Patrick Brennan

pbrennan@enquirer.com

Amid the ongoing and widely debated subject of local police agencies "militarizing," the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is scaling back its considerable arsenal of vehicles.

Hamilton County's Armored Personnel Carrier, known to some at the department as "The Tank," was relinquished by the county on Tuesday, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil said in a Wednesday news release. The vehicle was transferred to the Jackson County (Ohio) Sheriff's Office, and one of five total vehicles no longer used by Hamilton County.

The agency also bid "bon voyage" to four water-fairing vessels. Two boats were donated to other law enforcement agencies in the region, according to the news release. A third boat and a submarine were sold at auction, according to the release.

The price fetched at auction for the boat and submarine was not immediately disclosed by the county. The release did not specify which local agencies received the donated boats.

"The Tank," acquired from the State of Ohio in September 2000 through the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services' Program, has been used almost exclusively as a showpiece at parades and fairs.

"When I took office, I tasked my Commanders to either explain to me the practical use of everything we have and how it is needed to provide public safety," Neil said in the news release. "If it isn't critical to our operation, then we need to get rid of it."

Fuel costs alone made 'The Tank' a potentially-expensive addition to the county's arsenal.

This model of tank operates on diesel fuel, and some boast a 95-gallon external fuel cell.

The national per-gallon cost of diesel fuel was $2.55 Monday (the day before Hamilton County transferred the tank to Jackson County), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. However, diesel fuel averaged a per-gallon cost of $3.41 on Dec. 15, 2013.

If Hamilton County officials were paying the typical price for diesel fuel, an average trip to the pump for a tank refill might have cost the county as much as $242.

This time last year, topping "The Tank" off might have cost more than $323 per refill.

The Hamilton County news release did not note the size of "The Tank's" fuel cell, but did note budgetary concerns as a consideration in parting with the five total police vehicles.

"The cost of upkeep as well as the space to store some of these items was reason enough to look at reducing our inventory," Neil said in the release. "With a tight budget, we're streamlining our organization to be as lean and efficient as possible."