(EMPORIA, KS) Tuesday, April 23, 2019 --- The Brandon Boyce Campaign is calling on the Jack Griswold for clarification of their Criminal Justice Policy. 

 

On Jack Griswold for Governor website, the campaign has a Criminal Justice policy that reads, “…Griswold's administration would also support a de-militarization of Kansas police departments… No police department would be permitted to purchase surplus tanks or other heavy weaponry.” 

 

Kansas allows municipalities and counties to use armored personnel carriers such as the Lenco BearCat to safely extract injured persons and to safely transport tactical teams such as SWAT/SRT teams into hostile situations. Armored Personnel Carriers, like the BearCat are designed to provide protection from a variety of small arms, explosives, and Improvised Explosive Devices to provide safety for the occupants. 

 

With the gun culture of the United States and the protection from the Second Amendment, Law Enforcement needs to have tools necessary to provide protection for communities. BearCat’s and other armored personnel carriers have been successfully used in law enforcement activities to protect the public and officers. 

 

In June of 2012, officers from the Doylestown Township in Pennsylvania engaged in a 10-hour standoff with a heavily armed suspect. Two patrol cars were shot, where one of the patrol cars was riddled with about 50 rounds from a high-powered rifle and the doors of the patrol car were reported to “turn into swiss cheese. Once a BearCat responded to the stand-off, the BearCat was shot at 28 times from the same rifle, but no rounds penetrated the vehicle. 

 

Another in where the BearCat was successfully deployed was during the November 2015, Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood Shooting. During the shooting, civilians were successfully rescued during the shooting by a BearCat. 

 

Brandon will allow the United States Department of Justice and the United States Department to continue issuing grants to Kansas Law Enforcement officers by supplying our state with Armored Personnel Carriers to protect our communities.