UK: Stealthy police use electric cars to hunt poachers
The Gloucestershire Constabulary is putting the country’s largest police fleet of electric cars to new tactical use. On Twitter, they described their latest ops against illegal poachers with the electric vehicles being central to their strategy.
To catch unwanted hunters, the police on Gloucestershire tweeted that the officers lay waiting in “unmarked electric cars patrolling and listening for gunshots, utilising their quiet running”.
It is an unusual use for electric cars and followed a string of poaching incidents which left local deer shot but left alive. The police reports speak of “appalling acts of cruelty” leading them to come up with what we’d like to call Operation Smart Charge.
Last week, 5 nights of anti poaching ops. Unmarked electric cars patrolling and listening for gunshots, utilising their quiet running. Officers waiting in the woods with night vision, thermal spotters & thermal drone. No one seen but the bar is set high for any future poachers. pic.twitter.com/RxYGnE5MUO
— Rural Crime Team – Gloucestershire Constabulary (@GlosPol_Rural) April 27, 2020
No one got caught yet, but it seems the Gloucestershire Constabulary is making proper tactical application of their EVs. The force took delivery of 75 new electric vehicles from Nissan earlier this year and claimed to build Britain’s largest electric police fleet. It comprises of a total of 66 Nissan LEAFs, of which 11 are marked police vehicles, and nine e-NV200s.
The fully electric cars and vans are part of a commitment by Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Martin Surl to make the Constabulary as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. The first delivery of electric vehicles brought the fleet up to 21% zero-emissions. The Commissioner hopes the Constabulary will be able to extend this to 40 per cent within the next four years.
Until then, best of luck on the hunt!
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