By admin 
The Elk Grove City Council unanimously approved the purchase of a nearly $450,000 replacement armored rescue vehicle for the Police Department Wednesday.
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As part of its consent calendar, the council approved a contract with Lenco Industries for a BearCat, a “purpose-built armored response and rescue vehicle designed to safely transport officers and civilians during high-risk law enforcement incidents,” .
The Elk Grove Police Department said replacing its existing BearCat would “strengthen the department’s ability to protect the community,” according to the staff report.
“Our BearCat has been used 60 times in the last year and a half, so it’s heavily used, and it is 10 years old,” Police Chief Robert Davis said. “As a result of the use that it’s had over the last ten years, and it’s a regional asset … it is time to be replaced.”
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The city bypassed a formal bidding process to standardize the department’s equipment among similar vendors and because of competitive pricing, according to the staff report.
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The $448,642 purchase was funded through the Elk Grove Police Department’s capital outlay budget for the year, according to the staff report.
The city’s total budget is $491 million, an $80 million increase from the previous fiscal year. The Police Department’s operations were expected to cost the city $72 million in the next fiscal year, according to City Manager Jason Behrmann’s presentation in May. Approximately $68.7 million was expected to come from the city’s general fund, accounting for 64% of general fund expenditures.
By comparison, Elk Grove allocated about $53.5 million, or 68% of its $78.7 million general fund, .
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