From: "Johnston, Sadhu" <Sadhu .Johnston@vancouver.

ca>
To: "Direct to Mayor and Council - DL"
CC: "City Manager's Correspondence Group - DL"
"Singh, Sandra" <[email protected]>
Date: 7/14/2020 8:57:07 AM
Subject: FW: VPD Mental Health Info
Attachments: VPD Community Matters May 2020.pdf
VPD Mental Health Strategy July 2016 .pdf

Good Morning Mayor and Council

Please find attached information from VPD on menta l health related calls and strategies at the VPD.
Best
Sadhu

Sadhu Aufochs Johnston I City Manager

City of Vancouver I 453 W 12th Avenue
Vancouver I BC VSY 1V4
604.873.7627 I Sadhu .j [email protected]
Twitter: sadhuajohnston

From: PALMER, Adam [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Monday, July 13, 2020 6:15 PM
To: Johnston, Sadhu
Cc: 'Barj Dhahan'; Mochrie, Paul; Levitt, Karen; Rai, Steve; RANKIN, Laurence; CHOW, Howard (VPD)
Subject: VPD Mental Health Info

Good afternoon Sadhu ,

I've had several Councillors express an interest in this information. Could you please forward this info
/documents to Council for me.

VPD Pathway to Wellness (June 2018)- video link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFW45gSU6qw

VPD Mental Health Strategy (July 2016)- link below and report attached:
https ://vancouver.ca/pol ice/assets/pdf/reports-pol icies/menta I-health-strategy.pdf

VPD Community Matters: Community Outreach Report (May 2020) - link below and report attached :
https://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/community-matters.pdf

Thank you,

Adam

CHIEF ADAM PALMER

VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT I Beyond the Call
604.717 2950
[email protected] I vpd.ca

.- m
NOTICE: CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION - This transmission may contain confidential or privileged communications, and the sender does not waive any related rights and obligations. If you are not the
intended recipient and have received this in error, you must immediately destroy ij_ Unautholized copying or distribution of any information herein is stlictly prohibited and may constitute a criminal offence, a
breach of Provincial or Federal privacy laws, or may othe!Wise result in legal sanctions. We ask that you notify the Vancouver Police Department immediately of any transmission received in error, by reply
email to the sender.
 2

Table of Contents

OUR COMMUNITY MATTERS _________________________________________________________ 7

TRUE ENGAGEMENT: HEARING FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS_______________________________________ 7
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND INDIGENOUS RELATIONS SECTION __________________________ 8
CITIZENS’ POLICE ACADEMY _________________________________________________________________ 9
DIVERSITY OUTREACH WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT: BC LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVERSITY NETWORK ________ 10
WELCOMING WITH WARMTH: NEWCOMERS TO CANADA _______________________________ 10
NEWKIDS POLICE ACADEMY ________________________________________________________________ 10
MULTICULTURAL OUTREACH: VPD DIVERSITY LIAISON OFFICER ___________________________________ 11
ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH FOR THE LGBTQ2S+ COMMUNITY _________________________ 11
LGBTQ2S+ LIAISON OFFICER ______________________________________________________________ 11
SAFE PLACE PROGRAM ____________________________________________________________________ 12
TRANSGENDER PERSPECTIVES: WALK WITH ME ________________________________________________ 12
CITY OF VANCOUVER 2S+LGTBQ ADVISORY COMMITTEE ________________________________________ 12
LOVE WHO YOU WANT, PLAY WHAT YOU WANT ________________________________________________ 13
ARROWS TO THE FUTURE: YOUTH DIRECTED OUTREACH ______________________________ 13
SCHOOL LIAISON UNIT _____________________________________________________________________ 13
INDIGENOUS CADET PROGRAM ______________________________________________________________ 14
ACCESS, RECREATION, AND CULTURE PROGRAM _______________________________________________ 14
VPD CADETS ____________________________________________________________________________ 15
STUDENT CHALLENGE _____________________________________________________________________ 15
GET R.E.A.L. ____________________________________________________________________________ 15
POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE _________________________________________________________________ 16
YOUTH CONNECT _________________________________________________________________________ 16
RISE BASKETBALL ________________________________________________________________________ 16
TOTAL RESPECT FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS _________________________________________________ 16
HERE4PEERS ____________________________________________________________________________ 17
VPD MUSQUEAM BASKETBALL CAMP _________________________________________________________ 17
MAKING EVERYONE SAFE AND HEALTHY ______________________________________________________ 17
BRIGHT AT NIGHT _________________________________________________________________________ 18
YOUTH OUTREACH PRESENTATIONS _________________________________________________________ 18
REMAKE _______________________________________________________________________________ 18
CHURCHILL STRONG ______________________________________________________________________ 19
THE STRATHCONA BACKPACK PROGRAM ______________________________________________________ 19
VANCOUVER POLICE SOCCER AND SERVICE CLUB ______________________________________________ 19
Annual Soccer Camp .......................................................................................................................... 20
Paul Sanghera Soccer Tournament.................................................................................................... 20
VPSSC Free Boot Program ................................................................................................................ 20
OUTREACH FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN: WORKING WITH MINISTRY OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT _ 20
Yankee 10 ........................................................................................................................................... 20
Yankee 20 ........................................................................................................................................... 21
Car 86 ................................................................................................................................................. 21
SUPPORTING AND CONNECTING YOUTH _______________________________________________________ 21
CONTRIBUTING TO LIVES OF INNER-CITY KIDS __________________________________________________ 21

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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CONNECTING WITH INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ______________________________________ 22

INDIGENOUS ADVISORY COMMITTEE __________________________________________________________ 22
TRADITIONAL CANOE WAKING CEREMONY _____________________________________________________ 22
PULLING TOGETHER CANOE JOURNEY ________________________________________________________ 23
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY ________________________________________________________ 23
NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE OFFICER FOR THE VANCOUVER ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY POLICING CENTRE ___ 23
INDIGENOUS LIAISON AND PROTOCOL OFFICER _________________________________________________ 24
MUSQUEAM OUTREACH ____________________________________________________________________ 24
INDIGENOUS LIAISON OFFICER ______________________________________________________________ 25
LUNCH WITH THE CHIEF ____________________________________________________________________ 25
NATIONAL ABORIGINAL VETERANS DAY _______________________________________________________ 26
ENGAGING WOMEN AND GIRLS _____________________________________________________ 26
SISTERWATCH ___________________________________________________________________________ 26
WOMEN’S MEMORIAL MARCH _______________________________________________________________ 27
SEX INDUSTRY LIAISON OFFICER ____________________________________________________________ 27
ID4ME ................................................................................................................................................. 29
WOMEN’S PERSONAL SAFETY TEAM __________________________________________________________ 29
THE SHOEBOX PROJECT ___________________________________________________________________ 29
COLLABORATING WITH CITIZENS: A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TOWARDS SAFETY ____________ 30
CITIZENS’ CRIME WATCH ___________________________________________________________________ 30
WATCHING OUT FOR EACH OTHER: BLOCK WATCH ______________________________________________ 30
COMMUNITY POLICING CENTRES ____________________________________________________________ 31
KHALSA DIWAN SOCIETY CPC ______________________________________________________________ 33
OUTREACH TO GUARD BICYCLE THEFT ______________________________________________ 33
PROJECT 529 ____________________________________________________________________________ 34
PROJECT RUDY __________________________________________________________________________ 34
BUSINESS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES ____________________________________ 35
PROJECT ACCESS ________________________________________________________________________ 35
PROJECT GRIFFIN ________________________________________________________________________ 35
SECURUS AND SHIELD __________________________________________________________________ 36
TERRORISM THREAT AWARENESS VIDEO PROJECT ______________________________________________ 36
OTHER COMMUNITY LIAISON POSITIONS _____________________________________________ 36
HOMELESS OUTREACH OFFICER_____________________________________________________________ 36
COMMUNITY EVENTS COORDINATOR _________________________________________________________ 37
CPC LIAISON OFFICER ____________________________________________________________________ 37
COMMUNITY SAFETY PERSONNEL ____________________________________________________________ 38
REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY ON ALL LEVELS: THE VPD EXECUTIVE _________________ 38
RECRUITING INITIATIVES ___________________________________________________________ 39
GATHERING OUR VOICES INDIGENOUS YOUTH CONFERENCE ______________________________________ 39
HOOBIYEE (NISGA’A NEW YEAR)_____________________________________________________________ 39
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY ________________________________________________________ 39
INDIGENOUS LINK _________________________________________________________________________ 40
CHINESE NEW YEAR PARADE _______________________________________________________________ 40
KOREAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE__________________________________________________________ 40
VAISAKHI PARADE ________________________________________________________________________ 40
LGBTQ2S+ COMMUNITY __________________________________________________________________ 41

