New armoured vehicle not intended for military-style policing

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This article was published 22/06/2016 (3365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It has eight gun ports. It has armour strong enough to withstand bombs. It looks like a vehicle military troops use on the landmine-pitted roads of Afghanistan.

Yet, police insist, the new $343,000 armoured vehicle unveiled Wednesday should not be seen as a sign Winnipeg is moving to a U.S. model of military-style policing.

The 6.8-tonne vehicle, which is bulletproof and has ballistic and explosion protection, looks similar to vehicles used in war zones. When its purchase was first announced last winter, critics questioned whether Winnipeg was influenced by the growing militarization of U.S. police, as evidenced by extensive U.S. use of police body armour, helicopters, drones and armoured vehicles such as the Gurkha vehicle purchased by Winnipeg.

Winnipeg police say they got the Gurkha for use by special operations groups such as the tactical support team and crisis negotiators in high-risk situations, such as bomb threats or hostage-takings.

Const. Adam Cheadle is an officer who will be involved in such calls. He said it’s necessary to have equipment such as the Gurkha because dangerous incidents continue to rise in Winnipeg.

“I’ve been with the service now moving onto my 20th year,” Cheadle said. “Whether it’s firearms incidents or further higher-risk incidents, they’re increasing yearly. So the potential of being used is definitely greater than it was in years past.”

Officers are currently training to operate the vehicle, and police say they could use it on the job as early as July 1.

The multi-purpose vehicle was built in by Terradyne Armored Vehicles Inc. based in Newmarket, Ont. It’s built on a Ford F550 chassis and, from the driver’s seat, operates like a Ford truck, with the exception of ample storage room and bench-style seating for six in the armour-plated cabin.

While the vehicle isn’t armed itself, it has eight gun ports. Its exterior cameras can be monitored from the inside.

“Our vehicle is purpose-built for policing. It does not have any armaments,” said Insp. Jon Lutz. “Basically it’s a defensive tool for us to go in and do our job a little more safely.”

Lutz said the public shouldn’t compare Winnipeg to militarized police forces because of the purchase. He said in many instances, police in the U.S. obtain military vehicles second-hand from the army.

“Canadian policing is very different in a lot of respects. Many American law enforcement agencies will grab assault rifles, and a helmet and heavy shields and all of a sudden they’re a tactical agency. All our members go through very serious training and when you look at what our members do and the size of our tactical support team, we have a very small contingent — less than one per cent of the service — doing that sort of work.”

Maurice Sabourin, president of the Winnipeg Police Association, said the arrival of the vehicle is welcome as a life-saving machine.

“We have long advocated for the purchase of this equipment and new equipment that makes our members’ job safer and for the safety of the citizens,” Sabourin said. “I think what’s important to realize is this vehicle will lessen the dangers that our members face on a daily basis, especially when you have incidents involving assault rifles.”

The purchase of the vehicle was a surprise to Coun. Scott Gillingham, chair of the Winnipeg Police Board, when he saw a bid notice on the city’s website in November 2015, indicating police had made the purchase without notifying the police board. The board has since made it a rule that all police purchases over $100,000 must go before the board.

Despite that, Gillingham said in a press release he thinks the armoured vehicle was a good buy.

“Community safety is a priority for the Winnipeg Police Board. The armoured rescue vehicle will enhance the Winnipeg Police Service’s ability to protect the public and police officers during high-risk incidents.”

bailey.hildebrand@freepress.mb.ca

Here's a look at the inside of the new @wpgpolice armoured rescue vehicle. pic.twitter.com/h0VhoDzp31 (@bdebrand)

— Winnipeg Free Press (@WinnipegNews) June 22, 2016

The Service is set to introduce our Armoured Rescue Vehicle (ARV1). More details at 11 a.m. pic.twitter.com/rc0GXVJkoV

— Winnipeg Police (@wpgpolice) June 22, 2016