New Law Cracks Down on Armoured Vehicles and Secret Compartments

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 02:48 PM

Prince George, B.C.- Police in B.C. now have another tool to help them fight gang activity.

New legislation introduced today will make it illegal to operate an armoured vehicle unless the driver has a special permit. It will also make it illegal to have a secret compartment added to their vehicles.

"It's not unusual for gangs to modify their vehicles with armour and secret compartments as a way to protect themselves, conceal firearms,drugs or cash, and evade police," said Solicitor General Mike de Jong. "We want the message to gangsters to be unequivocal: If you drive a bulletproof vehicle or one with a secret compartment that is added after purchase, you will pay a large fine and face possible jail time."

Highlights of the act include:

* Enhancing public safety by prohibiting anyone from operating armoured vehicles, except by regulated exemption or with a permit for legitimate purposes.

* Prohibiting the after-market installation of compartments in vehicles unless exempt by regulation.

* Requiring individuals seeking an armoured vehicle operation permit to prove reasonable need and undergo a criminal record check.

* Individuals found in contravention of this act will face a fine of up to $10,000 and six months imprisonment, upon conviction.

"Armoured passenger vehicles contribute to gang and gun violence by giving gang members a sense of safety and impunity while they commit their criminal acts," said Deputy Chief Constable Clayton Pecknold, president of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police. "This legislation will help police get these vehicles off our streets."

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Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 02:48 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on April 28 2010 3:21 PM

Well it may be a good law ut I think we should have more come on give us more laws, more cops lets go. Pretty soon we will all have to stay in our homes.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on April 28 2010 3:39 PM

There is no communication between the Campbell government and the public before they enact all this legislation that seems to happening all of a sudden.
Why?
Do they assume we are all too stupid to understand what is going on and why?
This government appears to be completely out of control and grabbing at straws.
We should be very nervous about that!
Why does Gordon Campbell avoid speaking to us?

Posted by: gus on April 28 2010 3:53 PM

Okay. So that means that if you are contemplating becoming a criminal, one more thing that you have to do in preparation for your life in crime is to go for your permit to operate an armoured vehicle first.

Or, if you have a criminal record, you hire a driver without a criminal record who has the permit.

As long as you do not get caught you can keep on using the vehicle. Once you do get caught, you simply add that illegal activity onto the other list of illegal activities you do in your life of crime.

Maximum $10,000 fine, eh? Operating a criminal activity is getting more and more expensive. The price of drugs is going to be going up once more. Induced inflation.

Posted by: BCRacer on April 28 2010 3:56 PM

Campbell in my opinion spends too much time in the bottom half of his liquor cabinet.
He is a criminal...
and I feel he proves it more and more every day...
He has finally got someone in the AG department who will bow for his ideas and will say whateve he is told....
though some of their ideas recently have some merit they stop short and just make it strong enough to upset everyone though not that effective...
I aomehow doubt he will run again so I feel he is getting all his "friends" in a row so he knows where to collect later....

Posted by: Andyfreeze on April 28 2010 4:15 PM

Bang on BCRacer!

Posted by: RUEZ on April 28 2010 4:27 PM

Campbell will not be happy until every facet of our lives is regulated.

Posted by: Harbinger on April 28 2010 5:32 PM

If rust on my truck was armour, I'd be arrested yesterday.

Posted by: metalman on April 28 2010 5:35 PM

The criminal element must be quaking in their boots with this latest salvo from the B.C. Reactionary governmant.
metalman.

Posted by: Oldun on April 28 2010 5:49 PM

I need a secret compartment in my old pickup so I can hide what little money I have from all the government tax grabs. Of course I expect to pay HST on the installation of the compartment.

Posted by: frankgeorgeson on April 28 2010 5:51 PM

can anyone tell me if I am braking the law by breathing?

Frank

Posted by: Stompin Tom on April 28 2010 5:52 PM

Wow,

how many of you whine for the sake of whining?

Posted by: charles on April 28 2010 6:09 PM

The trend for many years now has been to put more and more laws on the books to "crack down" on various types of crimes, while at the same time the actual sentences handed out to individuals convicted of crimes is getting less and less.

Posted by: My3Centsworth on April 28 2010 6:54 PM

So, will we now be having roadblocks where they check our vehicles for secret compartments??? Will the portable scales be used to see if we've added any extra steel to our vehicles?

Posted by: whelen on April 28 2010 7:17 PM

if its a secret compartment how would you know it was there? And if you knew it was there would it be a secret? What a bunch of bozos!

Posted by: supertech on April 28 2010 7:46 PM

we should know by now that we're not allowed to protect ourselves. Not allowed to carry a gun--can we carry a cop?

Posted by: supertech on April 28 2010 7:49 PM

Now I'm pissed enough to build a secret compartment in my vehicle just because. Like who is ever going to check my vehicle for a secret compartment?

Posted by: seamutt on April 28 2010 8:48 PM

Now if I buy an aftermarket lockbox for under the seat of my jeep wrangler, is that a secret compartment?

Posted by: whitewater on April 28 2010 9:28 PM

I think the “hide a key” just made a third of the population criminals.

Posted by: He spoke on April 28 2010 9:42 PM

how about these fancy new cars, and after driving it for two years you find a compartment. Is it a secret compartment?

Posted by: MrPG on April 29 2010 8:28 AM

I didn't think it was possible to whine and complain about this story, but once again I have been proven wrong. Nice job everyone.

Posted by: Arthur Williams on April 29 2010 11:19 AM

Damn, I was hoping to turn my Kia into a tank ;)

Posted by: Loki on April 29 2010 11:48 AM

where do I apply for my turd permit?

Posted by: metalman on April 29 2010 12:56 PM

Loki, go to the city or the regional district for any permits needed to lawfully discharge waste. You're welcome.
;)
metalman.

Posted by: Loki on April 29 2010 4:27 PM

Can we also get a permit to lawfully discharge the waste at 1100 Patricia or better yet in Victoria?