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR MENTAL HEALTH _______________________________________ 41

THE ASSERTIVE OUTREACH TEAM ___________________________________________________________ 41
ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT _________________________________________________________ 42
CAR 87/88 ______________________________________________________________________________ 42
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH VPD INVESTIGATIVE SECTIONS __ 42
SUPPORT THROUGH VICTIM SERVICES ________________________________________________________ 45
VPD Victim Services Unit .................................................................................................................... 45
PROACTIVE DRUG AND GANG PREVENTION ENGAGEMENT _____________________________ 45
B.C. OVERDOSE ACTION EXCHANGE _________________________________________________________ 46
DRUG OVERDOSE AND ALERT PARTNERSHIP ___________________________________________________ 46
COMMUNITY ACTION TEAMS ________________________________________________________________ 46
END GANG LIFE __________________________________________________________________________ 46
GANG TACKLE ___________________________________________________________________________ 47
TURNING POINT __________________________________________________________________________ 47
HER TIME _______________________________________________________________________________ 47
DISRUPTING CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES AND GIVING BACK TO COMMUNITIES ___________________________ 47
BRIDGING COMMUNITIES WITH RICH HISTORY AND TRADITIONS ________________________ 48
ENTERTAINING DISPLAYS: THE MOTORCYCLE DRILL TEAM ________________________________________ 48
MUSICAL AMBASSADORS OF THE VPD: THE VANCOUVER POLICE PIPE BAND _________________________ 48
SHARING CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS: THE VPD LION DANCE TEAM ________________________________ 49
COURAGE, STRENGTH, AND HONOUR: THE VPD CEREMONIAL UNIT ________________________________ 49
A FOCUS ON THE FRONTLINES: COMMUNITY CONTACTS _______________________________ 50
COMMUNITY CULTURAL EVENTS _____________________________________________________________ 50
THE ROAD TO SAFETY _____________________________________________________________________ 50
ENGAGEMENT WITH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS ________________________________________________ 51
ENSURING CULTURAL COMPETENCIES ________________________________________________________ 51
INDIGENOUS RESOURCE FOR FRONTLINE OFFICERS _____________________________________________ 52
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS THROUGH COMMUNICATION ______________________________ 52
TRANSPARENCY IN POLICING OUR COMMUNITY _________________________________________________ 52
PUBLIC AFFAIRS __________________________________________________________________________ 52
COMING TOGETHER FOR CHANGE: VPD FUNDRAISING INITIATIVES ______________________ 54
COPS FOR CANCER _______________________________________________________________________ 54
KOPS FOR KIDS __________________________________________________________________________ 54
VANCOUVER POLICE COMMUNITY FUND _____________________________________________________ 55
VARIETY SHOW OF HEARTS TELETHON _______________________________________________________ 55
CBC VANCOUVER'S ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE AND FOOD BANK DAY __________________________________ 55
SUPPORTING SPECIAL OLYMPICS: BC LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN ____________________________ 55
MAKING CHRISTMAS DREAMS COME TRUE: CHILDREN’S WISH BREAKFAST __________________________ 56
COVENANT HOUSE: SLEEP OUT VANCOUVER __________________________________________________ 56
VPD POLICE DOG CALENDAR _______________________________________________________________ 56
JEANS DAY ______________________________________________________________________________ 56
PINK SHIRT DAY __________________________________________________________________________ 56
THE VANCOUVER POLICE FOUNDATION _____________________________________________ 57
THE VANCOUVER POLICE BOARD: ENSURING COMMUNITY-POLICE LINKS ________________ 57
OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PROMISE: A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE OUTREACH _____________ 58

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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GLOSSARY_______________________________________________________________________ 59
APPENDIX _______________________________________________________________________ 61

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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The Vancouver Police Department proudly serves its community and

acknowledges the city of Vancouver is located on the traditional,
ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam),
Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First
Nations.

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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Our Community Matters

Relationships built on mutual trust between police and communities are critical to public safety
and effective policing. Police agencies rely on community members to provide information
and to work towards solutions; equally, citizens’ degree of trust in police depends on whether
police actions are reflective of community values, among principles of police legitimacy.

Towards a collaborative approach to policing, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD)

ensures active outreach with the diverse communities it serves. Among other outcomes, the
VPD’s community engagement promotes cultural awareness, safety, and helps build trust in
police — these elements are essential to addressing and reducing crime.

True Engagement: Hearing from Community Members

The VPD considers engagement not only as positive and personal interactions between
police and community members, but grounded in Peelian Principles, citizens should have a
voice in policing matters. Each year, the VPD conducts a citizen survey to assess community
satisfaction on an array of policing issues including perceptions of safety, how well the VPD
informs the public, and satisfaction and awareness of community programs. This survey
gathers the voices from our community and serves to capture key organizational performance
indicators. Among other items, survey respondents rate various VPD programs and services.

The 2019 results of the community survey show that VPD outreach programming is rated as
important to Vancouver citizens. More specifically, Block Watch and School Liaison Officers
(SLOs) were rated as the most important outreach programs. Other programs rated as
important (i.e., by more than 8 in 10 residents) include Downtown Eastside (DTES) foot
patrols, Victim Services, and Community Policing Centres (CPCs).

The VPD also engaged community members in strategic planning of departmental goals in
the establishment of its current Strategic Plan. Consultation consisted of 24 focus group
discussions with various community groups and stakeholders. The VPD also distributed
5,000 flyers advertising the public portion of the consultation process. Comment cards,
completed by citizens were placed in public locations (e.g., community centres, libraries), in
addition to an online survey to solicit public input.

As a result of this consultation, a strategic goal of the 2017-2021 VPD Strategic Plan is to
foster relationships, understanding, and trust with our diverse community. Accordingly, the
VPD routinely participates in a number of ongoing initiatives engaging communities, including
Indigenous Peoples. This report outlines and describes those activities, and aims to serve as
an index of VPD outreach. This outreach includes:

 a dedicated diversity relations section;

 full-time community liaison positions;
 an Indigenous Advisory Committee;
 11 CPCs;
 targeted programming for the safety of women and girls;
 participation in annual community cultural events;

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two Spirit, Plus (LGBTQ2S+) specific
community outreach;
 annual community satisfaction surveys;
 youth directed programming;
 mechanisms to engage new immigrants;
 business community engagement initiatives; and
 community outreach in diverse communities for VPD recruiting.

VPD Mission Statement:

Partnering with our community for excellence and innovation in public
safety.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenous Relations Section

The VPD’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenous Relations Section (DIIRS), established over
20 years ago, has an over-arching goal of building trust and confidence with Indigenous and
other vulnerable communities in Vancouver. The primary goal of DIIRS is to improve
outcomes applicable to populations with key issues such as overrepresentation in the criminal
justice system, under-reporting of crimes, perceptions of fear and safety, and lack of
confidence in the police.

VPD’s DIIRS provides outreach, develops partnerships, and maintains relationships with
various communities and interest groups. Members in this Section act as resources for
frontline members who have questions surrounding specific individuals, community
resources, or culturally sensitive situations. Currently, seven sworn officers, and two civilian
members are assigned to DIIRS. The Inspector in charge of the DIIRS is responsible for the
management and coordination of all section activities and also provides leadership, support,
and strategic advice to other VPD sections regarding diverse communities in Vancouver.

