'Police lookalike' vehicle taken off Kamloops streets, Mounties say

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A vehicle described as a “police lookalike,” complete with emergency lights and antennas, has been taken off Kamloops streets, Mounties say.

According to police, the vehicle’s owner showed up at the RCMP detachment on Wednesday with a notice he’d received from the province requiring him to make changes and repairs. RCMP Const. Crystal Evelyn said the vehicle had been outfitted with “police-style equipment” including lighting and antennas.

The man told officers he needed the equipment for work, so Mounties called in Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement officers to take a look.

“A number of deficiencies were observed, requiring its removal from the roadway and the seizure of its licence plates,” Evelyn said.

The vehicle was then impounded.

RCMP Insp. Jeff Pelley, operations officer at the Kamloops detachment, said the incident is troubling for police, especially given recent incidents elsewhere in B.C. where civilians have been caught posing as Mounties.

“It’s concerning to police and to the community whenever someone has outfitted a vehicle in a way that can be believed to be a police vehicle,” he said.