Due to the sensitive and/or legal subject matter of some of the content on globalnews.ca, we reserve the ability to disable comments from time to time.
Canada’s government is still listing vehicles equipped for police use for sale, despite the government’s announcement in January that it would prohibit the sale of decommissioned RCMP cars.
Story continues below advertisement
Global News identified at least three surplus vehicles listed for sale on the federal government’s website.
All three are listed as former vehicles used by the department of defence and all were equipped with police trim, meaning they were likely used as military police vehicles.
All are similar in appearance to decommissioned RCMP cruisers that had been listed for sale before the federal government announced a “moratorium” on the sale of decommissioned RCMP cruisers on Jan. 22.
This listing for the sale of a DND police-package vehicle was removed after Global News contacted the Department of Defence and Minister of Public Safety for comment.
GCSurplus/Global News
“The RCMP has a resale process for vehicles it no longer needs that ensures they cannot easily be misused for criminal purposes,” said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair in a statement accompanying the moratorium’s announcement.
Story continues below advertisement
“We are suspending the sale of decommissioned RCMP vehicles on an interim basis to ensure that this process remains appropriate and robust.”
Blair announced the prohibition in the wake of two “very serious incidents” in Nova Scotia
The gunman of the Nova Scotia shooting was driving a vehicle, decorated with decals and lights, that made it look like an RCMP cruiser.
The vehicle — and a realistic-looking RCMP uniform — would help him evade police over 13 hours on April 18 and 19, 2020, as he killed 22 people, including RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson.
Story continues below advertisement
More recently, a 23-year-old man from Antigonish, N.S., was arrested this week for driving what appeared to look like an unmarked police vehicle and allegedly pulling over other vehicles.
The vehicle was outfitted with LED lights in the rear window, a microphone on the dashboard, a public address system, citizens band radio and a push bar with LED lights mounted on the grill.
Police also confirmed the suspect did not appear to have any police clothing or firearms of any kind.
The continued sale of decommissioned police vehicles raises questions about the effectiveness of the prohibition.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Bill Blair’s office told Global News that the moratorium only applied to former RCMP vehicles.
They directed any further inquiries to the Department of National Defence (DND) or Public Services and Procurement Canada.
Story continues below advertisement
In an email to Global News, a spokesperson for the DND said the department has “requested that the items be removed from the site until further notice, while we determine the way ahead for the disposal of our police vehicles.”
Within a few hours of being contacted, the three listings detailed by Global News had been removed from the Government of Canada’s website.
Under the Criminal Code, it is an offence for people to “falsely represent” themselves as police officers. It’s also a crime when someone uses police equipment, such as a badge, vehicle or article of clothing, in a way that would lead people to believe the person is a police officer.
Story continues below advertisement
However, it is not illegal to possess or own police vehicles, with companies using decommissioned vehicles for TV shows and movies or even collecting them.
— With files from Global News Elizabeth McSheffrey