Strategies used by DIIRS to address safety issues and cultural factors include supporting the
VPD Recruiting Unit to ensure the VPD is reflective of the community it serves. The Section
also works with the VPD’s Education and Training Unit and other VPD units to provide training
on cultural competency and awareness to frontline members and recruits. Relationships are
developed with communities at all levels. Outreach is also accomplished through local media
and participation in community forums, workshops, and events. To address safety issues,
members regularly meet with representatives from diverse communities to listen to their
concerns and to provide advice, suggestions, and recommendations.

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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OUR COMMUNITY: A STRATEGIC PRIORITY

The VPD will continue to build relationships with Vancouver’s

diverse communities, including First Nations, LGBTQ2S+, recent
immigrants, various neighbourhood groups, and specific vulnerable
populations, such as the elderly and youth.

VPD Strategic Plan (2017-2021)

Citizens’ Police Academy

Biannually, Vancouver residents along with Vancouver community leaders and
representatives, take part in the VPD Citizens’ Police Academy (CPA), a program that
provides them a behind-the scenes view of policing in Vancouver. Participants represent a
cross-section of our community, with diversity in age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity,
and religious backgrounds. The aim of this program is to provide people with a deeper
understanding and a broader perspective of the problems and complex tasks that police
officers face each day, in order to build understanding between the community and the police.
The four-day course is presented at no cost, with classroom lectures on topics such as crime
investigation and use-of-force as well as hands-on activities and demonstrations. Participants
learn force options and receive firearms training at the VPD Tactical Training Centre.
Participants also tour the Forensic Services Section and the Stanley Park stables, receive
police driver training, and are presented demonstrations of police dogs in action.

The CPA has been a core program of the VPD for over 20 years and has engaged over 400
community members through spring and fall sessions. Twenty community members are
recruited for each cohort. The overall goal of the program is to provide necessary policing
information to these community members in a fun and engaging way while ensuring the
dissemination of information by CPA participants back to their community groups and/or
clients of their organizations. The CPA can fundamentally change the impressions and
perceptions of law enforcement and subsequently improve the overall relationship between
police and the larger community.

Originally CPA participants were leaders of organizations or political leaders with established
relations with DIIRS. However, upon analysis, these individuals were already engaged in with
the VPD and had positive perceptions of the VPD. The focus of the CPA changed in 2019,
with DIIRS reaching out to organizations and community members who had limited contact
with the police and the VPD. DIIRS strategically sought engagement with community
members such as an employee at the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC), the
Liberian Association President, and representatives from the Aboriginal Front Door Society
(AFDS) a culturally safe, peer-designed meeting place. These relationships allow the VPD to
have a stronger and more positive presence in communities, potentially increasing reporting
and decreasing crime and victimization. The CPA was held in the fall of 2019 with 15
participants from diverse community backgrounds participating.

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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Diversity Outreach with Law Enforcement: BC Law Enforcement Diversity

Network
The VPD participates in the BC Law Enforcement Diversity Network (BCLEDN), an initiative
of law enforcement agencies that promotes enrichment through diversity, supports members
working in the diversity area, and works to address diversity issues. In addition to police
agencies, other partners include Canada Border Service Agency, Department of Fisheries
and Oceans Canada, B.C. Sheriffs, and B.C. Corrections.

The main initiative undertaken by the BCLEDN in order to achieve these goals is to hold a
forum for all law enforcement organization members in British Columbia (B.C.). The goal of the
forum is to inform and educate members on a variety of important and progressive subjects.
Recent topics have included Islamic extremism, social media, active shooters, and
protocols for hate crime investigations.

Welcoming with Warmth: Newcomers to Canada

Starting a life in a new country is extremely challenging under ideal circumstances. Often
there are cultural and language barriers, and some new people arriving in Canada have come
from war zones or have had traumatic experiences in countries where the police are not
trusted. To ease the transition, the VPD works to welcome new residents to Canada. VPD
police officers help new immigrants understand the role of police in our country and to build
trust and understanding.

NewKids Police Academy

Funded by the Vancouver Police Foundation (VPF), the NewKids Police Academy provides
newly immigrated students within the Vancouver School Board (VSB) a unique opportunity to
participate in applied educational workshops, simulated police training scenarios, and
activities directly related to police work. The NewKids Police Academy aims to create positive
role-modelling of law enforcement for these youth and their communities, who historically
have not had positive relationships with law enforcement in their home countries. This
program also supports newcomer youth in developing a sense of identity and belonging within
their communities. The program focuses on promoting education and awareness around
policing through peer and police mentorship.

 Mentorship and presentations are provided by police members, giving newcomer

youth a chance to form positive relationships with police. The program runs for 10
weeks, one day a week, twice a year, and has approximately 15 youth (aged 15 to 18)
participants. The VPD’s main program partner is the Engaged Immigrant Youth
Program, through the VSB Settlement Workers in schools referring these youth. A
total of 150 new and refugee youth has since graduated from the program, since its
creation in 2015.

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Multicultural Outreach: VPD Diversity Liaison Officer

The VPD’s Diversity Liaison Officer engages a variety of Vancouver communities through
event attendance, programming, and outreach. This liaison oversees the NewKids Police
Academy and the CPA, both designed to engage diverse communities to learn about policing
and share community experiences.

The Diversity Liaison Officer purposely conducts outreach to communities that fear or distrust
the police. In particular, the Diversity Liaison Officer works with the Immigrant Services
Society of BC (ISSofBC) to provide policing information to newcomers arriving through the
Vancouver welcome centre located at ISSofBC. Many of these newcomers are arriving from
places where relationships with police were distrustful and this provides the VPD with the
opportunity to positively engage with these communities.

The Diversity Liaison Officer attends cultural events such as the Chinese Lunar New Year,
Open Mosque Day, Diverse Francophone, Coquitlam Fire Festival, Haitian Flag Day Festival,
African Descent Festival, and the Nigerian Independence Day, in addition to multiple other
festivals throughout the year.

Advocacy and Outreach for the LGBTQ2S+ Community

LGBTQ2S+ Liaison Officer

Formalized in 2017, the LGBTQ2S+ Liaison Officer is responsible for working with various
interest groups in the LGBTQ2S+ community. This officer also works with VPD members to
increase organizational awareness and facilitate resolution of issues affecting all members of
the LGBTQ2S+ community.

The LGBTQ2S+ Liaison Officer is actively involved in committee work that furthers
departmental and community interests. The core functions of this position include ongoing
cultural training of VPD personnel regarding LGBTQ2S+ communities. This liaison also
supports other police departments regarding
LGBTQ2S+ issues, and is working on the
implementation of the City of Vancouver “I REALLY BELIEVE THE VPD IS LEADING
(CoV) Trans*, Gender Variant, and Two- BY EXAMPLE. THEY ARE GETTING OUT
Spirited Inclusion recommendations. The THERE IN A COMMUNITY AND WE DO
LGBTQ2S+ Liaison Officer works with SEE EFFORTS TO CHANGE; IT’S SLOW
LGBTQ2S+community groups and BUT IT’S THERE… I SEE THE POLICE AS A
organizations and has oversight of the Safe
CHILD AND THE COMMUNITY AS A
Place Program (described below). Other
PARENT. AND A PARENT NEVER GIVES
work includes ongoing training of community
groups and organizations that serve the
UP ON THE CHILD.”
LGBTQ2S+ communities, committee work
through the CoV LGTBQ2S+ Advisory Velvet Steele (2018)
Committee, and the development of Community Activist
LGBTQ2S+programming such as the Love
Who You Want campaign.

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

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In 2019, the LGBTQ2S+ Liaison Officer held 21 workshops and presentations. These
included presentations to Safe Place locations, law enforcement partners, (e.g., Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, and other municipal agencies) community groups, and schools.

Safe Place Program

The first of its kind in Canada, the Safe Place program was launched in July 2016 with the
goal to increase community safety for LGBTQ2S+ people. Safe Place is a partnership
program with the business community where partnering businesses welcome people in need
of police assistance, and provide safe shelter until officers arrive. Participating businesses
display the Safe Place decal and are vetted by the VPD and sign a pledge indicating their
support for the community and acknowledge their willingness to assist potential victims.
Originally developed by the Seattle Police Department, the VPD is the first Canadian police
department to launch this program. The CoV and the VSB also partner with the VPD on this
initiative and display the Safe Place decals in schools. To date, there are almost 500
participating businesses in the CoV.

