Vancouver Police Department
Encyclopedia
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is the police
force for the City of Vancouver
in British Columbia
, Canada
. It is one of several police departments within the Metro Vancouver Area
and is the second largest police force in the province after RCMP "E" Division.
VPD was the first Canadian police force to hire a female officer and the first to start a marine squad.
VPD, along with 11 other BC municipal police forces, seconds officers to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia
.
VPD has begun transitioning its headquarters to the former Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
(VANOC) building at 3585 Graveley Street, bordering to the City of Burnaby.
, Vancouver's first police officer, Chief Constable John Stewart, was appointed on May 10, 1886.
On June 14, 1886, the morning after the Great Fire of 1886
, Mayor McLean
appointed Jackson Abray, V.W. Haywood, and John McLaren as special constable
s. With uniforms from Seattle
and badges fashioned from American
coins, this four man team became Vancouver's first police department based out of the City Hall tent at the foot of Carrall Street. These four were replaced in 1887 by special constables sent by the provincial government in Victoria
for not keeping the peace during the anti-Asian unrest of that year. The strength of the force increased from four to fourteen as a result.
By 1904, the department had grown to 31 members and occupied a new police building at 200 Cordova Street. In 1912, Vancouver's first two women were taken on the force as matrons. With the amalgamation of Point Grey and South Vancouver with Vancouver in 1929, the department absorbed the two smaller police forces under the direction of Chief Constable W.J. Bingham, a former District Supervisor with the Metropolitan Police
in London
. By the 1940s the department had grown to 570 members.
In 1917, Chief Constable McLennan, was killed in the line of duty in a shoot-out in Vancouver's East End. Responding to a call by a landlord attempting to evict a tenant, the police were met by gunfire. Along with McLennan, the shooter was killed in the battle, as was a nine-year-old boy in the vicinity at Georgia and Jackson streets, which is now marked by a mosaic memorial. A detective who lost an eye in the shootout, John Cameron, later became the chief constable of the New Westminster Police Department
before taking the top job of the Vancouver force, which he occupied from 1933 to the end of 1934.
Another member of the force was killed in the line of duty in 1922. Twenty-three-year-old Constable Robert McBeath
was shot by a man stopped for impaired driving. McBeath received the Victoria Cross
for "most conspicuous bravery" at the Battle of Cambrai in France
in the First World War. McBeath's killer, Fred Deal, was initially sentenced to death, but won an appeal reducing it to life in prison because he had been beaten while in custody. The Marine Squad's boat, the R.G. McBeath VC, was commissioned in 1995 and named in honour of McBeath.
Plans for a new police building at 312 Main Street began in 1953. The Oakridge police station opened in 1961.
In 1935 under Chief Constable W. W. Foster, the Vancouver Police Department was complemented with hundreds of special constable
s because of a waterfront strike led by communists
, which culminated in the Battle of Ballantyne Pier
, a riot that broke out when demonstrators attempted to march to the docks to confront strikebreakers. Also that year, nearly 2,000 unemployed men from the federal relief camps scattered throughout the province flocked to Vancouver to protest camp conditions. After two months of incessant demonstrations, the camp strikers
left Vancouver and began the On-to-Ottawa Trek
.
The Vancouver Police was at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in the city's history in 1955. Feeling frustrated that blatant police corruption was being ignored by the local media, a reporter for the Vancouver Daily Province switched to a Toronto
-based tabloid, Flash. He wrote a sensational article alleging corruption at the highest levels of the police department in Vancouver, specifically, that a pay-off system had been implemented whereby gambling operations that paid the police were left alone and those that did not were harassed. After the Flash article appeared in Vancouver, the allegations could no longer be ignored, and a Royal Commission
, the Tupper Commission, was struck to hold a public inquiry. Chief Constable Walter Mulligan fled to the United States
, another officer from the upper ranks committed suicide, and still another attempted suicide rather than face the inquiry.
Other scandals and public inquiries plagued the force before and since this one, dubbed "The Mulligan Affair," but none were so dramatic. An earlier inquiry into corruption in 1928 was ambiguous in its conclusions as to the extent of the problem. The last major inquiry into policing in Vancouver focused largely on police accountability. Judge Wally Oppal
(later provincial Attorney General
), submitted the results of his report in 1994 in a four volume package entitled Closing the Gap: Policing and the Community.
In 2009, the RCMP "E" Division joined forces with VPD to operate the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team
(INSET) - Vancouver, operating out of VPD facilities instead of the INSET-BC Surrey operation base.
The 1716 employees of the VPD have been headed by Chief Constable Jim Chu
since August, 2007 following the retirement of Jamie Graham
. Three sections or units are assigned to the Office of the Chief Constable:
The rank and file are represented by the Vancouver Police Union
.
