LAV-150 Gwinnett Sheriff SWAT

[wgtactical]

This is will be an makeover for the Gwinnett Sheriff’s SWAT LAV-150. This particular vehicle has some history, as pointed out in an email I received from a gentleman in Texas who wrote:

“Hi Gerald,
I thought this would interest you.
Your V150 was one that was "captured' in Panama during Just Cause in ‘89, returned to the US at Charleston or Jacksonville, trucked to New York, then trucked to Red River where it was converted to a Detroit engine.
One other from that lot is with the sheriff department in Concord NC.
Cheers…Rory “

Just a little piece of trivia which seems to indicate that this is one LAV-150 that’s quite familiar to the sights and sounds of where action is happening. And as far as action goes…the 1989 United States invasion of Panama, code named “Operation Just Cause” should certainly speak for that

 

[BFR]

I am looking forward to seeing what you do.

 

[Heavysteven]

I am confused, is it yours or the Gwinett County's?

 

[wgtactical]

I am confused, is it yours or the Gwinett County's?

This is Gwinnett County's vehicle. Since I have had possession of it longer than they have...it probably looks like it's mine

 

[velociT]

I have always wanted to go get groceries in one of those, strictly for the looks it would get.

 

[B3.3T]

Going to burger drive-ins like Sonic is a lot more fun than groceries. The drivers hatch makes for a great tray and it does fit under the awning, just barely. Going to the dog park is fun, too.

 

[airmech3839]

Wow I would love to help with that project!! I use to be Gwinnett County resident and would love a ride in that beast!!

 

[wgtactical]

It probably wont go fit most drive thru's when completed...you will see why later
The first thing we do is steam clean inside and out, then chop off everything that we don't need...then steam clean again.

 

[srodocker]

man...any other pics of your other toys?

 

[wgtactical]

man...any other pics of your other toys?

Yes, and I hope to get around to putting together a thread for each of them on this site. At the moment, we are kinda busy and I dont have time to do that yet. However, if you google "wgtactical" you will see up to date links to just about everything we've done here. Really complete ones are on M2HB.net

 

[southdave]

Gcso m114 swat
gcso lav-150 swat
ccpd lav-300 swat

?

 

[Capt Pat]

Looks like it will be a nice rig when done, and a little more practical that Doraville's swat wagon. But their APC is really nice too and having their own 'prime mover' to haul it helps. It had just been redone when I last saw it. I was down there from Ohio for some re-certifications on some K-9's from Gwinnett County and several other departments. Some folks, (including the news media it seemed) didn't like the APC, thought it was too hard on the bad guys... Me I like the idea of backing a piece of "Light Armor" up to the front door of a barracaded bad actor and taking him down rather than getting into a Viet style 'firefight' in a neighborhood. Nice, clean and well taken care of, and the cops get to go home to their families. Doraville's even has a name, can't remember it, something "ASSAULT", lost the couple pics I had of it, but sure looked good at night.

 

[Capt Pat]

and all courtesy to South Dave in Ripley, Ohio, from a cop in Sandusky, Ohio, but there are departments here who could use that kind of protection for its officers. It helps bring bad actors out alive, thus reducing "suicide by cop" events and other such things as well as like I said, allowing the cops themselves to go home after shift to their families. You know it was one thing to be shot at and having Mr. "I hate American" take me out in some s--t hole third world country, but its just plain wrong for it to happen here. The discrete use of 'tactical light armor' is in keeping with reduced "leathal force responce". Think about it.

 

[southdave]

Just wondering why they needed 3

 

[Capt Pat]

the reason is called ATLANTA, GA. and unfortunately they do lose alot of law enforcement officers down there due to serious drug runners and more. Doraville, in that county is at the end of the transit system out of Atlanta and that department uses it to get potential problems out of their city. Its not a great place to be a cop. That why I stayed here, even with our messed up court system.

 

[wgtactical]

My kid’s always help on this, and other projects at the shop. There are many times that their friends want to come over and participate. Here, the sealant is being scraped out of the vision block ports.

Sometimes we find bolts broken off in the threaded holes, and they have to be addressed too

 

[M813rc]

And very polite and pleasant kids they are too! Nice to meet kids like that these days.


May I suggest that we now leave the debate about whether or not police should have these vehicles? That topic has been beaten to death in other threads, this one is about the vehicle rebuild, not the politics involved.

Cheers

 

[southdave]

Whatever capt. we are boarding on politics been censored twice don't want to risk anymore.

 

[wgtactical]

With abrasive blasting of the areas with rust completed, preparations for paint begins


Second pic shows the beginning of the platform for the light bar , FLIR and whatever else we can fit on it

Last pic taken before epoxy primer goes on

 

[saddamsnightmare]

October 25th, 2009.

Back in the late 1980's when I ran for Police Chief in a northern West Virginia town, we were having problems with drug dealers using high speed boats on the Ohio River, and the Coast Guard and the police departments had nothing to deal with it. Had I gotten elected that year, the boyo's would have been set up on a deal and AP rounds used to take the boat's engine out. If I had access to a PBR, I'd a used that too. My attitude is that the police have to be one ahead of the crooks in armament, so a V-100 or V150 is the way to go in that situation. One must remember, criminals aren't criminals because they're smart, it's just that they're too lazy to work like the rest of us. When you make the cost of crime higher then the profits, most of them will call it quits. Until then, too many do-gooders worry about the criminals rights and not those of the victim's. I applaud every LE and FD member, along the the innumerable GI's who put it on the line so the rest of us can be fat, dumb and happy. Spartans we're not.
Cheers,
Boys,

Kyle F. McGrogan