THE MISSION OF THE VPD SAFE PLACE INITIATIVE IS TO INCREASE SAFETY FOR
THE MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ2S+ COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING A SAFE PLACE IF
THEY ARE A VICTIM OF CRIME OR HAVE ANY CONCERN FOR THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY

Transgender Perspectives: Walk with Me

In 2016, the VPD released Walk with Me, an educational video created as a collaborative
effort between DIIRS, VPD’s Education and Training Unit, and members of Vancouver’s
transgender communities. This video addresses issues that many transgender people face
including discrimination and employment challenges. It also provides tips on how people can
interact in a respectful manner with transgender people, such as asking what pronouns they
prefer to use. The 17-minute video has been viewed by all VPD staff, to provide awareness
and training; it is also available to citizens who wish to learn about the issues transgender
people may face.

City of Vancouver 2S+LGTBQ Advisory Committee

The CoV 2S+LGTBQ Advisory Committee started in 2012 to better address issues facing this
population and to improve their relationships between the LGTBQ2S+ community and the VPD.
This committee includes representatives from the VPD, CoV, faculty at the University of British
Columbia (UBC), the Trans Alliance Society, and LGTBQ2S+ community members.

Meeting six times a year, the committee provides input to city council and staff about issues
of concern and works with other agencies whose activities affect constituent communities,
including initiating and developing relevant projects.

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Love Who You Want, Play What You A Year in Review: 2019
Want
In May 2019 the LGBTQ2S+ Liaison Officer
Safe Place
unveiled the Love Who You Want, Play What
 479 businesses participate in
You Want sports campaign to bring awareness
Safe Place (441 in 2018)
and support for those in the LGBTQ2S+
community to play or attend any sport they want  4,998 views of Safe Place video
without fear. In partnership with the You Can Play in 2019 (4,180 views in 2018)
team and Viasport BC, Love Who You Want,
Play What you Want will be highlighted at
Walk with Me
sporting events to promote acceptance and
 82,525 views on YouTube in
inclusion in all sports. 2019 (68,640 views in 2018)

Upcoming planned events include participation

at the Vancouver Canucks You Can Play night in
2020, followed by Vancouver Whitecaps FC and *as of December 2019.
BC Lions events in 2020. Four videos are set to
be released in 2020, inspiring all individuals to
feel accepted while playing sports.

Arrows to the Future: Youth Directed Outreach

The VPD commits extensive resources to youth engagement, namely through innovative
programming that provides positive interactions to nurture relationships, understanding, and
trust among youth. Concurrently, these efforts serve to develop self-esteem and positive life
skills among youth while deterring them from engaging in criminal activities such as gang
involvement and drug use. Ultimately, this investment by the VPD provides youth with the
skills and experience to become future leaders in their communities.

School Liaison Unit

The VPD School Liaison Unit (SLU) has maintained an ongoing partnership with the VSB
dating back to 1972. SLOs are assigned specific schools within the jurisdiction and, in the
Vancouver public school system alone, provide services to approximately 54,000 students
from kindergarten to grade 12. At present, the VPD deploys 15 SLOs and 2 designated
sergeants across Vancouver; in addition to the public schools within the VSB, the SLU also
serves all of the private educational institutions in the city.

In support of targeted outreach and interventions for at-risk and/or vulnerable youth, SLOs
connect with all individuals in the student body of their assigned schools in order to provide
day-to-day support and participate in various school-based activities and events. A number
of unique programs are offered to youth based on the identified needs of each particular
population/community.

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Indigenous Cadet Program

Implemented in 2007 and funded by the Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services
Society, the Indigenous Cadet Program (ICP) program is intended to mentor and coach
Indigenous youth, aged 19 to 29 years, who demonstrate a desire to become police officers
with the VPD. This unique summer program is open to youth of Indigenous ancestry. During
their VPD internship, the Cadets work with Fleet Services, experience ride-alongs with
various sections, engage in cultural activities, and participate in the annual Pulling Together
Canoe Journey.

In 2019, three new Indigenous Youth completed the ICP. A total of 42 Indigenous youth have
completed the program since its inception in 2007. Currently, over half of the program
graduates work in the field of criminal justice, with 15 working for the VPD in either a sworn
or civilian capacity.

Access, Recreation, and Culture Program

In October 2018, VPD’s DIIRS launched the first session of the Access, Recreation, and
Culture (ARC) Program, which engages high-risk, urban Indigenous youth in cultural and
recreational activities, and encourages pro-social behaviours and healthy life choices. The
ARC program is intended for youth between the ages of 16 to 24 who may have any
combination of the following risk factors:

 substance use issues;

 physical and/or mental health concerns;
 homelessness or lack of stable housing;
 low socio-economic status and lack of access to resources for survival;
 poor educational attainment and/or limited employment history;
 involvement with the criminal justice system; and
 social isolation and attachment to negative associates.

The first cohort comprised of eight males (aged 15 to 18) engaged in a series of seminars
designed to introduce them to Indigenous cultural practices as well as key aspects of policing.
These meaningful seminars include teachings on the Medicine Wheel with Indigenous Elders,
Cedar Weaving, Drumming, a guided hike with members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and
field trips to the VPD’s Marine and Mounted Squads.

In April 2019, a second cohort, with two females and six males (aged 14 to 20), started the
ARC program. Under the guidance of an Indigenous Elder, they participated in a field trip with
the VPD Marine Unit, and in a coaching session with a member of the VPD Recruiting Unit.
Work towards obtaining drivers licenses for these participants has already started, along with
coaching them towards participation in the VPD’s ICP.

An independent review of the program was conducted in January 2019, and the results
revealed that the program is being well-received and continues to be impactful in terms of
inspiring youth to work towards a career in the criminal justice system. Further, the review
identified a recommendation by the youth to visit the Vancouver Police Museum, now
implemented as part of the ARC program.

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VPD Cadets
Funded by the VPF, the VPD’s renowned Cadet Program is a prime example of an initiative
designed to instill leadership skills and it may increase the pool of potential VPD recruits
among inner-city youth. The 28-week program is led by VPD police officers and includes
educational workshops along with physical training, team building exercises, and life skills
training such as public speaking and resume-building skills. Graduates of the program
become mentors and peer-to-peer role models for subsequent cohorts.

A total of 366 youth have participated in the program since its inception in 2014. Over 270
cadets have successfully graduated from the program, and in the present cohort, there are
85 cadet participants and 135 cadet volunteers that were graduates of the Cadet Program

Student Challenge
Occurring over nine days, the VPD Student Challenge is a mini-police academy for 48
Vancouver students over spring break. The students spend time in the classroom learning
about legal studies and human relations, and receive presentations from VPD specialty
sections, such as the VPD Canine, Homicide, and Forensic Identification Units. They wrap
up with a stay at an area ranch, with physical and team-building challenges. This program is
funded by the VPF.

Since its inception 21 years ago, the Student Challenge has graduated upwards of 1,000
young people from diverse and multicultural backgrounds. Many youth who participated in
these programs enter the police officer application process and several have been successful.
For instance, upwards of 20 alumni of the Student Challenge have gone on to work in some
form of law enforcement, with 18 of those being hired as members of the VPD. Approximately
800 students have graduated from the program; 23 graduates are currently serving as
police officers and 3 are Special Municipal Constables (SMCs). It is the VPD’s position that
the number of individuals who are ultimately successful is not the real success, rather, it is the
immeasurable benefits through positive engagement.

Get R.E.A.L.
Previously known as the Windermere Boys and Girls Group, Get R.E.A.L. (Resilient,
Engaged, Active, Leaders) continues to operate as a youth resiliency program that builds
leadership and supports crime prevention through engagement. The program has shifted to
a non-gender binary structure in order to reduce barriers to participation and promote
inclusivity.

Currently, 60 to 80 youth enroll with the Get R.E.A.L program and each week, participants
focus on different workshop topics which address important social issues such as: mental
health, self-defense, crime prevention, healthy relationships, employment readiness,
substance abuse prevention, sex education, recreation, leadership development, and
community service projects. The VPD's Windermere SLO has been heavily involved in the
planning, administration, and facilitation of the Get R.E.A.L. remains a community resource
and program support for participants and facilitators alike.

