Trial Ford Transit Custom Vans Spark Safety Concerns for Officers and Detainees

A trial batch of eleven new Ford Transit Custom police vans has raised safety concerns for officers and detainees, YLE reports. The vans were introduced this year after the parliamentary ombudsman asked whether new interior layouts could improve transport and work safety, but police say the design has created hazards.

Police Chief Inspector Sami Hätönen points to a centrally placed transport-bay seatbelt that, while intended to improve traffic safety, might allow a detained person to injure themselves or others. He also highlights poor acoustic separation, which allows conversations in the front cabin to be heard in the transport area. That combination, he warns, could put both officers and detainees at risk.

The vehicles were procured through a framework agreement coordinated by public procurement company Hansel Oy, which limits how much the police can change the vehicle body, though fittings can be adjusted. Hätönen says if the central transport layout proves unsuitable for routine patrols, no more vehicles with that configuration will be ordered; the eleven already bought will likely be assigned to tasks with fewer safety risks.

Tampere's main police station received one of the vans in spring. Senior constable Petri Jokinen, the region's equipment officer, says the model has drawn both praise and criticism, with the transport compartment placement and weak sound insulation the main concerns. The issue ties into earlier local reporting on detainment procedures Tampere's clarification of detainment rules and recent discussions about police use-of-force training among trainee officers in the region.