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Cops say ARV will respond to gunplay, kidnappings, hostage situations
New armoured police vehicle ready for ‘rescues’ Mike Howell Staff writer
The VPD rolled out Tuesday its new $350,000 military-styled armoured “rescue vehicle.”
photo Rebecca Blissett
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The Vancouver Police Department has beefed up its fleet of vehicles with a $350,000 military-styled armoured “rescue vehicle” that it says will be used to keep officers and citizens safe in incidents such as shootings. The department literally rolled out its new set of wheels at Queen Elizabeth Park Tuesday morning for the media. It stopped near the Bloedel Conservatory, and out piled members of an emergency response team. “I know that the entrance of this vehicle may have seemed a bit dramatic but we’re here to introduce you to a dramatically different piece of police equipment,” said Deputy Chief Adam Palmer. The vehicle, which is commonly referred to by police as the ARV, will primarily be used to help the VPD rescue injured or trapped officers and citizens during serious incidents in the city. That includes calls involving guns, kidnappings, hostage takings and situations where a person has barricaded himself from police. Palmer said such incidents constitute “a relatively low number.” “But when you do have incidents like that, you need something with ballistic protection to respond appropriately,” he said, adding that police cruisers provide limited protection from bullets. The vehicle resembles an armoured Brinks truck and is equipped with bulletproof windows and small turret-like metal doors on its side that can be opened and closed. It has a roof hatch that can double as a shield and its interior is fitted with two bench seats, two drop seats and seats for the driver and passenger. “In an emergency situation, we would just load it up and get the people out of there,” said Palmer, when asked the seating capacity of the vehicle. “We would make it work.” The deputy chief pointed to several cases in previous years where the vehicle would have been valuable, including a shooting in December 2008 where a disgruntled employee killed his boss with a shotgun on East Fifth Avenue. “Eventually, police were able to negotiate the man’s peaceful surrender,” he
“YOU NEED SOMETHING WITH BALLISTIC PROTECTION TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY.” Adam Palmer
said. “In this situation, the ARV could have been used to transport citizens away from the dangerous area and brought police closer to the address while minimizing concern for their safety.” In July 2005, a man on the Lions Gate Bridge fired his shotgun over the guard rail and waved the barrel in the direction of police. The ARV would have provided a safe haven for the citizens on the bridge and the officers, he said. Palmer said the vehicle will also work as a deterrent when arresting gang members and suspects with highcalibre weapons prepared to “do battle or protect their criminal enterprise at any cost.” He said Victoria, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and the RCMP all have or are negotiating to buy such vehicles. The VPD’s truck was built by Cambli International in Quebec and cost $350,000 More than $250,00 came from the Vancouver Police Foundation and the remainder from the city. Annual operating costs are estimated at $5,000. David Eby, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, agreed the ARV could be helpful in serious incidents highlighted by Palmer. But Eby said the $350,000 should have been spent on a bigger priority—more officer training on dealing with mentally ill people. “In terms of bang for the buck, and limited policing dollars, I do question whether purchasing military hardware is the way forward for police,” he said. In 2008, the VPD released its “Lost in Transition” report that revealed more than 30 per cent of VPD calls in a two-week stretch studied in 2007 involved at least one mentally ill person. The VPD estimated in 2009 that it spent $9 million of its budget on officers responding to calls involving a mentally ill person. mhowell@vancourier.com