Here is the deal...in simplicity.
Most of these vehicles end up on a gov’t sales listing. Cost is usually ten to forty percent of original cost.
Who buys them? Usually a local or county law enforcement agency who has grant money that is NOT monitored by the city or county commission. If you put this out for a vote....rarely will commissions approve the purchase.
Upon delivery? You discover that you need a driver who is trained and certified (yeah, that cost money)....so you pay for Randy and Joe to go off to Iuka or Del Rio for three days of training.
Then you discover that you need a special mechanic, so Sparky (your police car mechanic) goes to Ohio for ten days of special training (that costs money too).
Then you discover that routine maintenance is tied into the vehicle. Parts, special oil, and special tires. That will cost money.
If you have a full-blown emergency where it’s needed at the other side of the county? Well....you can figure almost an entire tank of gas will be used to get there and back. Figure up around $100 minimum for each trip.
The odds of some idiot taking a curve too fast and flipping it? Well, you have to order the guys to keep the speed at forty on the straight-away, and ten on curves.
What happens when you get it to the “event”? You tend to park in a position so that the local media can image it and put it into the report. Actual usage? Maybe one event out of ten will require it to be pulled in close.
Breakdowns? More than your average vehicle. Cost on the police department? You can figure twenty thousand a year will be spent if you drive it out once a week to some event.
Around twenty years ago...in Phoenix...the local cops ended up with their ‘attack vehicle’ damaging some parked cars, and the county had to pay out tens of thousands for damages.
For the effect that county or city cops gain...they get one interesting add-on. Now that everyone sees things advanced...there’s a need for a heavier type weapon to counter the police-military vehicle. Within ten years....rockets and mortars will be noted by various gangs and criminals. What’s next for the cops? Laser weapons?
Most of these vehicles end up on a gov’t sales listing. Cost is usually ten to forty percent of original cost.
Who buys them?
You've pretty much nailed it.
States, counties, towns, universities, and non profit organizations, etc., get first dibs on military surplus equipment.
What's left over gets sold in a huge online auction.
That's the source of most military equipment that we, who collect such "relics" use.
You have to know where to shop.
I am not going to announce here where to shop so as not to add even more bidders bidding up the price.
If one is interested enough, one can find it.
BTW, Saturday I should be picking up my second German Army Unimog, another radio van.
Will be using it for emergency and event ham radio.
Search for images of U1300L if you want to see what it looks like.