Regina police seeking 'urban-friendly' armoured truck: chief

Regina's police chief says the RCMP's armoured vehicle used to respond to weapons calls is too large for the city's streets. 

On Wednesday, Evan Bray said he wouldn't speak specifically to the service's proposed 2018 budget, but he responded to questions about why the police are looking to buy an armoured vehicle — which is being called a tactical rescue vehicle. 

Bray said the police service currently has an agreement in place for its tactical team to use the RCMP's armoured vehicle, noting the SWAT team has been deployed 35 times this year. 

"There's been times when we have asked to use that vehicle from the RCMP and we almost cannot drive down the city street because of vehicles parked on both sides. It's a very big vehicle," he said.

Bray said there are also times the vehicle is not available. 

"There are options out there that are more, I would call, urban-friendly. They're not the tank that the [RCMP's] is and they're much more of just a very big truck that provides protection to our officers," he said. 

The request to purchase the vehicle was discussed as part of private police budget talks by the board of police commissioners following Wednesday's public meeting. Once approved in private, the police's 2018 spending plan will be tabled for council approval in 2018. 

Opposed to militarization 

Florence Stratton, an activist with the group Colonialism No More, questioned the need for the police to purchase an armoured vehicle and voiced concerns about militarization — a concern also shared by University of Regina professor Michelle Stewart.  

Both appeared during Wednesday's meeting as delegates.

"We're opposed to the militarization of police. The Regina Police Service, that's the last thing we're looking to do," Bray said, noting the force puts in considerable effort to be involved in the community .

However, he said officers need protection. Gun violence is on the rise, with 2016 and 2017 being very "challenging years," he said.

"Having that tactical vehicle allows us to literally pull up to the front door or the back door of a house without any fear of safety for our officers."