Arizona county to return armored patrol vehicle

PHOENIX — The Mohave County Sheriff Department plans to return a Mine Resistant Armored Patrol Vehicle because it's "much larger" than the one originally requested, according to a Mohave County news release issued Monday.

Mohave County originally requested an armored patrol vehicle in 2012 under the so-called 1033 program, which transfers new and used military equipment to state and local police free of charge.

The military originally designed Mine Resistant Armored Patrol Vehicles to withstand land mines and improvised explosive devices in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, The Mohave County sheriff acquired the vehicle with the intent to use it for life-saving operations including "extracting victims and/or wounded officers from active shooter situations" and "rescues in natural disasters," according to a county news release.

Instead, it sat gathering dust.

The county says the armored vehicle it received was too big, so officials are returning it to the military.

Sheriff Jim McCabe requested a smaller version of the vehicle, but "was recently advised the likelihood of that happening was slim to none," according to the press release.

Mohave County plans to research a "civilian-made armored car."

Over the past 25 years, Arizona law-enforcement agencies have received enough U.S. military equipment to outfit a battalion: 1,034 guns, 64 armored vehicles and 17 helicopters,according to the American Civil Liberties Union's latest report on the militarization of American policing.

Currently, 97 state agencies are receiving 1033's surplus gear and as many as a dozen others have dropped out voluntarily, said Payson police Detective Matt Van Camp, Arizona's 1033 state coordinator.

Contributing: Megan Cassidy, The Arizona Republic