Motivated in part by a recent local tragedy, the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of some key public safety equipment at its May 7 regular meeting.
A resolution was approved for the acquisition of a Leno BearCat along with 30 3M PELTOR ultra-light weight helmets equipped with technology and 10 night vision goggles for the Henry County Police Department.
The BearCat is “an armored multi-use vehicle that will be used for high-risk calls like an active shooter or barricaded gunman,” according to county staff. It will allow the department’s SWAT team “to engage, neutralize or eliminate a threat on the scene while increasing survivability and visibility for other officers.”
The helmets have push-to-talk capabilities that allow SWAT officers to speak to each other without being heard by suspects or the public. The night vision goggles will allow officers to see images that are otherwise in total darkness.
During the presentation to the board, deputy county manager Brad Johnson noted the recent police standoff in the county within the past month as well as last summer’s extensive Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training while reviewing the ongoing process to equip the department appropriately.
“We have developed an executive committee that consists of the police chief, the EMA director, myself and training officers and have been working for about eight months to develop a team approach to mitigate any issues that might come about in Henry County,” said Johnson. “Sadly enough, on April 4 we had a casualty to hit Henry County that we were not prepared for.”
Johnson was referring to a 15-hour hostage situation in Stockbridge that resulted in three deaths – the gunman, a pregnant woman and her teenage son.
Henry County Police Chief Mark Amerman was also on hand during the presentation and explained the reasoning behind the requested purchases.
“After the incident that happened on April 4 that was so widely televised and talked about, I sat down with Mr. Johnson and we came up with a list,” said Amerman. “Things on the list included an armored vehicle.”
The chief called the armored vehicle a necessity, pointing out that his department had to call for assistance from several surrounding counties during the standoff.
“It is unfortunate we had to wait for this kind of incident to happen but the county is in desperate need of having an armored vehicle for the safety of its officers, its SWAT team and the citizens of Henry County,” said Amerman. The BearCat from Lenco Armored Vehicles cost $294,934; the 30 ultra-light weight helmets purchase will be from Botach Tactical in the amount of $52,740; and the night vision goggles from the Georgia Department of Public Safety cost $35,500. Money for this equipment will be allocated from the county’s Fund Balance account.
