Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has revealed a new Volkswagen Crafter police riot van conversion, which made its debut at The Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show 2019.
The unique Police Support Unit (PSU) features new ‘unbreakable’ plastic for the front windscreen, a prison cell in the rear and a bespoke racking solution for riot equipment.
The blue light conversion, carried out by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ Accredited Blue Light Conversion Partner Coleman Milne Specialist Vehicles in Wigan, uses the five-tonne, long wheelbase Volkswagen Crafter in Trendline trim as the base vehicle. Under the bonnet is the 2.0-litre 170 PS diesel engine.
The riot van transformation includes additional seating for seven people in the rear alongside a half width prison cell. A unique storage system has been developed to store riot shields, helmets and other police equipment.
The Crafter body panels have been modified to add new side windows while the front windscreen has been adapted to replace the standard glass with a new strong and flexible reinforced plastic that’s resistant to impact. The new ‘unbreakable’ KASIGLAS® mar-protect material means the riot van no longer requires a regular metal guard screen protector helping to reduce weight and improve driver visibility.
Steven Cowell, Technical Sales Manager at Volkswagen Group Fleet Services, said, “We’re delighted to reveal our latest blue light conversion – a riot van based on the long wheelbase Volkswagen Crafter – after months of hard work by our dedicated team alongside our Accredited Blue Light Conversion Partner, Coleman Milne. Following its much anticipated debut at the CV Show 2019, the PSU will be put into service across the country supporting police forces in their vital roles.”
Public sector fleets, like police forces or ambulance services, often require specialist conversions. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles offers a range of conversions to the Crown Commercial Service purchasing framework for different operational purposes through its expert in-house Technical Sales Manager alongside Recognised Partners.
The Volkswagen Crafter PSU will be on display on Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ stand at the CV Show 2019, which runs from April 30 to May 2 at the NEC Birmingham, before taking its place on the brand’s blue light demo fleet for police forces to loan and trial.
