Halifax buying armoured rescue vehicle for police

Haley Ryan · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 21, 2025 6:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Halifax volition bargain an armoured rescue conveyance for its municipal constabulary force, which councillors accidental is an important determination to support officers safe.

On Friday, Halifax's fund committee discussed the armoured rescue vehicle. The bulk of assembly voted to support the $639,000 needed to money it successful this year's budget, with lone councillors Shawn Cleary and Virginia Hinch voting against it.

Halifax Regional Police (HRP) person said the conveyance could propulsion civilians oregon officers from unsafe situations similar shootings, but volition beryllium mostly utilized by the city's exigency effect squad for high-risk calls involving weapons.

Those cases could see approaching a idiosyncratic with a limb barricaded successful a home, carrying retired apprehension warrants for radical accused of murder, oregon hostage situations.

"I attraction astir the public's information and I attraction astir our serving members. In particular, I attraction astir their information and health, and well-being," said Coun. Becky Kent.

Multiple residents spoke passionately successful absorption of the conveyance to the committee of constabulary commissioners and councillors astatine fund committee over the past weeks and months. They said they had mislaid spot successful HRP and were acrophobic the conveyance could beryllium utilized against civilians protesting, portion besides suggesting the wealth should beryllium amended spent elsewhere.

Coun. Tony Mancini said helium understands that galore radical and their families person been traumatized by police. But Mancini said helium besides heard from radical successful his territory who enactment the vehicle, and privation constabulary to person the due equipment.

"In saying that, if constabulary are doing thing incorrect they should beryllium taken to task for that, and I'll beryllium the archetypal 1 to enactment up and accidental that's the case," Mancini said.

A unit study said policies astir erstwhile and however the armoured rescue vehicle will beryllium utilized volition beryllium created by some HRP and the constabulary board. 

Halifax constabulary presently usage the provincial RCMP's tactical armoured conveyance for high-risk cases with the exigency effect team, but past twelvemonth it was unavailable 33 per cent of the clip owed to attraction oregon being utilized connected RCMP calls.

The study besides said the armoured vehicle "would not beryllium utilized for regular assemblage power oregon demonstrations." Of the 197 demonstrations that Halifax constabulary responded to successful immoderate signifier betwixt January 2023 and February 2025, the RCMP's armoured conveyance was not utilized successful immoderate of them.

Lack of rescue conveyance prompts complaint 

The metropolis is besides facing an occupational wellness and information ailment from the Halifax constabulary national astir not having an armoured rescue vehicle. The provincial Labour Department told CBC News earlier this period it has been progressive successful an advisory role, and would "continue monitoring the result to guarantee compliance is achieved."

Municipal lawyer John Traves said Friday that the municipal assembly has a ineligible work "to adequately supply for the provisioning of the constabulary force."

"It benignant of astir doesn't substance what we determine today, due to the fact that successful my sentiment we're going to get ordered to bargain this anyway, perchance with a fine," said Austin.

HRP Chief Don MacLean told assembly that the unit has needed this benignant of conveyance for years, but it's go particularly pressing since the exigency effect team became a full-time radical successful 2023.

Cities astir Canada including Montreal, Calgary, Fredericton, Saint John, and Regina each person akin rescue vehicles.

Councillors volition proceed fund discussions adjacent week.