BANGOR, Maine — City councilors will decide Monday night whether to allow the Bangor Police Department to purchase an armored vehicle.
The $208,772 vehicle, roughly the size of an ambulance, would come from Lenco Inc. of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It would be paid for using money the city saved during the current fiscal year — the result of lower-than-expected fuel costs and health insurance premium payments.
The meeting is at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.
The proposal has sparked debate in the community, with some residents seeing it as a step toward militarization of the police force, while others say it’s a necessity to keep officers safe in standoffs and other dangerous situations. Still others say that the money could be better used for other purposes.
The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department and municipal police departments in Portland, Brunswick and South Portland, among others, already have such vehicles. State police also have an armored vehicle based in Augusta.
The city’s finance committee has recommended that the full council approve the purchase.
Councilors also will consider Monday night whether to allow the police department to enter an agreement with Penobscot Community Health Care that would allow police officers to carry and administer naloxone hydrochloride, or nasal Narcan, to people who have overdosed on opioids.
Often, police officers are the first people to come across a person suffering from an overdose, Police Chief Mark Hathaway said. By carrying Narcan, officers could increase the chances of helping that person recover.
Under the agreement, PCHC will help the city purchase the medication and train all Bangor police officers in how to administer it.
Follow Nick McCrea on Twitter at @nmccrea213.