A city council meeting was held in Santa Cruz last night to discuss the police department’s recent purchase of an armored vehicle. A number of community members have opposed the decision, believing the BearCat will lead to the militarization of the police force. In response, city officials proposed the BearCat Rescue Vehicle Policy which states police will only use the vehicle during high-risk emergency situations and only as a defensive vehicle. The city council approved the policy during yesterday’s meeting. More than 100 attended the meeting, which ended early this morning.
