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Mt. Pleasant police propose purchase of armored vehicle using data center tax revenue
Brian Rosenzweig
The Mount Pleasant Police Department is considering the purchase of a $363,000 armored rescue vehicle using property tax funds generated by the Foxconn and Microsoft Tax Incremental District.
The Lenco BearCat G3 would be used by MPPD and the Caledonia Police Department as part of their Joint Tactical Response Team.
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A Lenco BearCat G3. Mount Pleasant Police Department is considering the purchase of one of the armored vehicles, which retails at about $363,000, utilizing property tax revenue generated by TID 5. Photo by Matti Blume, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons |
The BearCat boasts an all-steel exterior construction and can seat 10-12 fully-outfitted officers, according to the company’s website.
The Mount Pleasant Committee of the Whole discussed, but did not make a decision about the purchase during its Oct. 26 meeting.
In a letter to the Village Board, MPPD Police Chief Robert Botsch said the BearCat would be an “essential” tool for assisting the JTAC in situations that involve an active shooter, barricaded subject or hostage situation.
“A BearCat would allow TRT operators to move protected personnel (Police, Fire & EMS) into the danger area, provide a ballistic shield and protected platform, and remove injured or endangered citizens and officers when a conventional police or fire vehicle cannot safely do so,” the letter stated.
Botsch said the BearCat would be an important community safety asset as Mount Pleasant’s population grows. Additionally, he said the armored vehicle could help to protect infrastructure and properties in Tax Incremental District 5, home to the Foxconn and Microsoft data center campus.
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Construction continues on a second Microsoft data center May 20, 2026, in Mount Pleasant. The company’s first data center in Mount Pleasant went online in early April. USA Today Network |
“The sheer size and scale of these campuses present unique challenges during an emergency, including the potential for incidents to occur a significant distance from an access point or emergency staging area and the need to move police, fire and EMS responders safely across large properties,” Botsch said. “Our public safety response capabilities need to evolve to meet these challenges.”
He said the fortified vehicle also could support rescue and evacuation missions during severe weather, flooding and “other large-scale emergencies.”
The proposed purchase was supported by the Racine and Caledonia’s police chiefs and by Alan Karr, a special agent at the Milwaukee Field Office of the FBI.
“The addition of an armored vehicle for these two communities will increase JTAC’s capabilities and effectiveness supporting collaborative investigations requiring tactical assets to safely execute high risk arrest warrants while ensuring safety for the public and law enforcement,” Karr said in a letter of support.
A motion to approve the purchase of the BearCat could be considered by the Mount Pleasant Village Board during a future meeting.
Botsch said the police department could either purchase the vehicle in full, or lease-to-own through seven annual payments of about $63,879.
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Recent stories by Racine Journal Times reporter Brian Rosenzweig |
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