The police in the 604 will now be using flashy and exotic cars seized from “gangsters” or “drug dealers” to send a message to the youth in a new campaign that illustrates the risks of being involved with criminal activitiy.
B.C.’s civil forfeiture office is loaning two vehicles to law enforcement agencies for two years to be used at media events and community presentations, for the purpose of targeting youth and deterring gang involvement. In other words, the police will be renting cars owned by alleged gangsters and plastering them with whatever messages they see fit. Police departments are only going to pay for operating costs and insurance during the loan. If they don’t opt to buy the vehicle after two years, it would be returned to the civil forfeiture office to be auctioned off or loaned to another law enforcement agency.
“I think young people appreciate the irony when they see a drug dealer’s vehicle turned into something that supports police and public safety,” said Attorney General Shirley Bond. “We believe the value of loaning vehicles on an ongoing basis will far exceed what we’d get by just auctioning them off.”
It’s definitely a creative idea, but dangerous at the same time. Gangsters, who are notoriously known for violence, definitely wouldn’t appreciate police officers (there mortal enemies) driving around in their $100K+ cars or customizing them to their red & blue custom. That being said, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.