The RCMP has scrapped thousands of vehicles worth millions of dollars instead of auctioning them off, according to new records. Blacklock's Reporter says the move comes after a 2021 federal moratorium on police vehicle auctions, intended to prevent decommissioned vehicles from falling into the wrong hands.Since the suspension, 2,469 RCMP vehicles have been destroyed as scrap metal, with another 2,396 vehicles slated for decommissioning and removal to wrecking yards, as confirmed by a cabinet Inquiry of Ministry in response to Conservative MP Kelly McCauley’s (Edmonton West) questions on surplus police vehicles. Prior to the moratorium, the RCMP had sold around 1,500 used vehicles annually at auction, with an estimated fleet of 12,000 vehicles.Records reveal that among the scrapped vehicles were 393 Ford Explorers, which previously sold at auction for an average of $6,900 each, representing a loss of about $2.7 million. Additionally, 281 Chevrolet Tahoes, typically auctioned for $7,400 each, were scrapped, resulting in an approximate $2 million loss. The scrapped inventory also included 149 Ford Crown Victorias, valued at around $2,000 each, 97 Ford F-150 pickups worth about $13,600 apiece, and $85,000 in Dodge Caravans.The auction ban was implemented after a 2020 tragedy in Nova Scotia, where gunman Gabriel Wortman used a replica RCMP cruiser and uniform to commit a deadly mass shooting that left 22 people dead. Wortman had purchased four decommissioned police vehicles through the federal government’s auction site, GC Surplus, and converted them into realistic replicas of police cars. A 2023 inquiry into the incident concluded that Wortman’s acquisition and transformation of decommissioned police vehicles played a significant role in his ability to deceive victims.In response, then-Public Safety Minister Bill Blair suspended all sales of decommissioned RCMP vehicles, stating, “The Government of Canada and RCMP will examine policies currently in place and work towards long-term solutions that further ensure these vehicles are not improperly outfitted or otherwise misused.”“Trust in our public institutions is vital,” Blair emphasized. “The RCMP has a resale process for vehicles it no longer needs that ensures they cannot easily be misused for criminal purposes. We are suspending the sale of decommissioned RCMP vehicles on an interim basis.”
The RCMP has scrapped thousands of vehicles worth millions of dollars instead of auctioning them off, according to new records. Blacklock's Reporter says the move comes after a 2021 federal moratorium on police vehicle auctions, intended to prevent decommissioned vehicles from falling into the wrong hands.Since the suspension, 2,469 RCMP vehicles have been destroyed as scrap metal, with another 2,396 vehicles slated for decommissioning and removal to wrecking yards, as confirmed by a cabinet Inquiry of Ministry in response to Conservative MP Kelly McCauley’s (Edmonton West) questions on surplus police vehicles. Prior to the moratorium, the RCMP had sold around 1,500 used vehicles annually at auction, with an estimated fleet of 12,000 vehicles.Records reveal that among the scrapped vehicles were 393 Ford Explorers, which previously sold at auction for an average of $6,900 each, representing a loss of about $2.7 million. Additionally, 281 Chevrolet Tahoes, typically auctioned for $7,400 each, were scrapped, resulting in an approximate $2 million loss. The scrapped inventory also included 149 Ford Crown Victorias, valued at around $2,000 each, 97 Ford F-150 pickups worth about $13,600 apiece, and $85,000 in Dodge Caravans.The auction ban was implemented after a 2020 tragedy in Nova Scotia, where gunman Gabriel Wortman used a replica RCMP cruiser and uniform to commit a deadly mass shooting that left 22 people dead. Wortman had purchased four decommissioned police vehicles through the federal government’s auction site, GC Surplus, and converted them into realistic replicas of police cars. A 2023 inquiry into the incident concluded that Wortman’s acquisition and transformation of decommissioned police vehicles played a significant role in his ability to deceive victims.In response, then-Public Safety Minister Bill Blair suspended all sales of decommissioned RCMP vehicles, stating, “The Government of Canada and RCMP will examine policies currently in place and work towards long-term solutions that further ensure these vehicles are not improperly outfitted or otherwise misused.”“Trust in our public institutions is vital,” Blair emphasized. “The RCMP has a resale process for vehicles it no longer needs that ensures they cannot easily be misused for criminal purposes. We are suspending the sale of decommissioned RCMP vehicles on an interim basis.”
