The tragic death of United States Park Ranger Margaret Anderson on Near Year’s day 2012 highlights one of the worst fears of the law enforcement medical community--a "down" officer with potentially survivable injuries who cannot be reached to receive medical care. After being wounded, Ranger Anderson was able to call for help, but fellow officers could not rescue her for over 90 minutes due to the ongoing gun battle. Back in 1997, the North Hollywood bank robbery brought to the forefront the lack of law enforcement resources available to launch an injured officer rescue in the face of a hostile environment. By late morning February 28, 1997, numerous civilians and law enforcement officers laid injured and trapped while the fiercest gun battle in United States law enforcement history raged around them for almost 45 minutes. One the most critical decisions made by officers on scene that day was to utilize a bank armored car to rescue the injured caught in the crossfire. Several individuals rescued had sustained life threatening injuries that required emergent medical care to save their lives. Fifteen years later, some in the general public still question whether life-saving armored vehicles should be afforded to our officers in the field.
Armored vehicles for law enforcement have been sparsely available through military surplus since the 1960s. Until September 11, 2001, only a handful of armored vehicles specifically designed for the unique needs of law enforcement and rescue operations were in service. Since 2001, several companies have entered into the law enforcement armored vehicle market. Arguably, the Lenco armored vehicle company has emerged as one the leaders in the industry. The cost of these vehicles is significant with prices ranging from $200,000-$400,000 dollars. With the increased availability of Homeland Security grants after the terrorist acts of September 11, 2011, hundreds of law enforcement agencies across the United States have been able to purchase law enforcement specific armored vehicles.
The cost to the taxpayers combined with the current difficult economic landscape has led many citizens to question the need and fiscal responsibility associated with the purchase of one these vehicles. It is not difficult to appreciate these concerns when school funding, social services, and public works budgets are continually being reduced to manage increasing budget deficits. Almost every law enforcement agency in the country that has purchased an armored vehicle has encountered some negative publicity through town meetings or print and Internet media. Fortunately, the need analysis for armored vehicles in law enforcement is overwhelmingly clear. The examples of officer protection provided by armored vehicles as well as serving as a secure platform for any rescue operation can be found in almost every major city in North America. Countless lives have been saved by the presence of these vehicles in a time of unprecedented violence.
Criticism of such large public expenditures will only continue to grow unless the law enforcement community becomes aggressively proactive in educating the public in regards to the capabilities of these vehicles and the sequence of events associated with acute injuries, rescue time and the loss of life. Unfortunately, a significant percent of the general public build their perceptions and opinions of law enforcement operations from viewing fictional television shows or movies. Educating the public, though not always straight forward and simple, on factual historical data may benefit law enforcement agencies. The use of simulated reenactments of actual situations may make any local educational program more personal, realistic and informative. The events in Waco, Texas, the North Hollywood bank robbery and Mount Rainier National Park all provide excellent history lessons on the reality of the world we live in.
It will never be known if Ranger Anderson would have been saved if a timely rescue had occurred by her fellow law enforcement officers or if there had been an armored vehicle with a trained tactical medic readily available. What is known is the difference between life and death is often measured in seconds and we need to take advantage of those seconds to preserve the lives of the officers who put their life at stake to serve and protect our communities.
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