JohnMarcson
Administrator
Changes to restrict access to police items and vehicles
Nova Scotia is changing who can access police items (like uniforms, badges, crests and hats) and vehicle markings and vehicle equipment.
novascotia.ca
Looks like they consulted eBay for this one. It immediately contradicts itself and doesn't define or understand the items it regulates.
The FAQ mentions lights quite a bit, and contradicts the law too. The law mentions lights once; “police-vehicle marking means the marking, signage, decals and blue lightbar placed on a vehicle that identifies the vehicle as a marked police vehicle;"
From the FAQ
Vehicles
You can’t possess any police vehicle markings (like decals and blue light bar) and vehicle equipment from any police agency in Canada from any point in time. This includes light bars and police decals. Only those authorized by the Police Identity Management Act can possess these items.They mention blue lights several times in the FAQ but no other colors, so does changing to red mean they are no longer police items?
Collectors
You will no longer be permitted to buy or sell police items currently in use by a police agency in Canada. You will also no longer be permitted to possess police items currently in use by a police agency in Canada (so is it any equipment from any time or only current equipment?) unless you make them unserviceable. The law says "unserviceable means permanently altered such that ..... could not reasonably be confused with a police article or police uniform;" How do you make a lightbar "unserviceable"? Get red lenses? Hard mount it to a wall? The law seems to try to regulate use/mounting but goes after possession.The FAQ is a mess, written by someone who didn't read the law by the looks of it. The actual law is more aimed at uniforms, badges, decals etc and mentions "blue lightbars" one time. I doubt this means a whole lot for anyone collecting lightbars, but it could impact people doing business in used bars that are current production. It is nice to see that the USA isn't the only country that laughably thinks people will surrender items that were perfectly legal last week and now aren't.