Duluth Police Dept. puts new Armored Rescue Vehicle into service for high-risk calls

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department officially has its new Armored Rescue Vehicle in service for high-risk situations.  As FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports, the purchase has been decades in the making.

“That’s my biggest fear, is that we have to put people in harm’s way for an extended period of time without having proper equipment there to deal with the situation immediately,” Chief Mike Ceynowa explained.

But now, that fear has lessened with the deployment of an armored vehicle.  Ceynowa said officers and the public are safer and better protected than ever with this latest tool. 

Lt. Jason Tanski has been with the department for nearly 30 years and serves as the commander of the SWAT Team.

“Our goal is a safe resolution of the whole situation, right, whether that’s the suspect, officers, community. So to have a tool like this is so important to be able to respond to those things,” Tanski said.

The armored vehicle is specifically designed for the police department and only used for the city’s most dangerous calls.

“Having a piece of equipment like this when we can take the time to slow down, evaluate, keep our officers safe, and not only the officers responding, potential officers at the scene, the community that’s there, and ultimately, even the suspect, if it’s something that needs to have the time to be able to respond in a manner that doesn’t necessarily end in a deadly force scenario, that’s a win for everybody,” Tanski explained.

The purchase of the vehicle was years in the making, roughly two decades, after political push-back and some in the community who felt this was militarizing the police.  But Chief Ceynowa said that’s far from the truth.

“Our mission is to provide a safe community for all. That means citizens, and that means our officers. You know that our officers are able to go home safe, or that somebody’s involved in a violent confrontation, you know that those people are able to go home safe,” Ceynowa said.

Ceynowa said the armored vehicle will respond to incidents like armed standoffs and high-risk warrants. The vehicle can get close to a subject for communication, and it can safely absorb high-powered ammunition — like an AR-15.

“We’ve seen that in other communities where they’ve been able to park there, and yes, the vehicle may get some damage, but we’re at the end of the day being able to get this person to the help they need,” Ceynowa said.

And when it comes to rescuing victims from a threatening scene, like a mass shooting, experts say the armored vehicle is the fastest and safety route to get in and get out.

“We’ve had these critical incidents happen everywhere across America, right? So, I think it’s ultimately the responsibility of the city and the community to realize that and to support not only the law enforcement but the rest of the community, because this truly is a life-saving piece of equipment,” Tanski explained.

It’s been a long-time coming for the Duluth Police Department — a tool nobody wants to use — but one Chief Ceynowa is relieved to finally have on the force.

“It is another tool, another asset in our tool chest, of things that we are able to deploy in chaotic situations. And it’s not the only tool, right? It’s also our Crisis Negotiation Team; it’s also our Drone Team. It’s also our patrol officers on the perimeter. It’s also our SWAT Team to bring a peaceful resolution for all parties involved,” Ceynowa said.

The Armored Rescue Vehicle cost around $380,000. It was paid for and approved in 2023 from funds saved during a staffing shortage that year.

Chief Ceynowa said the vehicle will be shared with neighboring law enforcement agencies when needed through a mutual-aid agreement.