Police unveil bullet-proof Land Cruisers

New Zealand Police is ready to hit the road with three armoured Toyota Land Cruisers designed to withstand bullets and explosions.

The force expects the unmarked SUVs, which will be based in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch but will be deployed across the country as needed, to become operational during December. 

Fitted with ballistic armour, which makes them bullet proof and blast resistant, the trio of vehicles will help protect specialist police when attending national security events or high-risk firearms incidents. Police say they will not be used for patrol.

While the vehicles will not carry arms, staff using the Land Cruisers will be armed. The budget for the three vehicles, training and ongoing maintenance is $1.23 million.

 “Examples of previous incidents where the vehicles would have been deployed are the Napier siege in 2009, and in a shooting incident in Whangarei in 2017 where two people lost their life and police were fired on as they tried to get to the victims,” police say in a statement.

“These vehicles provide protection for staff in the same way their ballistic body armour does and will enable them to safely carry out their jobs, keeping themselves and the public safe.”