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Police Athletic League

A registered charity, the Police Athletic League (PAL) is a youth crime prevention initiative
that uses athletic, recreational, and educational programs to foster positive rapport and
mutual trust between police officers and youths. Current VPD PAL activities throughout
Vancouver include basketball games, soccer camps, running clubs, and rugby camps. In
2019, 24 lunch hour games were played, with over 3,000 youth playing or attending as
spectators.

Youth Connect
Young people continue to face difficult decisions about personal relationships, safety, and
online behavior - often feeling isolated and lacking support. These difficulties place youth at
potential risk; including physical and sexual assaults in schools, distribution of personal and
intimate images, and unsafe social media use. Youth Connect was created in 2017 to combat
these emerging trends. This annual, day-long symposium is hosted by the Special
Investigation Section (SIS) and supported by YSS, including SLU and Youth Services Unit
members. VPD members help plan, organize and run this event each year, with roles ranging
from workshop facilitation to greeting youth at the door. Each year, approximately 150
students, staff, and counselors from Vancouver schools attend to discuss and learn about
consent, diversity, healthy relationships, personal safety and safe dating.

Rise Basketball
Rise Basketball is an after-school basketball program that is led by SLOs at Sir Charles
Tupper and John Oliver Secondary. Piloted in the spring of 2018, Rise Basketball has been
successful in providing youth participants with an added avenue to seek out healthy,
recreational activities and establish positive relationships with role models.

Funded by the B.C. Civil Forfeiture Office (CFO) and supported by Hillcrest Community
Centre, John Oliver’s Community Schools Team, and the Insurance Corporation of British
Columbia (ICBC), Rise Basketball participants also attend educational presentations
conducted by ICBC and other community supporters. Program sessions take place twice a
month at Hillcrest Community Centre, and in 2019, 36 regular youth participants (and
additional drop-ins) attended the program.

Total Respect for Ourselves and Others

The VPD Youth Services Section (YSS) partnered with the Children of the Street Society, a
provincial society and federal charity dedicated to preventing the sexual exploitation and
human trafficking of children and youth in B.C. through education strategies, public
awareness initiatives, and family support.

In collaboration with the Children of the Street Society, the VPD created the Total Respect
for Ourselves and Others (TROO) program, which address the issue of sexting among youth.
In addition to hosting intensive workshops with older youth who have a demonstrated need
to increase their knowledge and awareness in this regard, TROO also conducts preventative
and informational presentations to students in younger grades. In 2019, TROO presentations
were attended by over 950 youth and were also attended by 125 industry professionals
including VSB teachers, support workers, and administrative staff.

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Here4Peers
Here4Peers is an initiative funded by the VPF is partnership between the VPD, VSB, the
Canadian Mental Health Association, and Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). Here4Peers
brings an 80-minute mental health awareness workshop facilitated by trained and supported
grade 10-12 high school students to grade 6-7 elementary school students. To meet the needs
to the community this program incorporated feedback from students, young adults, school
staff, and representatives from Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) and Qmunity, a
nonprofit community centre in Vancouver that serves as a catalyst for LGBTQ2S+ community
initiatives and collective strength. This peer-based initiative is currently based in six
Vancouver high schools. An evaluation of Here4Peers, funded by the CoV, has shown that
this initiative has been able to accomplish the goal to:

 reduce stigma;
 increase awareness of mental health issues and coping tools; and
 improve access to resources.

The six participating schools are David Thompson, Vancouver Technical, John Oliver, Prince
of Wales, Eric Hamber, and King George Secondary Schools. Over 4,000 students in grades
six and seven have participated in the workshops since the start of the program, with over
150 workshops completed to date.

VPD Musqueam Basketball Camp

Since 2010, the VPD Musqueam Basketball camp has been held on the Musqueam Reserve,
enhancing the positive work by the VPD and fostering the relationship, understanding, and
trust the VPD has with the Musqueam community. The objectives of this basketball camp are
to develop community relations between the VPD and the individuals who live on the
Musqueam Reserve as well as to develop basketball skills and healthy lifestyles of the
children and teenagers participating in the camp.

On August 21 and 22, 2019, VPD’s PAL and the Musqueam Indian Band (MIB) were proud to
sponsor the 9th annual VPD Musqueam Basketball camp. Free of charge, this camp included
children as young as 5 up to 18 years of age. The camp had over 50 participants including
camp leaders, a VPD civilian member, 5 VPD Community Safety Personnel (CSP), and 5 VPD
police officers.

Making Everyone Safe and Healthy

In June of each year, VPD police officers host the Making Everyone Safe and Healthy (MESH)
sports day. This annual event includes about 200 children from four elementary schools
taking part in a sports day event. They learn about healthy lifestyle choices, while having fun
and interacting with police officers.

In 2019, the VPD participated in the Project Mesh Toy Drive where 50 families from
Henderson, Trudeau, Fleming, and Moberly Elementary Schools were assisted. Gifts were
donated through the Vancouver Police Community Fund (VPCF) and VPF. VPD cadets
volunteered at this event, and together with officers were able to personally deliver these
gifts to families

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Bright at Night
During the winter months, harsh weather and low light conditions lead to poor visibility and
increase the hazards of driving. Youth are at an increased risk of pedestrian-involved motor
vehicle accidents due to their smaller size and lack of experience with traffic. The VPD SLU
hopes to increase youth safety through Bright at Night, by the creation of branded, reflective
slap bands distributed to elementary school students. In doing so, children wearing the bands
will be able to increase their visibility in poor conditions by up to 500%. Wherever possible,
the bands are given to youth in conjunction with Halloween and/or pedestrian safety
presentations, to reinforce road safety messaging. With support from VPF, Bright at Night is
being planned for 2020.

Youth Outreach Presentations

In addition to miscellaneous youth outreach activities conducted by SLOs on a regular basis
throughout the school year, the SLU also provides informational presentations to youth on a
variety of different topics. In 2019, 51 presentations were given by the VPD Elementary SLO
to over 1,250 school aged children on topics such as Halloween safety, strangers, internet
safety, and bullying.

ReMAKE
The Restoration through the Mobile Arts for Kids Exchange (ReMAKE) is an upcoming
program funded by the CFO through a Crime Reduction and Community Safety Grant. The
goal of the program is to transform a cargo trailer into a mobile music/art studio, which will be
utilized for ongoing youth engagement and outreach purposes at elementary schools across
Vancouver.

Phase I of the program will entail the custom modification of the trailer, with ongoing input
from youth to engage future program participants and create an inviting, youth-friendly space.
Phase II will consist of curriculum development of Youth Resiliency Sessions and will link to
a component of Phase III by enhancing the learning objectives of each ReMAKE program
session. These sessions will be designed to increase participant knowledge regarding topical
social and criminal justice issues and will be specifically targeted towards the participant
population of the program. Finally, Phase III of ReMAKE will see the newly modified trailer
travel to various elementary schools in order to provide on-site music and arts programming
for suitable youth participants.

The ReMAKE program will be led by police facilitators who have prior knowledge and
experience in music production and can parlay their artistic experience into an innovative and
imaginative crime reduction and community safety initiative. By building positive relationships
with youth participants through activities centered on music and content creation, this two-
hour session will serve as an informal intervention by providing an interactive and fun outlet
for creative endeavours, while teaching participants the basics regarding digital media and
music production. Select youth with identified need for further intervention through outreach
and engagement will be invited to attend monthly eight-hour workshops.

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Churchill Strong
As an after-school workout club initiated by the SLO at Churchill Secondary three years ago,
Churchill Strong was started to engage youth who have run into minor disciplinary incidents
and/or don’t normally participate in competitive sports. This program encourages youth to
make healthier choices and to build stronger relationships with police, VSB staff, and peers.
With over 50 students actively participating, Churchill Strong is supported by the VPF and
has recently secured funds to purchase water bottles and hoodies as incentives and rewards
for achieving milestones.

