PEORIA, Ill. – Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria says a new vehicle for the department’s Special Response Team is one step closer to being on the streets here.
Echevarria says he and other staff went to Massachusetts last week where the new armored SRT vehicle is being made, kicked the tires, and took it for a test drive.
“It’s much needed,” said Echevarria. “With everything we have in the city, if we ever have to rescue somebody from a situation, or get up and close in a situation where we need to de-escalate and can potentially have some cover, we have that now.”
Echevarria tells WMBD’s Craig Collins his SRT captain is very pleased with the vehicle, saying he was like “a kid in a candy store” when seeing it last week.
The Peoria City Council approved purchasing the vehicle last year, and it takes about a year to make.
