Santa Cruz City Council Session on the BearCat

A proposed citywide grants procedure is also on the agenda.

http://scsire.cityofsantacruz.com/sirepub/mtgviewer.aspx?meetid=631&doctype=AGENDA

Thousands of citizens, and many local organizations, have objected to the purchase of the BearCat and the rushed, faulty process that brought it about - by petitions, by email, by letter, by phone calls, by meetings with city officials, and by showing up and speaking out at five public rallies and a public forum presented by SCRAM!

Though the BearCat is being referred to as a "rescue vehicle” in the documents presented for the March 24th meeting, the application submitted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the funds to purchase it emphasizes other uses.

The application describes its primary purposes as being: to support the SCPD SWAT team, and to engage in anti-terrorism work.

The basic vehicle is fully armored and comes equipped with 11 interior gun ports. The SCPD has ordered an optional battering ram, costing an extra $10,500. The total cost for this armored and highly militarized vehicle is $250,500.


SWAT Uses

SWAT was not mentioned during the original SCPD presentation to City Council on December 9th, 2014, nor is it mentioned in the current documents submitted for the March 24th meeting.

The grant proposal submitted to DHS, however, states: “Currently our SWAT team has 18 members… …the capability gap that this project is intended to address” includes to “support the deployment of SWAT…”

Lenco itself describes their BearCat as a SWAT vehicle. Here is the promotional video that Lenco uses to sell the BearCat, featuring a highly militarized use as a SWAT truck. It also graphically displays the battering ram in use.

"the Way SWAT does Business” from Lenco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqZYIApWrpU&feature=youtu.be

And, here are links to military vs. law enforcement models of the BearCat.
http://www.lencoarmor.com/military/
http://www.lencoarmor.com/law-enforcement/

The BearCat IS an armored personnel carrier. A recent ACLU report “War Comes Home” indicates that APC’s are used by police almost 80% of the time to serve search warrants in drug cases. APCs have often been used to intimidate public political protests since SWAT was developed in LA in the 60’s. The ACLU report refers to APC’s as a “battlefield vehicle” that “…increased the risk of property damage and bodily harm.”

Many, even including locals here in Santa Cruz, have been harmed and killed in botched SWAT raids.


Anti-terrorism Uses

The BearCat is also described by the manufacturer, Lenco, as a CBRNE vehicle, i.e. a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear explosives response vehicle.

The central anti-terrorism theme of the grant proposal was also not mentioned by SCPD on 12/9/14 , nor is it mentioned in the documents submitted for the March 24th meeting.

From the grant proposal submitted by SCPD:

"we have training in CBRNE response… This special incident response vehicle is a missing element needed.."

In fact, the Project Name of the proposal submitted to DHS is:

“Project Name: CBRNE Incident Response Vehicle”
The proposal refers to “…attacks from violent extremists”
and takes as its objective:
"Objective: Strengthen Terrorism Attribution, Interdiction and Disruption Capabilities.”

SCRAM! and its many cosponsors join with thousands of Santa Cruz citizens in asking the City Council to Return the BearCat, and direct staff to research other truly protective, defensive vehicles if one is needed for our first responders, and present the options in a full and robust public process.

Yes, our fire and police officers deserve protection when needed, but not in a way that creates intense fear and mistrust between the public and the police.


Grants Procedure

SCRAM! welcomes the attempt to present a new citywide grants procedure process, but also finds the current proposal too weak.

The floor for grants requests that must go through rigorous review should start at $10K, not $100K as the current proposal recommends. Also, the loophole of using the Capital Improvements Program, on a three year cycle, to backdoor grants and equipment, should be removed. The closing sentence that states, “Similarly, repeat or substantially similar grants, or grants to replace equipment, do not require prior Council action.”, should also be deleted.

Santa Cruz, to be a city committed to true democratic process, needs full transparency, timeliness, and public participation. The grants proposal goes part way, but much more is needed.


Also, preceding the Council meeting SCRAM! sponsors a Send the BearCat Back! Rally at 6PM, in the Courtyard at City Hall music, speeches, updates Special Guest: Richard Stockton.


SCRAM!, an ad hoc organizing group, has three primary goals:

1) to bring the BearCat back onto the SC City Council agenda for a full public hearing and to rescind the approval
2) to establish a long term policy for grant applications and acceptance in the City that ensures timeliness, transparency, full public disclosure and input
3) to help develop and implement future policies that prevent militarized equipment from flowing into law enforcement agencies throughout Santa Cruz County

The goals and work of SCRAM! are supported by, a growing list…….:

ACLU of Northern CA (SC Chapter), Project Pollinate, People United for Peace (SC County), Santa Cruz Quaker Meeting, Resource Center for Nonviolence, Food Not Bombs, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (SC), Veterans for Peace (SC), Sin Barras, Community Coalition to Overcome Racism (SC County), Jewish Voice for Peace (SC), People's Democratic Club, Peace and Freedom Party (SC), Homeless Persons Legal Assistance Project, MediaWatch/Youth Radio Project, ISLAH Reparations Project, United Nations Association (SC), Code Pink (SC), Romero Institute, Thrive Santa Cruz, Women in Black (SC), Bill Motto Post 5888 Veterans of Foreign Wars, Palestine-Israel Action Committee ……..