Share a Meal
Members of the VPD Police Community Response Unit and Ministry of Children and Family
Development (MCFD) partners, including social workers and youth probation officers,
participate in the Share a Meal program to help at-risk youth. The teams offer food vouchers,
provided by the VPF, to share both a meal and a conversation. Police officers from several
units in the YSS have access to food vouchers and participate in this program daily within the
scope of their duties.

The Strathcona Backpack Program

Many underprivileged kids receive subsidized lunches throughout the school week, however
during the weekend, the program is not in service and kids would not have access to nutritious
meals until Monday.

The Strathcona Backpack Program provides food for meals to fill the gap during the weekend
when children are not supported by the school food programs they depend on during the
school week. The Strathcona Backpack Program has been running since November 2010
and has expanded to support over 275 children. Every Friday, families may fill up a bag with
a variety of nutritious foods that is generously provided by the Greater Vancouver Food Bank
Society and purchased at local community partners with funding from several charitable
sources.

The VPD Neighbourhood Community Policing Officer helps support the program and those
who run it, while being sensitive to the varied backgrounds of the families who use this
program and how they may perceive the police. The VPD Neighbourhood Community
Policing Officer engages with families in this program living in the neighbourhood to make
them feel safe, provide education, and awareness around increasing their safety living in the
DTES.

Vancouver Police Soccer and Service Club

The Vancouver Police Soccer and Service Club (VPSSC) is comprised of police officers and
civilians primarily from the VPD, but also include members from other law enforcement
agencies in B.C. Every year the men’s and women's team play in leagues and tournaments
locally and across North America. Additionally, the VPSSC are responsible for community
initiatives where they engage at-risk youth and new immigrant youth through sports, to help
break down barriers they may have with police. The following are three VPSCC youth
initiatives:

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Annual Soccer Camp

More than 300 kids gathered on the soccer pitch at Strathcona Park on July 2 to 5, 2019, for
the 30th annual VPD Soccer Camp at. Supported by CIBC Wood Gundy, Bell, Whitecaps FC,
and the VPF, this yearly soccer camp is a free event for at-risk youth aged 6 to 17 years. This
camp is directed towards inner-city youth and features dozens of games and drills to teach
the kids the basics of shooting, passing, and dribbling. Participants are encouraged to interact
with other kids in their community, practice team work, learn new skills, and have fun.

The event was run by dedicated volunteers of the VPSSC and Whitecaps FC were on-hand
to oversee it all. Special appearances were made by members of the VPD Canine Unit, the
VPD Motorcycle Drill Team, and Whitecaps FC former star player, Carl Valentine, and the
team’s mascot, Spike. The VPD Youth Soccer Camp fills an essential summer programming
need and helps to build confidence and resilience in vulnerable children.

Paul Sanghera Soccer Tournament

The VPSSC, supported by the VPF and the Masonic Lodges of the Lower Mainland, also
coordinate the annual Paul Sanghera Soccer Tournament that honours a fallen member who
tragically lost his life in a fatal car crash. The tournament hosts nine Vancouver high school
soccer teams that play in a two day, indoor soccer tournament where top players will be
rewarded with $3,500 in scholarships for their post-secondary education. In April 2019 the
36th annual Paul Sanghera Soccer Tournament was held.

VPSSC Free Boot Program

Every year the VPSSC partners with Moresports to deliver 60 pairs of soccer boots, shin
pads, and socks to impoverished youth of Vancouver. All the youth recipients are involved in
community soccer programs but do not necessary have the means to purchase new
equipment. The youth are invited to North America Sports where they are fitted with new
soccer equipment by both police officers and store staff. Two weeks after fitting, the
equipment is delivered to the 60 youth at a reception held at the VPD police building. Food is
supplied and the police officers, youth, and their families share a meal supplied by the Tap
and Barrel and are able to build relationships through the love of soccer.

Outreach for At-Risk Children: Working with Ministry of Children and

Family Development
In addition to the VPD’s numerous programs and outreach initiatives dedicated to youth
populations, the department also shares a close working relationship with the MCFD. Inter-
agency collaboration provides opportunity for VPD to expand upon their outreach capacity
and ensure that the physical, mental and social needs of community members can be
addressed through referred services.

Yankee 10
Yankee 10 is a partnership between the VPD and MCFD, pairing VPD police officers with
probation/correction officers. The focus of the program is monitor youth involved in the
criminal justice system, and/or youth who are likely to become criminally involved. The
Yankee 10 partnership liaises with other probation officers in Vancouver as well as multiple

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jurisdictions, conducts nightly curfew checks, attends locations where high-risk youth gather
(e.g., local community centres), and assist foster parents/homes with problematic youth.
Yankee 10 also connects with many other VPD sections including the VPD Missing Persons
Unit (MPU) and supports frontline officers regularly.

Yankee 20
The VPD’s Yankee 20 car pairs a VPD police officer with a youth outreach MCFD social
worker to provide a coordinated response to sexually exploited and at-risk youth between the
ages of 12 to 18 years old. The purpose of car is to work closely with community groups such
as UNYA, PLEA Community Services Society of BC, Network of Inner City Community
Services Society, and Covenant House to update previously identified youth in the community
and bring attention to new youth in the community. The goal of Yankee 20 and the community
groups are to build and maintain relationships with youth to influence them in a positive
manner and deter them from negative street influences. This is done by connecting youth
with resources and agencies that offer support services to meet their needs.

Car 86
Since 1977, the VPD’s Car 86 program has been working in conjunction with a social worker
from MCFD with the mandate to provide after-hours assessment and intervention for children
deemed at-risk. The VPD police officer and social worker work as a team in assessing,
managing, and determining appropriate actions that are required to ensure the safety of
children. In the most extreme cases, children could be removed from homes deemed to be
unsafe and placed into temporary or long-term foster care. In most instances, MCFD will have
the guardian agree to a safety plan that they need to abide by to ensure the safety of their
children. Car 86 also provides information and resources to families that require help in coping
with their current situations.

Supporting and Connecting Youth

Implemented in 2006, Supporting and Connecting Youth (SACY) is a joint initiative of the VSB
and VCH in collaboration with the VPD, CoV, UBC, and the Canadian Institute for Substance
Use Research. It aims to apply all available resources and infrastructure to delay, prevent,
and reduce substance use related problems in young people by listening to their experiences
and supporting them. SACY utilizes activities to deliver coordinated prevention and early
intervention strategies that emphasize relationships, connectedness, positive youth
development, and social and emotional learning. Activities are categorized into four areas:
youth prevention and engagement, parent engagement, curriculum and teacher training, and
a three-day off-site program.

Contributing to Lives of Inner-City Kids

The VPD also supports Contributing to Lives of Inner-City Kids (CLICK), a non-profit
organization created in 2004, which has distributed funds to over 400 programs helping
vulnerable youth succeed in their goals. CLICK promotes, advocates, and champions the
rights and needs of all youth across our community. All funded programs focus on youth being
able to freely access resources and opportunities to safely enable them to excel. It is
important that awareness around the issues facing inner city youth are brought forward via

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fundraising, communication, collaboration, and open dialogue so that change can be made
in perceptions and attitudes towards those youth. Applicable programs include school trips,
summer camps, literacy groups, sports activities, and arts and culture activities.

Connecting with Indigenous Communities

Tied with past discriminatory government policies, the generational effects of colonization,
displacement, and the Residential School system have disadvantaged Indigenous Peoples.
The VPD recognizes this discrimination and acknowledges that we all have a responsibility
to ensure that systemic racism and discriminatory practices do not continue.

Developing a positive relationship between the VPD and Indigenous Peoples is and will
remain a priority; the VPD engages in ongoing initiatives with Indigenous Peoples, as
described below. Importantly, the VPD recognizes that building relationships must be based
on respect and understanding, and led by and in partnerships with Indigenous communities.

Indigenous Advisory Committee

The VPD and Vancouver’s Indigenous community leaders collaborated in the creation of the
VPD Indigenous Advisory Committee which was established in late 2018 with the first meeting
in February 2019. The VPD Indigenous Advisory Committee is comprised of eight recognized
and respected members of Vancouver's Indigenous community, including Métis
representation, and executive representation from the VPD. The Indigenous Advisory
Committee meets quarterly to connect with and advise the VPD on current issues relating to
Indigenous and police relations within the community.

