San Bernardino County approves $531,000 armored rescue vehicle for Sheriff's Department
Supervisors authorized a non-competitive purchase from Lenco Industries on Sept. 1 and a $46,511 budget adjustment to cover a price increase.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 1 authorized the Sheriff's Department to buy one armored rescue vehicle for $531,000.
The purchase was Item 62 (file 14815) on the consent calendar, which passed 5-0. Supervisor Curt Hagman moved approval and Supervisor Joe Baca Jr. seconded.
The purchase order goes to Lenco Industries Inc. of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, according to the department's staff report.
How the vehicle is used
The report says the department's Specialized Enforcement Division is called to critical incidents across the county and serves warrants considered high-risk, including those where suspects are armed.
The division uses armored vehicles to carry equipment and personnel, evacuate residents and officers, and shield injured people while they receive medical aid, according to the report.
The department now has four Lenco-built armored rescue vehicles assigned to the division, the report says.
The Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement in unincorporated areas and, by contract, to 14 cities and one tribe, according to the report.
Price and budget
The department's 2026-27 budget already included $484,489 in discretionary general fund money for the vehicle, the report says.
That figure matched a purchase order issued to Lenco for one vehicle in December 2024. A purchase order for an earlier vehicle, in May 2022, was for $394,046.
Lenco's current quote, received July 30, came in at $531,000. The board approved moving $46,511 within the department's budget to make up the difference, an action that required four votes.
The report says the item will not require additional discretionary general fund money.
No competing bids
The purchase was not competitively bid. The staff report says the department recommended staying with Lenco to keep its equipment standardized, which it said helps with training and operation.
Staff wrote that the specifications are proprietary to Lenco and that the company has no distributor network or outside sales agents. The county Purchasing Department supported the approach, according to the report.
When the county sought proposals for an armored vehicle in April 2022, it notified 65 registered vendors and Lenco was the only one to respond, the report says.
Payment terms
The board also accepted one term that departs from the county's standard contract language.
Lenco's quote calls for payment within 30 days. The county's standard is 60 days, without interest or penalties for late payment, according to the report.
Staff warned that the county usually takes at least 60 days to process payments, and that missing the 30-day window could be treated as a breach that would let the company cancel the sale.