Category: POLICE

RAF Police

YD59 BTF RAF Police Vauxhall Astra

YD59 BTF
RAF Police
Vauxhall Astra
Providing support to North Yorkshire Police during parades in 2013. The vehicle has a custom custody fit back seat for transporting prisoners

Police (General)

F113 DOP Metropolitan Police Wasserwerfer 9000

F113 DOP Metropolitan Police Wasserwerfer 9000

This is one of three water cannon purchased by the Met in 2014 and sold off in 2016. Bought second-hand from the German police, these vehicle were very controversial due to the cost of buying, maintaining and upgrading them – particularly when they weren’t authorised for use on the streets.

In the wake of the 2011 riots, then London Mayor Boris Johnson authorised the purchase of the three vehicles at £28,000 each and asked them Met to prepare them for use. They were stored at the Met’s Gravesend outdoor training facility and the Met denied the existence of them for quite some time.

The Home Secretary has never authorised their use and provided a long list of reasons why they wouldn’t be authorised. The Met confirmed that they had spent £330,000 in total on the project including upgrades, paintwork and training.

London’s former Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Stephen Greenhalgh tweeted a picture of one of the water cannon in use on the training ground. Credit: Twitter/Stephen Greenhalgh.

Parks Police

Hampstead Heath Constabulary Vauxhall Mokka

Hampstead Heath Constabulary
Vauxhall Mokka
This car was new to the small London constabulary in 2015. As well as being used for patrolling the heath, it carries first aid equipment including a defibrillator. This is important because the ambulance service often struggle to access the heath and then can find it difficult to navigate. The light bar has been customised to show a single blue light at night so people can see it is a police vehicle from a distance in total darkness.

Parks Police

Hampstead Heath Constabulary Ford Transit Connect

Hampstead Heath Constabulary
Ford Transit Connect
This 2011 dog unit is used to patrol the heath. The slogan of ‘Policing Hampstead Heath’ has been added to the front and rear because some people aren’t sure what constabulary means.