Chief Richard Brooks stood before the Aubrey City Council, explaining why the Aubrey Police Department needs an armored vehicle.
He pointed to the hostage situation the department handled in Providence Village.
'We were blessed that the perpetrator in this incident was more focused on the hostage rather than the operations of the police department, but had that been the case, it would have been an extremely dangerous situation for our personnel and our citizens,' Brooks said.
He pointed to the nearby agencies that provided such vehicles for use during the incident, for which he said he was grateful.
'The first armored vehicle was not on scene for about two hours, and had we had this piece of equipment, we would have been on scene with an armored vehicle in 20 minutes,' he said.
He also spoke about another call where such a vehicle could have been helpful.
'We also experienced an event this year where we were dealing with a suspect who was known to be carrying and using weapons with armor-piercing ammunition,' Brooks said. 'We were able to come up with a long-planned plan to take the suspect into custody, but if we wouldn't have had that opportunity, this armored vehicle would have been a very huge asset.'
The money will draw from the 2025 Certificate of Obligation bond, which allowed for up to $500,000 for the purchase.
The chief requested $353,985.28 for a Terradyne Gurkha MPV 'configured as an armored rescue vehicle' and the radio needed for it.
'The intended missions of the vehicle would be, of course, officer rescue, civilian rescue, emergency medical support, active threat incidents, barricade hostage incidents, highrisk incidents, mass casualty events, disaster response, high water rescue and mutual aid,' Brooks said.
The vehicle will come with gear for entering high-risk zones as well, he added.
Having its own armored vehicle, Brooks said, allows the department to train with it and become fully familiar so it will 'be prepared for the day when it happens again and we need this piece of equipment.'
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Fikes said the Denton County SWAT team uses the same vehicle.
'There may be some crosstraining opportunity,' he said.
Having one, too, means Aubrey can help its neighbors if the need arises there.
'That's the thing,' Brooks said. 'If you need this piece of equipment, you need it now, not in two hours.'
The council also approved a resolution supporting the Denton County Outer Loop Project.
'Two main alignments are proposed through Aubrey over Highway 377, or soon-tobe Ray Roberts Parkway,' Assistant City Manager Leanne Wilson said. 'The blue alternative, Alternative 2, is consistent with the Aubrey Master Thoroughfare Plan and runs generally around Blackjack Road. The other alignment crosses further north and is identified as the gold alignment. This resolution expresses Aubrey's preference for and support of the Blue Alternative based on city priorities.'
Resident William Cherry asked that the council amend its resolution supporting the Outer Loop.
'I'd argue for you not to pass the resolution before you, or, at the very least, to amend it so that within the whereases, there's an admission that community support for the Outer Loop at all is at least mixed,' Cherry said.
Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Perry responded.
'I don't think no is going to be an option, Mr. Cherry,' he said.
The resolution was Aubrey's way of having a voice regarding the final alignment of the Outer Loop project, the mayor and council members said.
Also at the Sept. 24 meeting, the council accepted an annexation petition to bring Belew Cemetery into the city limits.
'The Belew Cemetery was established in the mid-1800s with the first recorded land deed in October 1880, though the individual barrier markers have been identified to date back to 1848,' Wilson said. 'The staff is proud to receive a nonprofit cemetery and piece of important history into the city of Aubrey, and the owners are looking forward for policing services,' Wilson said.
City Manager Charles Kreidler also told the council the city staff plans to install an outdoor warning siren at the cemetery to extend its system reach on the northwest side of town.
Also at the meeting, the council discussed the many vacancies on its city boards and the opportunity for volunteers to serve in those positions.
