Toronto Star, 7 January, 2006Jan. 7, 2006. 01:00 AM KELOWNA, B.C.— Coming soon to a beach near you: Tractor Cops. The Kelowna RCMP will become the first police force in Canada to have officers in recreational areas riding John Deere tractors, complete with lights and sirens. The street-legal tractor will have a top speed of about 50 km/h when it goes into service May 1. Supt. Bill McKinnon said he got the idea of using a tractor for policing beaches and parks when he saw the vehicles used this way during a vacation in Hawaii. "It's very manoeuvrable, so we'll be able to go along the boardwalk, on beaches and on the streets," he said, adding the vehicles will give police a higher profile and better visibility. Plus, officers don't need any special training to ride, McKinnon said. "They can get on it and go," he said. Canadian Press
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