At the time of writing my first article, “Armored Trucks in Canada.”  The post was written with pure observation and with very little research. Now, with a request of some readers that maybe I should do a follow up from my first article.  So, I did a little more beating of the bush, and I couldn’t believe how accurate I was in that first posting.

In just the Toronto Ontario area there are four well known armored cars, trucks and personnel carrier companies and builders. In London, Ontario General Dynamics build troop carriers for Canada’s armed forces and resale to other countries around the world as well.

Armored Trucks in Canada

Some of these specialized companies rebuild anything with wheels, and armor protects them with heavy plating, reinforced steel in the doors, bulletproof glass. And they do this for several good reasons, Military, civilian use, protecting the rich and famous, and now —protecting our Police forces.  Apparently, we Canadians have been doing this for many years and are quite respected around the world in the Armored Car Industry.

The original post was about armored personnel carriers and why do our police force need them in Canada

We are a reasonably peaceful nation. We have our bit of crime, but not compared to other countries. I personally think that our law enforcement is a little out of control and have lost their sense of direction (Serve and protect) used to be their motto.

I watched six police cruisers surround this poor guy for a traffic violation. I counted at least a dozen police officers and their Police Cruisers at a charity walkathon ─ directing traffic.

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I guess my point would be, what a misuse of public money, time, and resources if that’s what they do.  And all those departments cry poor every year; they need more money, more officers on the road. Then they add a couple of armored personnel carriers to their arsenal, at the cost of half a million dollars apiece, just to sit in a garage 99% of the time. But — for what other reason would they need these war machines?.

The police departments cry money poor, they’re understaffed, over budget, and they need MORE.

Don’t get me wrong. Police officers have a dangerous job.

Don’t get me wrong, Police officers do have a dangerous job and to keep our finest safe is an utmost priority. Still, I think that good money could be allocated to different poorer departments in the force, rather than an intimidating Armored Vehicle.

But it looks like I’m right again about the use of such vehicles. I would like to be a fly on a wall at one of these police seminars. Yearly the finest get together on exchanging crime information around our country. Their big grand scheme of things is not policing the public but gearing up for something much bigger. Maybe they don’t even know themselves, or perhaps it’s the universal direction we are just going in with the unrest of world issues.

Na, they know precisely what they’re buying and why they’re buying it.

Canada hosted the G20 a few years back. There were a few disorganized demonstrations, and then, out came these armored vehicles. WHERE DID THEY COME FROM ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE? I think a lot of citizens were surprised at seeing these military trucks on our streets.

The Army Forces weren’t called in!

Looking at the 6 o’clock news, if someone had said these pictures were from a troubled spot in the world, I would have believed them, but “Not in Canada”. The fully dressed, riot gear cops, with these intimidating armored vehicles, just made the situation worse. Ordinary police officers treated our citizens like they were specially trained to keep law and order under Marshall Rule, armored cars, and all. And that was in Canada.

These intimidating pieces of iron are not needed for a family argument, dispute, or domestic problem, and there has been nothing in this city that would suggest that we would need such a piece of machinery.

Looks to be another disorganized rally boys, “bring out the armor it looks like there is some rowdiness on 5^th Street”.

But police officials from Vancouver to New Glasgow, N.S., defended their acquisitions. Even if these heavy-duty vehicles are sitting in a garage most days — and some have not been deployed even once. “They are a necessity for dealing with hostile and potentially life-threatening situations such as hostage-takings, incidents involving barricaded gunmen or active shooters, and the execution of high-risk search warrants,” officials said.

Just remember, this equipment is more intimidating than needed and could have more of a negative effect.

• University of Ottawa criminologist Michael Kempa remains skeptical of the need for the military hardware and says the public ought to scrutinize these purchases.
• “Nobody has presented the evidence that would suggest this is an essential part of local policing,” Kempa said. “How far are we going to go? And for what purpose?”

I guess — they just don’t see the bigger picture. Eh!

Do other police services have armored vehicles like this?

The answer is, yeah, quite a few in Ontario do. Police departments in all our major cities have armored vehicles tucked away and are a normal part of their arsenal. But Why?

By comparing prices, Sault Ste. Marie Police Ballistic Armored Tactical Transport vehicle cost $255,000, while the OPP armored rescue vehicles cost over $400,000. Montreal polices’ armored vehicles cost $360,000.

General Dynamic Land Systems, in London, donated a Tactical Rescue Vehicle to a local Police department and a portion of the cost for the Sault Ste. Marie vehicle was donated by Essar Steel Algoma.

New Glasgow police in Nova Scotia, Canada, acquired a decommissioned Cougar armored vehicle free of charge (but, nothing is free) from the Canadian Forces. All armaments had been removed, but still, they have to modify it for their use and regularly maintained to be ready for the next attack on Canadian soil. …. What attack?

Did I say?  Population 10,000 people, and, never mind about the full-time firefighters … “We need one of these babies, just in case!” “Just in case of what?”   That’s what one officer said to the other,

Please check out this post on the “Gun Rally In Richmond Virginia”

     CBC.ca, National Post,

Check out the conclusion on “Armored Cars in Canada” And now— I could be changing my thinking.

If my posting is not correct, please go to this link.