Prosper Police Department's massive emergency vehicle turns heads

The Prosper Police Department is turning heads with a massive emergency rescue vehicle.

The police department posted a photo of the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle on its Facebook page on June 1 and invited the public to come out and see it.

The posting quickly drew questions that the police department answered. First on the list was how much did it cost? The police department said the vehicle was purchased at no cost to taxpayers because the $689,000 armored vehicle was obtained through the Federal 1033 program which means it cost the town nothing.

Some readers questioned if the program uses federal funding which still comes from taxpayers.

"The MRAP that was reutilized through the 1033 program was declared excess by the Defense Department, it was not purchased using taxpayer funds. It was transferred to Prosper Police Department as a conditional loan, and it will be returned to the DOD when Prosper PD no longer requires it," according to the Defense Logistics Agency.

The police department pointed out the versatility of the vehicle. "It’s designed for high-water rescues (which saved many people this past week during the floods), active shooter situations, hostage rescues and other critical incidents, ensuring the safety of our officers and community," the department wrote below the original Facebook post.

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The police department went on to tout that the emergency rescue vehicle can help neighboring communities in growing Collin County and also helps with community engagement.

The department said that use of the vehicle continues with an annual renewal agreement.

Editor's Note: The vehicle was originally incorrectly characterized as an armored personnel carrier, this article has been updated to reflect its proper name, a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.