Some Fort Worth Council Members Wanted to Refuse a Free Armored Vehicle

The rest of the council voted to approve the offer, so the city will get the new vehicle, paid for entirely by the Department of Homeland Security.

The Fort Worth Police Officers Association last week blasted three council members who voted against accepting a federal offer to buy a new armored vehicle for the SWAT team at no cost to the city.

"I don't support militarizing the police department,” said council member Chris Nettles.

Nettles noted Fort Worth already has two BearCats, and he told NBCDFW he opposes adding a third, even if it is free.

The other council members who voted against the federal grant were Jared Williams and Elizabeth Beck.

The rest of the council voted to approve the offer, so the city will get the new vehicle, paid for entirely by the Department of Homeland Security.

"We believed we had a full council that believed in public safety and wanted the best for our police officers and wanted to ensure they went home at night every single day,” Ramirez said. “So we're very concerned."

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