The force has three operating divisions:
Led by Deputy Chief Constable Doug LePard
Each CPC is assigned a Neighbourhood Police Officer (NPO) who provides resources and guidance for the operation of CPC.
However, CPCs do not offer any of the following services:
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force for the City of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is one of several police departments within the Metro Vancouver Area
Greater Vancouver Regional District
Metro Vancouver is the brand name of the board of the inter-municipal administrative body known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District , a regional district in British Columbia, Canada...
and is the second largest police force in the province after RCMP "E" Division.
VPD was the first Canadian police force to hire a female officer and the first to start a marine squad.
VPD, along with 11 other BC municipal police forces, seconds officers to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia
Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit - British Columbia was established in 2004 to facilitate the disruption and suppression of organized crime in BC and to support municipal police department when public safety is deemed to be a priority...
.
VPD has begun transitioning its headquarters to the former Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games was the non-profit organization responsible for planning, organizing, financing and staging the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics...
(VANOC) building at 3585 Graveley Street, bordering to the City of Burnaby.
History
At the first meeting of Vancouver City CouncilVancouver City Council
Vancouver City Council is the governing body of the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.The city is governed by the Vancouver Charter, not the Community Charter and the Local Government Act which are used for other municipal governments...
, Vancouver's first police officer, Chief Constable John Stewart, was appointed on May 10, 1886.
On June 14, 1886, the morning after the Great Fire of 1886
Great Vancouver Fire
The Great Vancouver Fire was a conflagration that destroyed most of the newly incorporated city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on 13 June 1886. The fire began as a brush fire to clear land between present-day Main and Cambie Streets that was spread out of control by a strong gale...
, Mayor McLean
Malcolm Alexander MacLean
Malcolm Alexander MacLean was the first Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, serving from 1886 to 1887. He beat his opponent, sawmill manager Richard H. Alexander, by 17 votes.- References :...
appointed Jackson Abray, V.W. Haywood, and John McLaren as special constable
Special constable
A Special Constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, campus...
s. With uniforms from Seattle
Seattle Police Department
The Seattle Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, except for the campus of the University of Washington, for which responsibility falls to the University of Washington Police Department...
and badges fashioned from American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
coins, this four man team became Vancouver's first police department based out of the City Hall tent at the foot of Carrall Street. These four were replaced in 1887 by special constables sent by the provincial government in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
for not keeping the peace during the anti-Asian unrest of that year. The strength of the force increased from four to fourteen as a result.
Metropolitan Police Service
The Metropolitan Police Service is the territorial police force responsible for Greater London, excluding the "square mile" of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. By the 1940s the department had grown to 570 members.
New Westminster Police Service
The New Westminster Police Service is the police force for the City of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.The force was created in 1873 when the city council hired Jonathan Morey, a former sergeant with the Royal Engineers, Columbia detachment who stayed behind after the detachment was...
before taking the top job of the Vancouver force, which he occupied from 1933 to the end of 1934.
Another member of the force was killed in the line of duty in 1922. Twenty-three-year-old Constable Robert McBeath
Robert McBeath
Robert Gordon McBeath, VC born in Kinlochbervie, Sutherland was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious medal that can be awarded to members of British military forces...
was shot by a man stopped for impaired driving. McBeath received the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for "most conspicuous bravery" at the Battle of Cambrai in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the First World War. McBeath's killer, Fred Deal, was initially sentenced to death, but won an appeal reducing it to life in prison because he had been beaten while in custody. The Marine Squad's boat, the R.G. McBeath VC, was commissioned in 1995 and named in honour of McBeath.
Plans for a new police building at 312 Main Street began in 1953. The Oakridge police station opened in 1961.
In 1935 under Chief Constable W. W. Foster, the Vancouver Police Department was complemented with hundreds of special constable
Special constable
A Special Constable is a law enforcement officer who is not a regular member of a police force. Some like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carry the same law enforcement powers as regular members, but are employed in specific roles, such as explosive disposal technicians, court security, campus...
s because of a waterfront strike led by communists
Workers' Unity League
The Workers' Unity League was created in 1929 as a labour central operated by the Communist Party of Canada on the instructions of the Communist International....
, which culminated in the Battle of Ballantyne Pier
Battle of Ballantyne Pier
Ballantyne Pier was the site of a docker's strike in Vancouver, BC, in June 1935. It was a federally owned dock built by the National Harbours Board In 1923, and named for the head of the Harbours Board. There were ongoing strikes on the West Coast of North America in the Depression and it led to...
