Plymouth Police To Receive Armored Trucks for Emergency Response
Plymouth police will be getting new armored assistance to protect first responders and others in the line of fire.
The city council this week approved the acceptance of a $150,000 federal grant that will allow the Plymouth Police Department to purchase two heavily fortified Ford F-350 trucks.
“These vehicles are specifically designed to protect public safety staff or civilians or anybody that’s inside these vehicles,” said Plymouth Public Safety Director Erik Fadden.
The push for the armored trucks comes after an alarming rise in shootings at police.
According to police data, assaults on Minnesota officers are up 160 percent over a decade ago, which include people shooting at law enforcement.
Nearly 60 officers were shot at in Minnesota in 2023, and preliminary data from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shows a spike in 2024.
“Initial indications are that in 2024, public safety staff was shot at in the state of Minnesota roughly five times more than the next highest year,” said Fadden.
Fadden said Plymouth police assisted in three incidents in which law enforcement were involved in weapons-related incidents. They include one in Minnetonka in which a deputy was shot at; another in Corcoran in which a suspect was involved in a 15-hour standoff; and a case involving South Lake Minnetonka police in which an officer fired their service weapon during a vehicle pursuit.
The F-350 trucks are a visible contrast to the more ominous-looking armored vehicle Plymouth police also have dubbed “The Badger.” Plymouth shares that 10-year-old SWAT vehicle with Maple Grove police.
Photo of “The Badger” used by Plymouth police.
Fadden said the trucks will be used regionally if needed.
“We will share these, and the plan is we need to be good partners,” said Fadden. “It does not matter what city you’re in. If we can get there quickly, if officers or civilians are being shot at, we will get up there as fast as we can.”
Plymouth will purchase the trucks through Florida-based International Armor Group.
Grant funds for the trucks come from FEMA through the Urban Area Security Initiative. Funds are dispersed through the Minnesota Department of Homeland Security.
