SAGINAW, MI — The Mine-Resistant Ambush Proof (MRAP) military vehicle that has been in possession of the Saginaw County Sheriff's Department for several months is now at its new home at another nearby sheriff's department.

The MRAP left Saginaw County and is now in possession of the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department, Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel told The Saginaw News on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

"It's gone," Federspiel said. "We were notified after a couple weeks that the military was going to grant that to the Lapeer County Sheriff's Office.

"We met with Lapeer County Sheriff's Office at mosquito control, started the beast up, and they drove it out."

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Federspiel said he wishes the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department the best and said he is happy the vehicle is still nearby should the need arise to use it.

"As long as Sheriff Ron Kalanquin keeps it running smoothly and puts a little money into it, I'm sure he would allow me to use it if I needed it," Federspiel said. "We share resources. If he's willing to sustain it in his budget and keep it operational, good for him.

"I hope we never have to use it but I know where it's at."

Sheriff Federspiel obtained the MRAP from the U.S. Army earlier in 2014 and said he decided to get rid of it in July after he realized there would be some unforeseen costs with paying a specialized mechanic to work on it if need be.

Read original story about sheriff receiving MRAP

The sheriff's 19-ton MRAP was shown during a Sunday, Aug. 17, segment of HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" entitled, "Ferguson, MO and Police Militarization."

Federspiel told The Saginaw News the day after the HBO show aired that he already had plans in place to get rid of the vehicle and had it decommissioned in July, before the controversy in Ferguson and before the HBO show.

— Brad Devereaux is a public safety reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+