Mounties in B.C. have a new weapon in their fight against crime, courtesy of the Canadian Forces.
Two Tactical Armored Vehicles (TAV II) were acquired by RCMP headquarters in Ottawa free of charge and retrofitted to police standards.
On Monday, emergency response team officers tested out their new wheels while raiding a Surrey home near the Fraser Highway.
Neighbours were surprised by the machine's arrival, describing it as a "tank."
Sgt. Peter Thiessen says the vehicle was used to protect police from a potentially dangerous confrontation.
"We had good reason to believe that the individuals we were going to be encountering were heavily armed," Thiessen said.
Officers recovered one weapon in the home and three others, including a sub-machine gun, at another location.
Thiessen said if the risk is high enough, residents can expect to see one of the bullet proof behemoths again in the future.
But despite the vehicles' appearance, they do not carry heavy artillery.
"There are no firearms situated in this piece of equipment over and above what our officers would normally be carrying as emergency team members."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro
