Middletown mayor wants to ditch armored SWAT vehicle

[Guest T-34]

Middletown mayor wants to ditch armored SWAT vehicle

MIDDLETOWN – Taxpayers in Middletown will now have one less piece of unused equipment to worry about paying for as the common council has voted to allow Mayor Joseph DeStefano and Corporate Counsel Richard Guertin to cancel the lease on the city's tactical armored vehicle.

The city PD’s SWAT team is no longer in existence because the city uses the Orange County Sheriff's ESU,a decision of the former police chief and the vehicle has not be used at all this year.

DeStefano said it is no longer needed.

“It's basically a $600 agreement over a three year period, that the city's taxpayers would have to eat,” said he said. “We are going to take the initiative to cancel the agreement.”

If the city is not successful in canceling the lease, it could last through 2012.

[Guest]

Makes sense, although $600 is hardly a savings to taxpayers...

[TL2L31 8]

Does anyone now if its $600 a year or a month?

[Alpinerunner 61]

If it's 600 a year I'll take it. If it's 600 a year I'll split it with someone

[ace84 100]

I heard the OCSO ESU is going take over the bill for the city

[Guest]

Use the Mayor as a human shield...