What Ever Happened To Second Armadillo In Utica?

Three candidates for local office want to put a second Utica Police Department Armadillo on the streets.

Utica Common Council candidates Jim Zecca and John Deater and Oneida County Board of Legislators candidate David Gordon say a second Armadillo would help protect neighborhoods throughout the city.

Zecca says a second truck which was donated to the city by the Brinks Company a number of years ago, sits in the Utica Parks Department garage.

He says a combination of city, state and county money could be used to get the vehicle equipped and up and running at a cost of about $20.000 to $25,000

Gordon says a second Armadillo could help protect neighborhoods like South Utica, which have seen an increase in crime.

The Armadillo -- an armored surveillance vehicle used for nuisance abatement around the city -- was first deployed by the UPD in 2010.