Colton, CA – Colton police added an 8-ton member to its force this month – a diesel-powered, bullet resistant vehicle equipped with gun ports. The Ford F-550 frame truck will be deployed if officers exchange gunfire with suspects, rescue anyone injured during a gun battle or serve high-risk search warrants, Police Chief Ken Rulon said…
“The most recent incident we had was when there was a suspect that we needed to arrest who we believed could be armed and dangerous,” Owens said of a warrant served last fall. “There was only one way into the home where the suspect was and one way ut, and that could have put officers in a compromising situation.”
The $200,000 vehicle was purchased with money collected when criminals’ assets are seized. It has a 40-year lifespan, Rulon said. Other Inland police agencies also have bullet resistant vehicles or depend on the one owned by the Sheriff’s Department.
To make sure everyone is safe during any event, other police agencies may borrow Colton’s vehicle during an emergency or to serve warrants, Rulon said. “It’s a tool and we should let other have access to it to make their job safer and to protect the public,” he said.