, a riot that broke out when demonstrators attempted to march to the docks to confront strikebreakers. Also that year, nearly 2,000 unemployed men from the federal relief camps scattered throughout the province flocked to Vancouver to protest camp conditions. After two months of incessant demonstrations, the camp strikers
Relief Camp Workers' Union
The Relief Camp Workers' Union was the union into which the inmates of the Canadian government relief camps were organized in the early 1930s. It was affiliated with the Workers' Unity League, the trade union umbrella of the Communist Party of Canada...
left Vancouver and began the On-to-Ottawa Trek
On-to-Ottawa Trek
The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a long journey where thousands of people had unemployed men protesting the dismal conditions in federal relief camps scattered in remote areas across Western Canada. The men lived and worked in these camps at a rate of twenty cents per day before walking out on strike in...
.
The Vancouver Police was at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in the city's history in 1955. Feeling frustrated that blatant police corruption was being ignored by the local media, a reporter for the Vancouver Daily Province switched to a Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based tabloid, Flash. He wrote a sensational article alleging corruption at the highest levels of the police department in Vancouver, specifically, that a pay-off system had been implemented whereby gambling operations that paid the police were left alone and those that did not were harassed. After the Flash article appeared in Vancouver, the allegations could no longer be ignored, and a Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
, the Tupper Commission, was struck to hold a public inquiry. Chief Constable Walter Mulligan fled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, another officer from the upper ranks committed suicide, and still another attempted suicide rather than face the inquiry.
Other scandals and public inquiries plagued the force before and since this one, dubbed "The Mulligan Affair," but none were so dramatic. An earlier inquiry into corruption in 1928 was ambiguous in its conclusions as to the extent of the problem. The last major inquiry into policing in Vancouver focused largely on police accountability. Judge Wally Oppal
Wally Oppal
Wallace Oppal, Q.C. is a Canadian lawyer, former judge and provincial politician, who is currently serving as the Chancellor of the Thompson Rivers University...
(later provincial Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
), submitted the results of his report in 1994 in a four volume package entitled Closing the Gap: Policing and the Community.
In 2009, the RCMP "E" Division joined forces with VPD to operate the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team
Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams
Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams are Canadian counter-terrorist security forces operating under the auspices of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada...
(INSET) - Vancouver, operating out of VPD facilities instead of the INSET-BC Surrey operation base.
Organization
Jim Chu
Jim Chu, O.O.M. is the Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Department . On June 21, 2007, Jim Chu was named as the successor of Chief Constable Jamie Graham, who retired in August. Chu is the first non-white chief constable in Vancouver.- Biography :Chu grew up in East Vancouver, the oldest...
since August, 2007 following the retirement of Jamie Graham
Jamie Graham
Jamie Graham, O.O.M. is currently the Chief for the Victoria Police Department, since January 1, 2009. He previously served as the Chief Constable of Vancouver, British Columbia from August 22, 2002 to August 13, 2007. A former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, Graham was popular with his...
. Three sections or units are assigned to the Office of the Chief Constable:
- Chief's Executive Officer - Acting Inspector Mike Serr
- Planning, Research & Audit Section - Mr. Drazen Manojlovic
- Community and Public Affairs Section - Senior Director Paul Patterson
- Block Watch
- Community Policing Centres
- Diversity and Aboriginal Policing Section
- Victim Services Unit
The rank and file are represented by the Vancouver Police Union
Vancouver Police Union
The Vancouver Police Union is the representative trade union of rank and file members of the Vancouver Police Department in Vancouver, Canada.-History:...
.
Divisions
Operations
- All patrols
- Mounted Squad
- Marine Squad
- Traffic Section
- Emergency & Operations Planning Section
- Emergency Planning Unit
- Operational Planning Unit
- Vancouver Traffic Authority (Special Municipal Constable with restricted Peace Officer status)
- Emergency Response Section
- Emergency Response Team
- Dog Squad
Investigations
Led by Deputy Chief Constable Warren Lemcke- Criminal Intelligence Section
- Gangs / Drugs Section
- Investigative Services
- Forensic Identification Unit
- Operations Investigative Section
- Crime Scene Investigation Unit
- Tactical Support Section
- Youth Services Section
Support Services
Led by Deputy Chief Constable Adam Palmer- Communications Section
- Court & Detention Services Section
- Vancouver Jail Guard (Special Municipal Constable with Peace Officer status)
- Human Resources Section
- Facilities Section
- Financial Services Section
- Information Management Section
- Information Technology Section
- Professional Standards Section
- Recruiting and Training Section
Rank Structure
- Chief of Police / Chief ConstableChief ConstableChief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
- Deputy Chief / Deputy Chief Constable
- SuperintendentSuperintendent (police)Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
- InspectorInspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
- Sergeant MajorSergeant MajorSergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
- Staff SergeantStaff SergeantStaff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
- SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
/ DetectiveDetectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"... - Police Constable 1st Class
- Police Constable 2nd Class
- Police Constable 3rd Class
- Police Constable 4th Class (includes recruit constables)
Geography
The VPD is divided into 4 geographic districts:- District 1 - Downtown, Granville, West End & Coal Harbour
- District 2 - Chinatown, Grandview-Woodland and Hastings-Sunrise
- District 3 - Collingwood and South Vancouver
- District 4 - Kerrisdale, Oakridge, Dunbar, West Point Grey, Kitsilano, Arbutus, Shaughnessy, Fairview, Musqueam and Marpole
Community Policing Centres
Organization
Community Policing Centres (CPCs), except Granville Downtown and Kitsilano Fairview CPCs, are run by registered societies. Granville Downtown CPC is under the direct control of the District 1 commander whereas Kitsilano Fairview is under District 4 commander.Budget
Each CPCs receives $108,200 annually from the VPD, with the exception of two non-society based CPCs which has a combined budget of $140,000. The budget is delivered in 4 quarterly payments and they can be used towards staff salaries, CPC programs, costs from electricity, renting office space, etc.Operation
CPCs are run by volunteers on a day-to-day basis with the supervision from paid staffs. Each year, the VPD audits all the CPCs and then reports to the city council on budgeting.Each CPC is assigned a Neighbourhood Police Officer (NPO) who provides resources and guidance for the operation of CPC.
