The Portland Police Department is packing some heavy armor these days – 10 tons, give or take.

[efoods]The department is in the process of configuring an M113 armored personnel carrier – affectionately referred to as a “tank” – for civilian law enforcement.

The track-driven military vehicles were offered for free as surplus property by the Department of Defense last fall, and Portland police got two of them. One will be used for parts, since maintaining the old vehicles is difficult.

“A lot of people look at it and say it’s too much,” said Capt. Ted Ross, head of operations for the department. “The benefit is to reduce the danger and exposure to danger for our officers that could be approaching a hostile or armed confrontation.”

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