Free Tanks

Someone got some a new toy that gets 2.3 miles per gallon.

"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.'

There is no longer a turret-mounted machine gun, but Portland does plan on equipping the vehicle with a retractable battering ram – just in case officers need to force their way into a barricaded building."