Police say Tampa's tanks can also be used for search and rescue to anti-terror efforts.

It’s understandable that Tampa, Fla., police felt the need to prepare for violence at an Occupy Tampa protest. But was a tank really necessary?

A picture from Thursday’s demonstration, posted to Twitter yesterday by the hacking group Anonymous, shows what is now included in the arsenals of many police departments around the country: a massive “armored personnel carrier.” Or, in laymen’s terms, a tank.

The police department’s website refers to Tampa’s big blue vehicle, complete with logos of “our sponsors,” as “virtually unstoppable.”