A New Brunswick police force unveiled its newest piece of equipment on Thursday — an armoured rescue vehicle.
Fredericton’s deputy police chief, Martin Gaudet, unveiled the new vehicle — which was first announced last year — painted in the black and white pattern of the force.
According to a fact sheet released by the police, the vehicle will be leased for six years at a cost of approximately $57,000 per year, after which the City of Fredericton will own the vehicle.
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The vehicle will be used by the force’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) during weapons calls and extraction of citizens or hostages from dangerous citizens.
Don’t expect to catch a glimpse of the vehicle on random or routine patrol, as police say it will only be deployed in specific instances.
Police say that the interior of the vehicle will remain closed to the public in order to maintain secrecy of the vehicle’s “tactical function.”
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The police attempted to rebut the criticism of their decision to acquire the vehicle, saying that they are not attempting to militarize the police force.
“The armoured rescue vehicle does not have offensive capabilities,” the force wrote.
Four other police forces in New Brunswick have access to similar armoured vehicles.