HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-2-14 Phillips hand delivered To: Bozeman City Commissioners October 1, 2014
1 am writing to show support for the acquisition of the BearCat vehicle by the Bozeman Police Department and
for the vehicle to serve as a regional resource. If disciplinary action is warranted (due to acquisition
procedure) please don't take it out on the police officers. Please don't keep this region living in the past. I
feel that it is quite unfortunate that a 'seed was planted' to possibly return the BearCat vehicle as was written
about in the Bozeman Chronicle article printed on Wednesday September 24th. My feeling is that this piece of
equipment is merely another tool in the chest of tools needed to resolve any potential future high risk
incident. It should not be viewed as a military vehicle. Many tools that law enforcement agencies use could
be construed as military-like and likewise many tools that the military use could be viewed as law
enforcement-like. That should have no bearing on this issue.
Many citizens act or write as though they live in an "ostrich world" —saying that this is a peaceful community
and such a vehicle is unneeded or is presenting a military state. Saying it is so will not make it so nor protect
us or our law enforcement officers. This sounds a lot like Sandy Hook Elementary School or Colombine High
School or the many other mass-shootings that have occurred in the recent past, many in communities smaller
than Bozeman.
Prevention, progressive action and preparation/preplanning is the key to not acting like an ostrich. The police
and sheriff's departments must wear many hats, with diplomacy being first and foremost. But if a situation
warrants a Special Response Team deployment they need the equipment,training and experience to
efficiently and safely resolve the situation. In the law enforcement world the first course of action is to resolve
an incident by using the lowest means necessary to gain resolution. But there always must be a plan for a
stair-step escalation should the situation warrant. Much of what we don't see in a high risk incident is in the
background, but it (the BearCat tool) needs to be there. The BearCat vehicle needs to be in the background
and when necessary be used.
Please do your best to resolve this issue by the lowest means necessary and not let it fester and mutate into
an issue that destroys the good reputation of the Bozeman area law enforcement. The law enforcement
officers are our neighbors, friends and relatives and may enter into harm's way on any day to save any one of
us. Let us not forget that.
And by all means please please do not let this situation fester into an infection that involves the approval of
the new Bozeman Police Department facility.
Respectfully,
Bundy Phillips
Bozeman/Gallatin County resident