You gotta love all the uninformed (NOT un-uniformed) making comments here.  Plus the "Mine-Resistant" spin by the press.

Go back to the beginning of it all, the FIRST incident where police started to realize that they just MIGHT need to obtain some types of military grade equipment - The North Hollywood Shootout of 1997.

Police were pitted against criminals with fully automatic (converted illegally) rifles and body armor - ALL of which were illegal.

The police were armed with shotguns, and had to go to a local sporting goods store to obtain rifles and ammunition capable of countering the threat.

The biggest problem?  How to evacuate the many wounded civilians, and couple of police officers, from the "combat" zone under fire.  The solution?  The commandeered some armored trucks and finally were able to evacuate the wounded.

Now.....LOOK REALLY CLOSELY at the the MILITARY MINE-RESISTANT truck in the picture.

What does it look like?  Wow!  Just like an Armored Bank Truck.