Advertisement

Saskatchewan looking to equip highway officers with heavy body armour

235 tickets were given out by the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol between July 7th and 13th for Operation Safe Driver. Saskatchewan Government / Supplied

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure issued two tenders for light and heavy body armour for Highway Patrol Officers.

“It’s all part of workplace safety,” said Highways and Infrastructure Minister Greg Ottenbreit.

“They’re outfitted like any other peace officer so we want to make sure they have the best quality equipment when they’re carrying out those duties.”

The request for bids (RFBs) are posted on the SaskTenders website. The RFBs are for 50 plates of soft armour, a vest (into which the armour is placed), belts and 60 plates of hard armour, 25 centimetres by 30 centimetres.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“If they’re responding to an event… where there is the possibility of a rifle they would use the hard armour. Other than that the soft armour is their standard issue,” Ottenbreit said.

Story continues below advertisement

He said he wasn’t aware of the number of times the hard armour had been necessary in the past. He also said the equipment was standard across the country and the purchase wasn’t motivated by a specific incident.

The RFBs were issued on Dec. 5 and will close on Dec. 19. The documents state agreements with the selected manufacturers are expected to begin on Dec. 23.

The Highway Patrol was created in 2018 to reduce rural crime. Constables enforce the criminal code as well as federal, provincial and municipal traffic statutes. They also provide support for RCMP and city police services.

Sponsored content

AdChoices