A generous $50,000 donation will help the Roseville Police Department purchase an armored van capable of rescuing civilians and first responders stranded in dangerous areas during critical incidents.
The Roseville City Council accepted the donation from the Granite Foundation at its Monday meeting. The Granite Foundation is a local family foundation that has been a longtime supporter of Roseville public safety. Roseville resident and Granite Foundation Vice President Timothy Madden and his daughter Director Mallory Madden attended the city council meeting.
“Roseville is dear to our hearts,” Madden said.
The nonprofit Roseville Police Foundation has led the fundraising efforts for the van, which will cost $180,000. Tareen Dermatology in Roseville has also donated $15,000.
The foundation is still actively raising funds and will host a fundraiser on April 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Smash Park. The event includes a pickleball tournament and brunch buffet.
The unmarked Sprinter van will be used by front-line patrol officers when responding to active scenes or when a victim needs to be quickly evacuated. The van is nimble, bullet-resistant, and able to respond more rapidly than traditional SWAT BearCat vehicles, which typically take about 30-45 minutes to arrive.
Unfortunately, it’s a situation that Roseville first responders have confronted before. 
In April 2022, Roseville police officers and firefighters were involved in an active shooter incident in a residential neighborhood near Lake Owasso, with more than 200 rounds fired at first responders. Officer Ryan Duxbury was shot in the face. He and his rescuers dodged gunfire for an hour as they escaped the scene.
Duxbury has made a full recovery and returned to duty. Roseville police leaders want to be prepared for future high-risk calls.
“We continue to learn from the West Owasso incident,” said Police Chief Erika Scheider. “We were fortunate that Officer Duxbury was able to self-evacuate from the active scene, but had he been incapacitated, it would have been very difficult to evacuate him safely. This could have easily resulted in more officers being hit by gunfire.”
Scheider said the recent tragic deaths of first responders in Burnsville and Minneapolis further underscore the urgent need for improved emergency response capabilities.
“FBI reports indicate that assaults on law enforcement in the U.S. reached a 10-year high in 2023, with firearm-related assaults at their highest level in a decade,” said Scheider.
The Chief said the vehicle will be a regional asset and Roseville police would deploy it to assist neighboring agencies.
The Roseville Police Foundation will host a fundraiser on April 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Smash Park. The fundraiser includes a pickleball tournament, brunch buffet, and Spingo.
Learn more and get tickets