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 the bush and I couldn’t believe how accurate I was in that first posting.
In just Toronto “Canada” area alone (100-mile radius) there are (up to 4) well known armored car, truck and personnel carrier companies and builders, “and that ’s just in this small area”.
Armored Trucks in Canada
These specialized companies rebuild anything with wheels and armor protects them. They do this for several good reasons, Military, civilian use, protecting the rich and famous, and now 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 all our law enforcement is out of control and have lost their sense of direction (Serve and protect) used to be their motto. I watched 6 police cars surround this poor guy for a traffic violation. I counted at least a dozen police officers “the same weekend” and their cars at any given charity walk-athon, directing traffic. I guess my point would be, what a misuse of public money, time and resources. And all those departments cry poor every year and then they add a couple of armored personnel carriers to there arsenal, just to sit 99% of the time. At half a million dollars cost each. The police departments cry poor that they’re understaffed, over budget and they need MORE money.
Don’t get me wrong, they have a dangerous job.
Don’t get me wrong, they do have a dangerous job and to keep our finest safe is a priority, but I think that good money could be allocated to different poorer departments in the force.
But it looks like I’m right again about the use of such vehicles. I would like to be a fly on the wall at one of these police seminars, yearly get together on exchanging crime information around our country. Their big grand scheme of things is not policing FOR the public but gearing up for something much bigger. Maybe they don’t even know themselves or maybe it’s the universal direction we are just going in.
Na, they know exactly 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. Looking at the 6 o’clock news, if someone would have said these were pictures were from a troubled spot in the world, I would have totally 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 trained to keep law and order under Marshall rule, armored cars and all. And that’s 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 “bring out the armor boys, it looks like there is some rowdiness on 5th 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 of the week — some have not been deployed even once —”they are necessary 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, he just doesn’t see the bigger picture. Eh!
Do other police services have armored vehicles like this?
Cost of these Troop Carriers.
Quite a few in Ontario do. Police departments in all our major cities have armored vehicles tucked away.
By comparison of the price, 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, 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 (nothing is free) from the Canadian Forces. All armaments had been removed but still, have to modify for their use and 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!”
One officer said to the other,
What you don’t have one of these.
WHAT!
Don’t you have one of these?
They must be seeing a bigger, gloomier, future than me.
Note. Some of my bits of wisdom were borrowed from
CBC.ca, National Post, Autofocus.ca.
If my posting is not correct, please go to this link.
Pictures by ……….. http://carpng.com/