The Indigenous Advisory Committee initiative is a multi-faceted operation designed to

enhance the relationship between police and the Indigenous community. Organizations and
partners in this group include the Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice Society, Metro
Vancouver Aboriginal Executive Counsel, Vancouver Aboriginal Community Policing Centre
(VACPC), and Warriors Against Violence.

The specific goals/objectives that direct its efforts include:

 relationship and trust building between the Indigenous community and the VPD;
 eliminating barriers between police and Indigenous residents and community;
 supporting education, cultural awareness, and other events to further build trusting
relationships between residents, the Indigenous community and the VPD; and
 a procedure for sharing information on current issues within the Indigenous
community.

Traditional Canoe Waking Ceremony

It is Coast Salish tradition for canoes be “woken up” after the winter before embarking onto
the water. The VPD canoe Nchu’7mut (pronounced In-CHOTE-Mote, meaning One Heart,
One Mind), is awakened by members of the Squamish Nation and the VPD Canoe Family,
preparing it for travel in a series of reconciliation events throughout the year including the

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Pulling Together Canoe Journey, described below. This ceremony highlights the important
relationship the VPD shares with Vancouver’s Indigenous community.

Pulling Together Canoe Journey

Each year, the VPD’s sworn and civilian members join numerous Indigenous organizations,
youth organizations, and other Lower Mainland police agencies to participate in the multiday
Pulling Together Canoe Journey; this paddling event aims to solidify bonds between
Indigenous and police communities in B.C. The event includes over 400 participants,
including civilian and sworn VPD members, including the VPD Executive, Vancouver Police
Board (VPB) members, VPD Cadets, Indigenous Cadets, and Musqueam youth. This event
has developed through the years to include dozens of agencies and Indigenous nations to
help nurture mutual understanding and police awareness of Indigenous issues. In 2019, the
19th annual Pulling Together Canoe Journey included participation of over 400 individuals,
including 25 VPD members, in over 20 canoe families, as well as 13 VPD youth Cadets, 3
VPD Indigenous youth cadets, and 10 youth from the Musqueam Nation.

National Indigenous Peoples Day

On June 21 of each year, the VPD celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day, to recognize
and celebrate the heritage, diverse cultures, and contributions of Indigenous Peoples. Staff
from all areas of the VPD interact with the community, receive feedback, and answer any
questions the community may have. This event is also utilized to capture public interest in
policing as a career, with attendance from various VPD representatives including the VPD
Traffic Section, Mounted Unit, and Emergency Response Section.

Neighbourhood Police Officer for the Vancouver Aboriginal Community

Policing Centre
The VACPC was founded by Vancouver’s Indigenous community to address social justice
issues, improve safety for Indigenous Peoples and improve the relationship between the VPD
and the Indigenous community through education, awareness, and open dialogue. As a non-
profit organization, VACPC is governed by a Board of Directors elected by and from members
of Vancouver’s Indigenous community. In working with the Indigenous community, local
organizations, and all levels of government, the VACPC is better able to provide services,
programs and resources to help maintain the security and safety of Indigenous communities
in Vancouver. The VACPC provides a safe place where community members can gather to
identify, discuss, and address safety issues in Vancouver. The programs offered to the
Indigenous community focus on social development, healing, life skills, support, and
counseling, through a supportive environment.

As a conduit to the VACPC, the VPD maintains a dedicated Neighbourhood Police Officer
(NPO) working with the Centre to support staff and community members accessing the
VACPC. The NPO plays an integral part in fulfilling the mandate of the VACPC, providing
support and representing the VPD. The NPO works with the Indigenous population to
communicate their needs and concerns to the VPD. Specifically, this NPO is in a unique
position to assist Indigenous Peoples when they file a missing person report, and will often
assist individuals when liaising with the investigative units. The NPO works to achieve mutual

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understanding on community policing issues, and serves

as the primary contact for multiple Indigenous and non-
Indigenous agencies in Vancouver

Indigenous Liaison and Protocol Officer

2019 Highlights
Reporting to the VPD Executive, the VPD recently
implemented a new Indigenous Liaison and Protocol Indigenous Liaison &
Officer position to work directly with the Indigenous Protocol Officer
community, to develop both VPD and community
programming, to act as a resource for VPD members on
Indigenous culture, and serve as a member of the VPD  Chairing the first VPD
Indigenous Advisory Committee. This officer advises the Indigenous Advisory
VPD on all Indigenous protocols related to formal events Committee in February,
and integrates these protocols into current VPD 2019.
ceremonies. In addition to these duties, the Indigenous
Liaison and Protocol Officer is a dedicated point of contact  Participating in ongoing
for community members to raise concerns they may have recruit training at the
and that can be addressed through the VPD Indigenous Justice Institute of
Advisory Committee. British Columbia.

The Indigenous Liaison and Protocol Officer serves as the  Facilitating

primary contact for multiple Indigenous agencies in Talking/Healing Circles
Vancouver and serves as a Director on the UNYA, a on Tuesday evenings at
Directions Youth
registered non-profit society with the Province of B.C. and
Services.
a Federally registered charitable organization. The
Indigenous Liaison and Protocol Officer is also a Director  2019 Tribal Journey with
at the Circle of Eagles Lodge, a men’s residential facility the Squamish Nation in
providing care and custody to Indigenous men 19 years of Washington State.
age and over who have been conditionally released from
federal institutions. This facility provides room and board,  Participating in the 2019
individual counseling, life skills training and job Pulling Together Canoe
preparation, self-help programs, and traditional healing Journey in Powell River,
practices. B.C.

Musqueam Outreach  Facilitating Sweat

Lodges on Sundays on
The MIB is located in the southwest area of Vancouver.
the Squamish Nation in
There is a service agreement between MIB and the CoV,
West Vancouver.
though which the City provides municipal services such as
policing to the Musqueam area. The VPD has a dedicated  Attending many
Musqueam Liaison Officer who is responsible for this community events
community and works closely with the Band through the year (e.g.,
administration. The Musqueam Liaison Officer works with funerals, marches, and
the people of the Musqueam Nation and provides culturally other cultural events).
sensitive police services. This includes partaking in
speaking engagements that bring awareness to the history
of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, as well as

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participation in activities to improve police relations with the MIB.

The Musqueam Liaison Officer has participated in the Circle of Understanding cultural
competency training and also hosts university classes on a tour of the Musqueam lands as a
way to share the history of the nation and region, while highlighting the positive policing that
occurs in the community. Furthermore, the Musqueam Liaison Officer regularly engages in
activities that take place in the Musqueam area including celebratory events (e.g.,
graduations) or otherwise (e.g., funerals).

More recently, the Musqueam Liaison Officer has been developing relationships with the
Elders and youth through programming and safety talks. In the spring of 2019, the Musqueam
Liaison Officer attended the Gathering our Voices (GOV) conference in Port Alberni with
Musqueam youth. The Musqueam Liaison Officer endeavours to build strong relationships
with the Musqueam community. All MIB members have access to the liaison’s cell phone
number and a timely call back is received from the officer regardless of the time of day. The
Musqueam Liaison Officer develops knowledge of the history of the families in Musqueam,
and endeavors to maintain positive relationships with those families.

The Musqueam Liaison Officer works with the MIB to improve safety in the community. One
example is the advent of a Community Safety Committee, which mobilizes in the event of a
community member going missing. The Musqueam Liaison Officer works closely with this
community as liaison to other VPD specialty sections. This committee is made up of the
managers from the critical departments of the MIB, such as Health, Safety and Security,
Social Development, Drug and Alcohol Prevention, and Finance. The Community Safety
Committee often acts on behalf of the family, and reaches out to the VPD MPU to coordinate
efforts through the Musqueam Liaison member.

