Kenney: Philly Will Not Buy an Armored Vehicle for the DNC

Philly is not buying one of these for the DNC, says Jim Kenney.

Philly will not buy an armored vehicle for the Democratic National Convention this July, Mayor Jim Kenney said yesterday at a press conference in D.C.

The armored vehicle was originally discussed in a $27 million budget approved by a City Council committee last month, according to CBS.

As part of $43 million granted to Philadelphia from the U.S. Department of Justice, the city also approved expenses like a bus system for delegates, police gear and parking lot rentals at the stadiums, CBS reports.

At yesterday’s D.C. press conference, Kenney said plans from the armored vehicle were scrapped. Instead, the city will rely primarily on cops on bikes.

Big difference there.

Police on bicycles can assist convention-goers and are more interactive, Kenney said, and they help avoid a militaristic or confrontational style for the three-day event.

A detailed list of security equipment purchased for the convention will not be released until after it’s over. Kenney said the city’s Civil Affairs Unit is in charge of keeping peace at protests, which will occur across the street from the Wells Fargo Center.

Cleveland, on the other hand, plans to buy 2,000 sets of riot gear, including riot-control suits, tactical armor and 26-inch batons, and three miles of interlocking steel barriers for the Republican National Convention being held a week prior.

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