Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has used its Crafter and Transporter vans as base vehicles to convert them to a police riot and prison transport van, respectively, for the UK market.
The police support unit (PSU) on the five-tonne, long wheelbase Volkswagen Crafter features new ‘unbreakable’ plastic for the front windscreen, a prison cell in the rear and a bespoke racking solution for riot 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 KASIGLAS mar-protect material eliminates the need for a regular metal guard screen protector helping to reduce weight and improve driver visibility.
The police riot van based on the Volkswagen Crafter.
The riot van transformation includes additional seating for seven people in the rear alongside a half width prison cell. A storage system has been developed to store riot shields, helmets and other police equipment. Under the bonnet is the 2.0-litre 177 PS diesel engine. The conversion was carried out by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ Accredited Blue Light Conversion Partner Coleman Milne Specialist Vehicles in Wigan, UK.
The prisoner transport van for police forces has been developed from the Volkswagen Transporter in Trendline trim. The van features a full width rear prison cell with space for two prisoners, designed to ensure safe transport for occupants. The rear also features seating for an officer to accompany prisoners on journeys and a double latch security system to prevent the rear doors from being opened from the inside.
The prisoner transport van based on the Volkswagen Transporter.
The cell van has also undergone a complete blue light conversion featuring LED lights, 100-watt siren and full police livery. Under the bonnet is the 2.0-litre 150 PS diesel engine, which delivers a balance of performance and economy. The conversion was carried out by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ Approved Blue Light Converter Safeguard SVP in Essex, UK.
Steven Cowell, technical sales manager, Volkswagen Group Fleet Services, said: “This has been a landmark year for our blue light conversions with the cell van rounding out a trio of new products on the market. The riot van will be put into service across the country supporting police forces in their vital roles. The prisoner transport van offers police forces a practical, reliable and economical solution to prisoner transport.”
