Dozens of ICE Vehicles in Minnesota Lack 'Necessary' Lights and Sirens

"The document justifies ICE paying Whelen Engineering Company, a Connecticut-based firm specializing in "emergency warning and lighting technology," $47,330.49 for 31 "ATLAS1" kits-seemingly a typo of ATLAS, the name of the product sold by Whelen-which the company's website describes as an "Adaptable Travel Light and Siren Kit." The document explains that the ATLAS Kits would "allow vehicles to be immediately operational and compliant with law enforcement requirements to support the current surge operation" out of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)'s St. Paul office, which conducts operations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota."

""These vehicles were deployed prior to being permanently retrofitted and currently lack the necessary emergency lights and sirens required for operational use," the document says. "The document also says that because of the "the time-sensitive nature of the mission" that HSI agents are conducting, having to wait for "permanent retrofitting" the agency vehicles with lights and sirens "would negatively impact operational readiness, law enforcement officer safety, and public safety.""

"HSI's most recent public handbook for agents conducting "emergency driving"-defined as driving during "official duties," like low- or high-risk pursuits, that may require breaking speed limits or violating certain traffic laws-appears to have been published in 2012. It says that any HSI vehicles without lights and sirens "may not be used" in emergency driving, unless the officer "is conducting surveillance or is resp"

More than two dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area currently lack required emergency lights and sirens. ICE contracted Whelen Engineering Company for $47,330.49 to supply 31 ATLAS kits, described as Adaptable Travel Light and Siren Kits, to make the vehicles immediately operational and compliant with law enforcement requirements. The kits will support a surge operation run from HSI's St. Paul office, which operates in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The vehicles were deployed before permanent retrofitting. Waiting for permanent retrofitting is said to risk operational readiness, officer safety, and public safety. HSI guidance from 2012 states vehicles without lights and sirens generally may not be used in emergency driving, with limited exceptions.

Read at WIRED