If you traveled along Canyon Del Rey July 28, you probably saw the city of Del Rey Oaks’ new mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, or MRAP, parked next to City Hall.
Easily 12 feet tall, it’s hard to miss. During a brief tour of the vehicle at a City Council meeting that evening, at least one driver stopped to take an iPhone photo of the MRAP from his car.
Apparently, an earlier passerby had stopped to deliver some remarks to city officials about what a waste he thought the vehicle was. Mayor Jerry Edelen assuaged those concerns, by explaining the MRAP wouldn't cost city taxpayers a thing.
"The mayor did an excellent job of handling it with this individual," City Manager Daniel Dawson said. "He went away, if not with a changed mind, at least calmed down quite a bit.
“You either love it or you hate it."
The it is a military vehicle used by American troops in Kuwait, then distributed at no cost through a Pentagon program designed to offload surplus military gear.
The cost of “civilianizing” the MRAP, some $100,000, was paid for James Hill III, a DRO volunteer police reserve officer and Pebble Beach resident.
Going forward, maintenance costs will be covered by the Order of St. Michael, formerly known as the Most Honorable Knights of St. Michael the Archangel. The nonprofit’s mission, according to a statement provided to city officials, is to “provide mutual support and aid for law enforcement, public safety, common defense, family members of the Order of St. Michael and those in need.”
What that means for the city: The MRAP will cost taxpayers nothing.
City Council welcomed the MRAP July 28, and offered a ridealong for a newspaper reporter and photographer.
Getting in was the hardest part. There's a staircase leading up to the modified rear of the MRAP, which resembles an ambulance, but also a military vehicle designed to withstand bomb blasts and gunfire. Heavy five-part seatbelts strap riders in tight, legs and all, and footrests provide a brace against impact.
The MRAP has an automatic transmission, and rides remarkably smoothly.
It's too loud to talk, especially from the rear to the two riders in the cab area. To communicate, riders don sturdy headphones equipped with microphones, a pair dangling behind each seat.
It takes close to 2 gallons of gas to power our 5-mile route, which I can see on the mounted GPS screen in the front: We make a square from DRO Police City Hall to Ryan Ranch via South Boundary Road, then cut through the office development and come back on Highway 68 and Canyon Del Rey.
I don't have enough mobility from my five-part strapped-in seat to see out the rear window, but I do catch glimpses of a fluttering American flag mounted on the rear.
DRO Police Officer Bob Ingersoll and reserve Officer David Tucker drive us around. They've trained at Moffett Field in Mountain View, along with two other DRO officers.
Tucker says he started wanting something like this in the '90s, when violent crime started rising. "The whole atmosphere is different now," he says.
The most likely reason they'd utilize the MRAP is for an active shooter situation, he said, or a natural disaster to rescue people.
As to the question of whether he hopes to use it in the field, for a real public safety reason, not just a ride around the block, he says, "I hope not."
City Council also approved a written response at their July 28 to the Monterey County Civil Grand Jury, which had investigated concerns about police militarization.
There was no evidence of excessive militarization, the grand jury found, but they did have advice for DRO: Join the Monterey Peninsula Regional Special Response Unit, which includes the SWAT Team.
Del Rey Oaks City Council demurred, by a 5-0 vote. “There are reasons we can’t join those other entities,” Councilman Mike Ventimiglia said. “The big one is liability.”
His fear, which is shared by other city officials, is that Del Rey Oaks could be named in a costly lawsuit against the SWAT team in the event their efforts lead to death, injury or fire—even if a DRO officer isn't personally responsible for those actions.
Besides, the regional team won't allow volunteer reserve officers, meaning the 10 volunteers on DRO PD—who outnumber full-time paid DRO cops—to participate.