Programs
Each CPC offers different programs based on budget and neighbourhood needs. For example:- Taking non-emergency/lost and found property reports
- Project GriffinProject GriffinProject Griffin was originally introduced by the City of London Police and Metropolitan Police in April, 2004 to help "London's financial sector better protect itself against terrorist threats"...
- Working in conjunction with the Insurance Corporation of British ColumbiaInsurance Corporation of British ColumbiaThe Insurance Corporation of British Columbia is a provincial crown corporation in British Columbia created in 1973 by the NDP government of British Columbia. The original purpose of ICBC was to provide universal public auto insurance in British Columbia...
for the Speed Watch program http://www.icbc.com/road_safety/speedwatchPU.asp - Working in conjunction with the Insurance Corporation of British ColumbiaInsurance Corporation of British ColumbiaThe Insurance Corporation of British Columbia is a provincial crown corporation in British Columbia created in 1973 by the NDP government of British Columbia. The original purpose of ICBC was to provide universal public auto insurance in British Columbia...
for the Stolen Auto Recovery program http://www.icbc.com/crime-fraud/autocr_thefta_volunt.asp - Working in conjunction with the VPD for the Block Watch Program http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/blockwatch/index.htm
- Community Patrol (Foot/Bike)
- Bike Roadeo, program for young children in bike safety
- Outreach/Education programs
- EngravingEngravingEngraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
- Community cleanup
- Child Find http://www.childfindbc.com/
However, CPCs do not offer any of the following services:
- Taking emergency report
- Criminal Record Checks
- Law/bylawBylawBy-law can refer to a law of local or limited application passed under the authority of a higher law specifying what things may be regulated by the by-law...
Enforcement - Legal/policing advice
- Victim Services
- Situations that requires police attendance/assistance
CPC websites
- District 1
- District 2
- District 3
- Collingwood CPC (also partnered with South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service)
- South Vancouver CPC
- District 4
Fleet
- Eurocopter EC120 - air patrol operations shared with RCMP "E" Division
- Ford Crown VictoriaFord Crown Victoria-1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised...
Interceptors - Lenco BearCatLenco BearCatThe Lenco BearCat is a wheeled armored personnel carrier in use with numerous military and law enforcement agencies.-History:Since 1981 the Massachusetts based Lenco Industries, known as Lenco Armoured Vehicles has designed and manufactured armored vehicles for Law Enforcement, Military, Government...
APC - purchased approved - Cambli International Thunder 1Cambli International Thunder 1Cambli International Thunder 1 is an armoured police tactical vehicle built Cambli International Incorporated of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec....
ARV - delivered 2010 for SWAT use
See also
- Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British ColumbiaCombined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British ColumbiaThe Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit - British Columbia was established in 2004 to facilitate the disruption and suppression of organized crime in BC and to support municipal police department when public safety is deemed to be a priority...
- E-CommE-Comm' is the Emergency Communications for Southwest British Columbia.E-Comm provides 9-1-1 service for the Lower Mainland region of southwest British Columbia in Canada covering Metro Vancouver , the Sunshine Coast Regional District, south Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and the Whistler Howe Sound...
, 9-1-1 call and dispatch centre for Southwestern BC - Project GriffinProject GriffinProject Griffin was originally introduced by the City of London Police and Metropolitan Police in April, 2004 to help "London's financial sector better protect itself against terrorist threats"...
, crime prevention/reduction program launched in 2009 - RCMP "E" Division - Policing for surrounding areas (i.e. UBCUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, Burnaby, SurreySurrey, British ColumbiaSurrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
, etc.) - South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service - TransLinkTransLink (Vancouver)TransLink is the organization responsible for the regional transportation network of Metro Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, including public transport and major roads and bridges...
Police Force