A man whose wife and their unborn child were killed by a gunman dressed as an RCMP officer and driving a replica police car is calling on the government to stop the sales of retired police cruisers on online marketplaces.
Nick Beaton said he finds it troubling to see retired police cruisers are still being sold in Nova Scotia online.
“It was very upsetting to see that the province is still allowing these sales to take place,” Beaton said in a news release from the Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatve caucus. “It stirred up a lot of emotions.”
Beaton’s wife, Kristen Beaton, was among the 22 people killed by a gunman dressed as an RCMP officer during a rampage that started in Portapique on April 18 and ended more than 13 hours later near Enfield.
The listings for retired police cruisers are still live on two separate online marketplaces, according to the Tories.
Tory Leader Tim Houston said the sales are “in extreme bad taste, particularly given where we are in our history and the emotions we are all experiencing.
“This is a public safety issue and we must protect Nova Scotians,” Houston said. “I call on Premier (Stephen) McNeil to also denounce this activity and take action.”
Houston is calling for sales of retired police cruisers to be regulated, ensuring that operable police vehicles are completely decommissioned before they are sold, with no distinguished markings, accessories or equipment that could lead to any confusion over the use of the vehicle.
