This is a Lenco BearCat G2 similar to the one the city has ordered, but several years older. It is similar in color, but may not be exact. The city’s vehicle will be delivered sometime this summer. Provided photo
The Bloomington City Council Wednesday evening reviewed new legislation that would place limits on the police department’s Critical Incident Response Team armored vehicle into city code.
The proposed ordinance comes after weeks of protests, community meetings and reviews of police policies after the February announcement of the controversial city purchase.
Ordinance 18-2 codifies prohibitions for the armored truck’s use into Bloomington’s municipal code under chapter 2.86. The legislation ensures that subsequent proposals for changes to the prohibitions will be subject to a vote by the city council.
It defines the purpose of the legislation: to ensure the armored vehicle is not used in a manner “discordant with a Guardian mindset of policing.”
Council member Jim Sims asked Bloomington Police Chief Mike Diekhoff to explain the more modern approach to policing known as the “guardian” mindset.
“The protector role, where you protect the community. Not where you’re viewing every situation as a battle, like you’re a warrior,” Diekhoff said. “Just taking care of the community. You do things for safety reasons. You try to work with people. It’s that protector-movement.”
The Bloomington Police Department has employed this guardian approach in community policing and outreach programs developed over the past several years, such as the Downtown Resource Officer program.
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