CBC, Global: Winnipeg police show off new armoured vehicle
The armoured vehicle purchase has caused controversy.
“Police services everywhere, certainly across North America, are becoming more militarized,” said Frank Cormier, a criminologist at the University of Manitoba.
Cormier pointed to other initiatives by Winnipeg police, including the creation of a tactical team, the purchase of the Air-1 helicopter, and plans to give patrol carbine firearms to more officers.
“The addition of a vehicle like this, the addition of a helicopter, and I’m not only talking about the Winnipeg police right now — these things are objectively, demonstrably, militarization,” he said.
“There will be disagreement over whether or not that is necessarily a bad thing, but if police services are interested in, you know, the community model of policing, rather than the ‘us versus them,’ that will not assist with that effort.
Constable Adam Cheadle with the Tactical Support Team said the risks in Winnipeg are growing and therefore so is the necessity for ARV1.
A Criminologist at the University of Manitoba agrees, saying it is an important tool for protecting police and the community. But, he questions whether an armed rescue vehicle of this magnitude is necessary.
“Something like body cameras would be far more utilized day to day on a very routine basis than an armoured vehicle like this one,” said Frank Cormier from the University of Manitoba.