Volkswagen Crafter Police Support Unit Is Here To Quench Riots

If you were wondering, “unbreakable” is Volkswagen for polycarbonate plastic resin. More to the point, the windshield is made of KASIGLAS mar-protect material. In addition to seating for seven people in the rear and the half-width prison cell, the Crafter Police Support Unit also comes with a storage system designed to store riot helmets, shields, and various other equipment.

Converted to anti-riot specification by Coleman Milne Specialist Vehicles in Wigan, the Crafter PSU will debut on April 30th at the Commercial Vehicle Show 2019 at NEC Birmingham. The five-tonne van started out as the Crafter Trendline, packing 177 PS (175 horsepower) and 410 Nm (302 pound-feet) of torque from the 2.0 TDI four-cylinder engine.

The turbo diesel is matched to an eight-speed transmission, not the six-speed Shiftmatic from yesteryear. The Shiftmatic is an automated manual that differs from the three-pedal setup through additional hydraulic components and additional control technology. According to Volkswagen, this design is “both practical and a low-cost alternative to an automatic” with a torque converter.

“We’re delighted to reveal our latest blue light conversion – a riot van based on the long-wheelbase Volkswagen Crafter – after months of hard work by our dedicated team alongside our Accredited Blue Light Conversion Partner,” said Steven Cowell, technical sales manager at Volkswagen Group Fleet Services. “The PSU will be put into service across the country supporting police forces in their vital roles.”

The German automaker will demo a fleet of PSUs with the police in the United Kingdom, hoping to sell a few of them. But Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also offers conversions for ambulance services, which is a win-win situation considering these babies are present at riots in addition to riot vans.

Volkswagen hasn’t given a price for the Police Support Unit, but don't expect it to be cheap. For reference, the Crafter panel van Trendline with the LWB Maxi configuration, 2.0 TDI, 4MOTION, and eight-speed automatic retails at £51,315 in the United Kingdom.