On Saturday, the Prosper Police Department parked its new vehicle near Prosper City Hall and announced it on Facebook and X, inviting people to see its “cool car.” The gray and black vehicle looks over 10 feet tall and has wheels that are at least four feet tall.
Prosper PD brought its vehicle out to display at the city’s annual Chrome and Coffee car show, which is hosted at City Hall.
Other police departments nearby reportedly have used military-style vehicles, including McKinney, Paris and Plano.
Reactions on social media were mixed — many commenters saw the new vehicle as a great investment, given that it could help the police in a variety of situations.
“How cool that we wouldn’t have to wait on the county or even further out to start rescue when needed,” said Jamie Allison on Facebook.
Others on social media saw the vehicle as an unnecessary asset for the police department of a town of just over 37,000 people.
A Prosperous Town
“What exactly is that needed for in that town of Prosper? All the rich kids getting unruly?” wrote Facebook user Wade Aguillard.According to data from the Defense Logistic Agency’s Law Enforcement Support Office, Prosper PD acquired a mine-resistant vehicle valued at $689,000 in December 2019. However, the vehicle cost the police department nothing, as it was obtained through the federal 1033 Program.
That same data indicates that 107 police departments and sheriff departments across the Lone Star State have acquired mine-resistant vehicles. The University of Texas at Austin's police department has acquired two of its own, and the Texas Rangers have acquired four. The mine-resistant vehicles range in value from $400,000 to $800,000.
Police departments across the country have defended these types of acquisitions as necessary. According to research by Jessica Katzenstein published in the Harvard Gazette, police often see demilitarization efforts as possibly preventing them from carrying out their responsibilities.
“[Police] argued against being expected to run into a mass shooter situation without shields, weapons and armored personnel vehicles needed in those instances,” the article read.
According to aggregate data from NeighborhoodScout, Prosper experiences violent crime 0.77 times per 1,000 residents. The state average is 4.32 instances per 1,000 residents.
