!

COming from New York to Michigan was a bit of an eye opener as to how bad the inner city of Detroit really is. In NY Metro you have your bad area's but in Detroit you can see it's much more extensive. My concern is that the element will be making it's way into rural Michigan because there will be nothing left in the city to pillage.

That is the future everywhere if present trends continue. Allow people who own nothing and pay no taxes to vote, and you get the kind of leaders they like. Then you get the kind of government those leaders allow to happen. Then eventually you're not pissed off because the city council paid $750K for a tank while firing cops; you're scared shitless your neighborhood association won't have the money to raise the security wall another 10 feet.

Quoted: DETROIT -- The Detroit Police Department, on the heels of a decision to lay off 150 officers, wants to buy a $743,000 urban assault vehicle that can traverse rivers, is resistant to landmines and is equipped with periscopes.

Watch out Windsorites!!!  

Hmmm....so the police are becoming more militarized (not a slam against the police folks) and the fedral gubment wants to federalize disasters making states rights moot while also disabling posse comitatus so Congress doesn't have to vote for US Troops use as law enforcement inconus...  sounds like a good conspiracy theory - right?  That would never happen in America.

Macomb County Sheriff has their head on straight... they have HK G36Cs, HK MP5/40s (before HK went to UMP-45/9s) and at least 1 M113 APC.

Quoted: DETROIT -- The Detroit Police Department, on the heels of a decision to lay off 150 officers, wants to buy a $743,000 urban assault vehicle that can traverse rivers, is resistant to landmines and is equipped with periscopes.

Yeah we know how those homies love those landmines.  Hell just the other day on Northside, I had to traverse around a minefield.  

Since it seems we're unfortunately committed to rebuilding New Orleans at any cost, we should take Detroit instead and turn it into the worlds largest MOUT facility.  It even comes stocked with insurgents.

They bought it with money from drug property seziures, right?  I don't think they should be hiring cops with that money anyway.  It just forces them to continue the unconstitutional seizing of private property so those cops can keep their jobs.

Still, buying a tank???  Jeez.

Thats no tank. Doesnt a tank have to have a gun ?
I surprised they dont already have an ACP or two, no Im shocked. I bet they have at least one older APC and are just getting this newer model.
If I was a cop in that shithole  Id want an M1a1 tank as my cruiser.

maybe Detroit is expecting jihadists from Dearborn...?

Quoted: The vehicle is to be bought with drug forfeiture money, cash that also can be used to hire narcotics-dedicated personnel and equipment, department spokesman James Tate said. ............................ The vehicle will replace an aging Strategic Response Team vehicle, Tate said. "It's more cost-effective to get a new one. The old one they don't even make anymore."

They are buying it with seized cash, not tax dollars, and its replacing an older model that you haven't heard reports of being misused.
I am not worried.

This is not suprising.

You mean people still live in Detroit?

I thought they had all moved away.

Quoted: Quoted: The vehicle is to be bought with drug forfeiture money, cash that also can be used to hire narcotics-dedicated personnel and equipment, department spokesman James Tate said. ............................ The vehicle will replace an aging Strategic Response Team vehicle, Tate said. "It's more cost-effective to get a new one. The old one they don't even make anymore." They are buying it with seized cash, not tax dollars, and its replacing an older model that you haven't heard reports of being misused. I am not worried.

It's still wasteful.  The money could be used to pay the salary of a drug task force officer.  That money could then be used to pay for a beat officer's salary.  Insead they decided to buy a land mine proof APC.

Quoted: Isn't "RoboCop" from Detroit?

I was thinking exactly the same thing...

Ugh, they've got several APCs as it is...

The LAST thing Detroit needs is fewer cops on the streets!

Quoted: It's still wasteful.  The money could be used to pay the salary of a drug task force officer.  That money could then be used to pay for a beat officer's salary.  Insead they decided to buy a land mine proof APC.

To replace one thats being retired. Not a  big concern.
And its land mine "resistant". M113s and Strykers could also be called "land mine resistant" due to their armor. Its just a  selling point by the manufacturer.

Quoted: Quoted: It's still wasteful.  The money could be used to pay the salary of a drug task force officer.  That money could then be used to pay for a beat officer's salary.  Insead they decided to buy a land mine proof APC. To replace one thats being retired. Not a  big concern. And its land mine "resistant". M113s and Strykers could also be called "land mine resistant" due to their armor. Its just a  selling point by the manufacturer.

I could rebuild whatever vehicle they are replacing to better than new for a fraction of what they are spending.

I could totally refit a peacekeeper for under $50k, and a V-100 or V-150 for under $100k. Better than new.

I could buy a brand new RG-31 and equip it with every gadget known to man and be under $400k, and have a vehicle better suited for police work than this thing.

