NWT RCMP ‘shouldn’t be buying Mad Max vehicles’

In the middle of a Tuesday debate about fresh municipal spending to keep downtown Yellowknife safe, two city councillors criticized NWT RCMP’s new tactical armoured vehicle.

The Quebec-built vehicle, known as a TAV, arrived last month at a cost of $580,000.

RCMP say the bulletproof vehicle is necessary to protect specialist officers during crises. Officers say there have been multiple recent incidents where a TAV would have made a difference.

But some residents have voiced concern that the TAV’s arrival gives the appearance of the militarization of the police. (The TAV took part in Yellowknife’s Santa Claus parade last weekend, with an officer in tactical gear hanging off the back.)

The vehicle’s arrival coincides with Yellowknife City Council setting its 2026 budget and deciding how much money to spend on downtown public safety.

The city’s draft budget calls for two new municipal enforcement officers to be recruited, each specifically assigned to the downtown core, as part of a broader “downtown enhancement” strategy.

Those new officers cost money. Some councillors say it’s necessary spending on a clear public priority. Others say the city should not be picking up the tab.

“Public safety is not the city’s job, that’s the job of the RCMP,” said councillor Tom McLennan on Tuesday evening.

“MED officers are not the most effective use of resources to address the root causes that are making people feel unsafe downtown,” said McLennan, using an initialism for the Municipal Enforcement Division.

“It might make people feel better or look like the city is doing something but, to me, it’s not addressing the underlying cause.”

McLennan reserved special ire for the RCMP’s decision to spend more than half a million dollars on the TAV.

“They shouldn’t be buying Mad Max vehicles,” he said.

“They should be putting more money into doing those things [like downtown public safety]. I think the resources here [in the city budget] would better affect the underlying root causes in other areas than in MED positions.”

Council colleague Cat McGurk supported McLennan’s point of view, echoing the reference to Mad Max, a series of post-apocalyptic action movies in which outsized vehicles play a central role.

“I find that a quite a shame, that so much of our federal dollars went towards that,” McGurk said of the TAV.

RCMP have said the territory was presented with a chance to buy one of the vehicles or possibly face waiting 15 years for the next opportunity, so decided to go ahead.

“We’ve seen a lot of instances across the country where tactical support is necessary to change the trajectory of the person who’s in crisis or who’s having the violent behaviour,” Supt Chris Romanchych, NWT RCMP’s criminal operations officer, told Cabin Radio last week.

“This asset here is going to provide protection to the members who are going to respond to that. They’re going to be able to forward deploy into areas and scenes that would previously have been denied.

“When I look at other emergency services – for example, our friends over at the fire department – there’s a fire truck that is maybe upwards of $3 million and it doesn’t go out every day either, right? But it’s there in case the emergency presents.”

A council decision about whether to hire the two new downtown municipal enforcement officers is expected on Wednesday evening.

“I don’t love the idea of adding officers, especially as it sounds like we are meeting service standards. It sounds like the division is doing well and we are not lacking,” said McGurk on Tuesday.

“If we are going through this budget to try to establish what we need and not spend more tax dollars than we need to, this doesn’t really scream ‘need’ to me.

“If we are very serious about addressing issues in the downtown that make people feel unsafe, then I would rather put this money to another facet like Street Outreach, which has a direct impact that is foundational instead of just surface-level.”

Earlier that evening, city manager Stephen Van Dine said the two officers were “part of a package” designed to “increase the enjoyment, the accessibility and, I guess, the aesthetic” of downtown Yellowknife.

“We believe this would provide an important contribution to downtown livability and sense of safety as well as security for our personnel working in the downtown,” Van Dine told council.

“We want to be out on the street. We want to be talking to people. We want to be visible. We don’t want to be in a vehicle just driving around a block,” said Craig MacLean, the city’s director of public safety.

“I’m a firm believer that visibility is a deterrent and I think, if we have the opportunity with council’s blessing to take on this initiative, we can create some real change in the downtown core.”

Deputy mayor Rob Warburton noted that a summer meeting with Yellowknife’s business community had featured “anger and frustration at the city appearing to do nothing” about downtown safety.

“Will they be able to enforce like police officers? No. Does presence matter? Yes,” he said of the officers.

“Residents are seeking action in our community,” Mayor Ben Hendriksen added.

“This is keeping residents, regardless of their housing or homelessness situation, safe.

“We’ve asked for more action in our downtown core. It’s hard to do that when they also get pulled off to other things.”