Police find safety risks in redesigned Ford patrol vans

Eleven new Ford Transit Custom police vans have revealed work safety risks linked to their interior design, Yle reports. Seat belts in the central transport compartment could be used to harm a person being transported or police officers, while poor sound insulation allows conversations from the cab to be heard in the rear compartment.

The vans form a trial batch introduced into patrol use by police departments across Finland this year. The interior layout was developed after a demand from the Parliamentary Ombudsman to investigate whether new designs could improve the safety of police work and transportation.

“It is contradictory that the same investigation has brought up risks related to both occupational safety and the safety of people being transported,” Police Superintendent Sami Hätönen said.

Safety concerns over seat belts and sound insulation

The seat belts in the central transport compartment were installed to improve road safety. In practice, police consider them a workplace safety risk because a transported person could try to use them to injure themselves or an officer.

The positioning of the transport compartment directly behind the cab has also created problems with sound insulation. Conversations between officers in the front seats can be heard by people sitting in the rear compartment. A window has been installed in the partition between the two sections.

The location of the transport compartment has nevertheless been an important factor in improving transport and traffic safety, according to the police.

Police are collecting feedback

Police are currently gathering user experiences from the field. The future of both the Transit vans and the central transport compartment will be decided later.

Hätönen said the police have limited influence over the vehicle body because of strict procurement legislation, although they have more influence over the equipment and fittings.

The purchases are coordinated by Hansel, a joint procurement company for public administration. The police acquired the vans through a framework agreement for patrol vehicles based on van bodies.

If the vans with central transport compartments are found unsuitable for normal police patrol work, the police will not order more of them. No final decision has been made on their suitability.

The 11 vehicles already ordered will probably be assigned to duties where the safety risks and other issues do not interfere with police work, Hätönen said.

The new model arrived at Tampere Central Police Station in the spring and has since been used in field operations by the Central Finland Police Department. Senior Constable Petri Jokinen, who is responsible for equipment at the department, said the vehicle had also received positive feedback, but that the location of the transport compartment presented challenges.

Similar Ford Transit vans with different interior designs are also in use elsewhere in the police. The Central Finland Police Department currently has one vehicle of this particular version.