And actualy most "land mine resistant" vehicles are designed with a V-shaped hull such as the RG-31. I doubt any manufacturers anymore are claiming that for vehicles without a V-hull, and the claim it can protect from an AT mine means it would have to be a V-hull configuration. AT mine protection is no easily accomplished thing, and is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more than any PD needs.

Amphibious capability? I will laugh my ass off when they try to swim it for fun one day and sink it. Detroit doesn't need  amphibious capability.

$750k for any PD for an armored vehicle is fiscally irresponsible.

Sorry, but there are cheaper and better choices than this thing.

$750K? USAF prolly has an old '52 they could sell em...

Quoted: COming from New York to Michigan was a bit of an eye opener as to how bad the inner city of Detroit really is. In NY Metro you have your bad area's but in Detroit you can see it's much more extensive. My concern is that the element will be making it's way into rural Michigan because there will be nothing left in the city to pillage.

No shit!!!!!! I go from Erlanger Ky,to Detroit,every nite(Fort St.),made a mistake and got off 2 exits before Clark St(47A),got on Fort St,not a damned building still occupied,cept the liquor store and a Salvation Army thift store! Drunks,crackheads,and ho's walkingf around,even at 6AM

Funny, considering the PD here in town has one of those. Had it for at least five years now, but to my knowledge, has not used it one single time. It's amphibious, and supposedly floats, yet the only standing water in the city limits is the lake beside the Police Station.

A big deal was made a while back because our Peacekeepers were purchased for dirt cheap milsurp. We got two, then pulled parts until we had one good one. Not counting shop labor, we probably have a few thousand dollars in it, and guess what....the fucker has been used! Such waste on the part of departments everywhere.

We need to lay off Detroit, all of it.

It is worthless. They can lay off all the cops they need. It still takes up to 3 hours for the avg. 911 call.

They have no police force. Only corruption and lazyness and cellphones.

and on another note...detroit dealers expected to reallocate small percentage of spinner budget to massive rpg purchase.

Quoted: Calling tanks, calling all tanks!

Tank 54, where aaaarrreee yoooooouu??

Tanks but no tanks.

What a waste of money.

Quoted: We need to lay off Detroit, all of it. It is worthless. They can lay off all the cops they need. It still takes up to 3 hours for the avg. 911 call. They have no police force. Only corruption and lazyness and cellphones.

And Katrina/Rita wouldn't have done shit to Detroit.Most of the buildings are made of real concrete and steel,most of them just don't have windows(MI Central Train Station),so nothing much would get improved(whick is why nothing gets torn down,the city can't afford it,and no fool wants to invest there, Booke-Cadillac Hotel,too big to tear down,too run-down to restore).

http://www.gpv.com/index.htm

Quoted: Detroit's population will shrink and crime will go up. So they need fewer cops and more armor. I can't wait to see footage of this APC smashing into a public housing project! Woohoo!

From the same people who brought you the Philadelphia Air Force, we proudly present the 1st Detroit Armored Cav!

Whooo Hooooo My tax money was used to buy a TANK.  I am in knox TN,  as if we don't have enough problems the last damned thing we need is a tank.

Welcome to New Fallujah

Wow, that thing is neat! I think I need one for my Los Angeles commute!!!!

Quoted: Hmmm....so the police are becoming more militarized (not a slam against the police folks) and the fedral gubment wants to federalize disasters making states rights moot while also disabling posse comitatus so Congress doesn't have to vote for US Troops use as law enforcement inconus...  sounds like a good conspiracy theory - right?  That would never happen in America.

It's probably too late for the tinfoil hats, we're doomed!  

Quoted: maybe Detroit is expecting jihadists from Dearborn...?

You could be right...Dearborn and Dearborn Heights are like the middle east now...

Quoted: Quoted: We need to lay off Detroit, all of it. It is worthless. They can lay off all the cops they need. It still takes up to 3 hours for the avg. 911 call. They have no police force. Only corruption and lazyness and cellphones. And Katrina/Rita wouldn't have done shit to Detroit.Most of the buildings are made of real concrete and steel,most of them just don't have windows(MI Central Train Station),so nothing much would get improved(whick is why nothing gets torn down,the city can't afford it,and no fool wants to invest there, Booke-Cadillac Hotel,too big to tear down,too run-down to restore).

Downtown isn't that bad in Detroit. Almost all the neighborhoods are shit (except for places like Indian Village and Palmer Woods and a few others) but the downtown has a lot going for it. The Ren Cen is a city in itself, the Fox theater and the 2 new stadiums, and the casinos (it will be much better when the real ones are built, although I heard Greektown is just going to expand where they are). It could be a lot worse...plus, Detroit has a great skyline, when you are in Canada...

How hard is it to set the tires on fire? Can it go thru a swamp?