Replacement Armoured Rescue Vehicle will help save lives

MEDIA RELEASE

The Lethbridge Police Service’s new Armoured Rescue Vehicle (ARV) will better protect members of the public and police during violent, armed confrontations and high-risk incidents that have increased over the past few years.

The Teradyne Gurhka MPV replaces a 1993 converted armoured carrier truck that was purchased used six years ago, does not meet industry standards and has become unreliable posing a risk to officer and public safety.

In 2022 and 2023, there were 17 Tactical Team deployments involving armed, barricaded subjects, high-risk warrant executions and large-scale public protests and demonstrations, compared to 12 in 2021 and five in 2020.

“It is critical for the preservation of the safety of the public and our officers, that we have equipment that meets industry standards,” said Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh. “This rescue vehicle will save lives.”

Over the past three years, LPS has responded to nearly 12,000 calls for service involving firearms and other weapons.

“Weapon-involved calls are becoming more and more frequent and in the past few years our country has seen a significant increase the volume of protests and demonstrations as well as an escalation in violence that put police and the public at risk,” said Mehdizadeh.

Armoured rescue vehicles provide ballistic coverage to keep occupants safe and allow police to maintain closer containment to prevent subjects from causing further harm or enter a crisis point to save hostages. These vehicles also have specialized capabilities to rescue citizens and officers, safely deploy chemical munitions and enable medics to be closer to the scene for rapid-response when every second counts.

The Teradyne vehicle was purchased for just over $500,000 and is expected to have a working lifespan of approximately 20 years. The vehicle is now ready for deployment when required. In addition to call response, members of the public can also expect to see the vehicle up close during future community events.