Springfield Police may be the next local law enforcement agency to get a military-style armored vehicle.
The City Council voted Monday to use nearly $470,000 of federal forfeiture funds, which are assets the government seizes if it believes they are from, or used in crime, to purchase the vehicle. The item was on the city council’s consent agenda – which is usually reserved for routine items and approved without discussion.
Springfield Police currently use an armored SUV which can carry five SWAT team officers, according to the department’s written request to the city council. The specific military-style armored vehicle they’re seeking, called a BearCat, could fit twice as many…