The same mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles that U.S. military personnel used to patrol the streets in Baghdad and protect themselves from deadly roadside bombs are now in the hands of some law enforcement agencies to use in Arkansas.

Seven Arkansas law enforcement agencies recently had their requests approved to obtain the mammoth military vehicles -- known as MRAPs -- that the U.S. military no longer needs now that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down. The agencies began taking delivery of them April 29, said James Ray, manager of the law enforcement support office for the Arkansas Career Education Department.

Law enforcement agencies say the vehicles -- when and if they are ever needed -- could save the lives of their officers. In letters justifying their need for the vehicles, the agencies cited "active shooter" situations and other roles usually involving their special weapons and tactics teams.

"Our intended use of the vehicle is critical incidents, officer and citizen rescues, SWAT incidents (barricade gunman, hostage rescue, search warrants), emergency response, homeland security, natural disaster rescues, terrorism incidents," Jacksonville Police Chief Gary Sipes wrote in his agency's request letter.

"We also serve as the primary SWAT team for the Little Rock Air Force Base," he added.

Other agencies receiving the vehicles include the Little Rock, Benton, Hot Springs and Texarkana police departments, and the Jefferson County and Benton County sheriff's offices.

Critics say the vehicle transfers illustrate the increasing militarization of the nation's civilian police force. The American Civil Liberties Union has an ongoing investigation into police use of military technology and tactics. Last year, the nonprofit organization's affiliates in 23 states, including Arkansas, filed 255 public records requests seeking to determine how much military technology and tactics are being funneled to local law enforcement agencies.

Since the Arkansas law enforcement support office was established in February of 2010, more than $9.5 million worth of military surplus equipment has been transferred to local law enforcement agencies, according to the office's website.

Holly Dickson, legal director for the ACLU's Arkansas chapter, said the report on the investigation is still being assembled but the use of military equipment and tactics is disconcerting, especially when law enforcement agencies profess to promote community-oriented policing, which uses develops community ties to proactively prevent crime.

"If you want to engage in community-oriented policing, you can't approach the community from a military-style vehicle," Dickson said.

But Jeffery Walker, chairman of the criminal justice department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said the militarization of the nation's police force is overblown and not new.

Police agencies have been outfitting their personnel with military surplus for two reasons: It is cheap and available, Walker said.

"It really is more than they need or want, but they're trying to find anything they can get their hands on," he said. "It's mostly convenience."

The Caiman 6x6 MRAP models that the Arkansas law enforcement agencies are receiving are imposing vehicles. Manufactured by BAE Systems -- a global defense, security and aerospace company -- they cost the military about $733,000 apiece. They are available to law enforcement agencies for a fraction of that, about $5,000, according to Ray.

All six wheels on the vehicle are powered by a 330-horsepower Caterpillar C7 heavy-duty diesel engine that gets about 5 miles to the gallon. Ten people can squeeze into the vehicle, which is more than 9 feet tall, 25 feet long and about 8 feet wide. Its curb weight is more than 37,000 pounds, or about 18.5 tons.

Each has a heavily armored, V-shape hull that was designed to deflect the force from road-side bombs. The doors and windows also are designed to withstand explosive blasts, which means they can easily withstand any of the weaponry police forces typically face in the United States.

The vehicles generally go only to big departments that have separate SWAT teams and the financial means to maintain them, Ray said.

"We just don't give them to anybody," he said.

In fact, the departments technically don't own the vehicles, Ray said. Once the vehicle has completed its useful life, it will be returned to the Department of Defense for disposal, he said.

Some of the departments, such as the Benton Police Department, didn't have armored vehicles before now.

"The MRAP gives officers a level of protection previously unavailable by providing full armor to enhance the safety of members as they are delivered directly to the scene of volatile situations involving potentially armed suspects," said Lt. Kevin Russell, a Benton Police Department spokesman. "It will also allow for the safe delivery of medical personnel into dangerous situations to treat victims and allow for the evacuation of citizens from a scene in the event of an active killer or hostage incident."

Some departments cited the age of their vehicles. The Texarkana Police Department cited its 1983 model light-armored "Peacekeeper," which has high mileage and no spare parts available.

The Little Rock Police Department has one armored vehicle, an eight-wheeled light-armor vehicle, or LAV, and requested two MRAP vehicles in its application and justification letter. Police Chief Stuart Thomas said the plan was to station the MRAP vehicles at strategic locations in the city to be able to "immediately" respond to critical situations anywhere within the 116 square miles the city encompasses.

At least two Arkansas law enforcement agencies already have received smaller MRAP vehicles under the program run through an arm of the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency based in Battle Creek, Mich.

The Rogers Police Department and the Pulaski County sheriff's office are equipped with four-wheeled MRAP vehicles.

"We haven't done too much at this time to modify the MRAP we received last year," Capt. Hayes Minor, commander of the Rogers SWAT team, said in an email. "The issue we are facing is finding a paint booth big enough to accommodate it.

"We have done some maintenance and cleaning, but that is the extent of any modifications. If it were needed, it was ready to deploy the day we brought it back, but we have yet to send it on any call outs."

The vehicles require some specialized training. The Pulaski County sheriff's office has deputies who have commercial driver's licenses and experience with large commercial vehicles. They are able to get behind the wheel and safely drive the department's MRAP, which was acquired last fall and has been operational about six weeks, said Lt. Carl Minden, a sheriff's office spokesman. The vehicle has been used once to serve a warrant, he said.

The Roger Police Department has fallen back on the military background of some its officers to operate the vehicle.

"We are fortunate to have members of the military on our SWAT team so they were used to driving vehicles on such a large platform," Minor said. "In addition, we have three tactical paramedics on our team who have spent their careers driving firetrucks."

Given the MRAP vehicles' limitations, law enforcement officials doubt that the vehicles will become common sights on Arkansas roads and streets.

"You're not going to chase anybody with it," Minden said.

A section on 05/08/2014