Indigenous Liaison Officer

The VPD has a dedicated Indigenous Liaison Officer who works with Vancouver’s urban
Indigenous population to communicate their needs and concerns to the VPD. The aim is to
achieve mutual understanding and/or alignment on community and police issues. The
Indigenous Liaison Officer also works closely with community partners to provide learning
opportunities and healthy activities for high-risk Indigenous youth such as hiking and cultural
outings. Many Indigenous youth have developed a trusting relationship with the Indigenous
Liaison Officer through participation in different programs. The Indigenous Liaison Officer
works one-on-one with Indigenous youth, and serves as a positive role model in the lives of
many Indigenous youth, including current or former gang members.

Lunch with the Chief

Funded by the VPF, the Lunch with the Chief series is a popular quarterly event that has been
well received by the DTES community, since the initial launch in 2014. The purpose of this
event is to provide an informal platform for engagement where participants can share in food
and conversation, to break down barriers in communication and have meaningful, positive
interactions. Taking place in the heart of the DTES, at the Carnegie Community Centre, this
event provides the opportunity for individuals to interact and create relationships with police
members.

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Many community members who have attended have indicated that they relished the
opportunity to put names to faces, and appreciate the chance to have positive and engaging
interactions with police members in a friendly environment. VPD’s Sex Industry Liaison Officer
(SILO), Indigenous Liaison and Protocol Officer, and Indigenous Liaison Officer distribute
invitations to the community, and a large proportion of participants are Indigenous Peoples.
The VPD invites guest speakers that are Elders from local nations and other key figures.

National Aboriginal Veterans Day

National Aboriginal Veterans Day is a memorial day observed in Canada in recognition of the
contributions of Indigenous Peoples to military service, particularly in the First and Second
World Wars and the Korean War. It occurs annually on November 8, and each year the VPD
pays tribute to the contributions and sacrifices of Indigenous veterans who served our country
bravely, so that all Canadians may inherit freedom.

Wreaths from the VPD and SisterWatch are laid, and VPD members take part in
commemoration ceremonies, first in the Carnegie Centre and then at the cenotaph at Victory
Square. Participation on this day of remembrance is from all ranks of the VPD including the
Chief Constable, VPD Executive members, frontline police officers, SMCs, CPC volunteers,
and VPD cadets.

Engaging Women and Girls

Although many crimes do not discriminate between genders, women are more vulnerable to
certain types of crimes; the VPD recognizes that violence against young women and girls is
an established barrier to gender equality. The trauma suffered by victims of violence can
negatively impact their mental and physical health, relationships, and overall well-being.

Further, intersecting social disparities often disproportionately negatively impact marginalized

groups such as Indigenous women, placing them at increased risk for violent victimization.
For example, research has shown that the rate for Indigenous women who reported sexual
assault was triple that of non-Indigenous women (11.3% compared to 3.5%). Additionally, in
2018, Indigenous women accounted for 27% of female homicide victims in Canada while only
accounting for 2% of the population.

The VPD has developed specific programming, in consultation with the Indigenous
community, tailored to prevent further violence against Indigenous women and has dedicated
positions and programming to help ensure the safety of women and girls.

SisterWatch
Women in Vancouver’s DTES community are particularly vulnerable to violence, injury, and
death. Crime statistics in the DTES have never truly reflected the danger facing the women
who live there. Whether the cause is fear of reprisals or general distrust of authority, women
have traditionally been reluctant to report crimes against themselves and others. Following
the tragic death of Ashley Machiskinic, the SisterWatch Project began in December 2010 with
regular Town Hall meetings consisting of members of the DTES community and VPD

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members. These members include the Chief Constable, members of the VPD Executive,
senior management, as well as frontline officers, who form the SisterWatch committee.
SisterWatch meetings are co-chaired by the VPD Chief Constable and an Elder from the
community. The guiding principle of this committee is to provide a safe space for residents of
the DTES to voice their concerns and to keep community members informed of police
progress concerning investigations, and any advances in community safety.

In addition to the Town Hall meetings, the SisterWatch Project also established the
SisterWatch tip line, a special telephone hotline that is staffed by civilian women from E-
Comm, trained to assist callers who are concerned about their safety. This tip line encourages
community members to come forward with information regarding crimes of gender violence,
the death of Ashley Machiskinic, or any other safety concerns.

Women’s Memorial March

The first women’s memorial march was held in 1992 in response to the murder of a woman
on Powell Street in Vancouver. Out of this sense of hopelessness and anger came a march
to express compassion, community, and caring for all women in Vancouver’s DTES,
Unceded Coast Salish Territories.

Decades later, an annual march held on Valentine’s Day, continues to honour the lives of
missing and murdered women. This event is organized and led by women in the DTES
because women, especially Indigenous women, have faced violence that has taken the lives
of so many of both groups, leaving deep voids in their hearts. Individuals gather each year
to mourn and remember those lost to violence by listening to their family members, by taking
over the streets, and through spiritual ceremonies. VPD participation shows support for
families of missing and murdered women and is a visible police gesture of respect and
support for the Indigenous community.

Sex Industry Liaison Officer

The role of the VPD SILO has expanded in the community, moving beyond enforcement and
into advocacy. This is a proven resource for many Indigenous women, including many who
live and work in the DTES. The duties of this position include but are not limited to:

 accompaniment to follow up appointments (e.g., obtaining audio/video/written

statements, victim services, medical appointments);
 transportation to out-of-town court commitments (e.g., Crown Counsel interviews,
courtroom preparation, and testifying in court);
 assisting with placement in detox, recovery;
 transitional housing and second stage housing; and
 connecting with community programs that include housing, mental health,
employment, and personal development.

The SILO works closely with the Women’s Information and Safe Haven (WISH) Drop-in
Centre where connections are made with Indigenous women of varying ages and
backgrounds. As a result of the SILO’s presence in the community and availability outside of
regular office hours, the SILO assists in a wide range of ways including organizing violence
prevention and safety workshops. For example, the SILO has participated in the Aboriginal

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Cultural and Creativity Program, which hosts 8 to 12 participants who are all Indigenous sex
workers. This program is held two times per year and includes a ceremonial sage-picking
event hosted by a band in the Merritt Nicola Valley region and the Conayt Friendship Centre.
In addition to VPD participating in picking this medicine, transportation is provided for up to
nine women who would otherwise be unable to attend. Approximately 80 other Indigenous
women generally attend the event.

Partnerships are essential to the success of the work done by the SILO. Community partners
include WISH, the Prostitution Alternatives Counselling and Education (PACE), First United
Church, Carnegie Outreach, VCH Intensive Case Management Team, Downtown Community
Health Clinic, DTES residences, detox, recovery and transition houses, and various shelters
(e.g., Triage, Al Mitchell Place, Yukon, and the Evelyn Saller Centre).

Select community work from 2019 includes the following:

 The SILO assisted vulnerable women and men in obtaining just over 100 pieces of
provincial identification under the ID4ME program. Since the Kettle Society created a
program specifically to assist individuals in obtaining identification, the demand on the
SILO for ID has lessened, with the exception of self-initiated workshops, referrals from
previous ID4ME recipients and their supports. Workshops are conducted on an as
needed basis, generally once or twice per month.

 Approximately 120 emergency phones (911 calling capacity) were provided to vulnerable
and more marginalized individuals in 2019.

 De-commissioned VPD notebooks are now prepared for distribution to the community for
citizens interested in keeping important information including licence plates and
descriptions of potential bad dates. An Indigenous community artist provided the images
for the front cover and these notebooks are now being distributed in the community, at
workshops and events including Lunch with the Chief raffle baskets. Approximately 200
notebooks have been distributed to date.

 The SILO continues to have a scheduled weekly presence at WISH and The Corner Drop
in Centre where engagement with vulnerable women and men in the sex industry
continues to be meaningful. Outreach efforts to residences, shelters and overdose
prevention sites are places where informal introductions and meetings take place as well
as information sharing. Developing stronger relationships with staff and support workers
occurs when they are invested and see positive outcomes from collaboration. Some of
these include vacating arrest warrants, amendments to conditions, educational
opportunities, accompanying and transporting to detox, recovery and transition houses,
as well as out of town family funerals, celebrations, and ceremonies.

 An increase in collaborative approaches in assisting vulnerable women continues to grow

in the DTES with more frequent connections with SisterSpace, Fir Square at B.C.
Women’s Hospital, Indigenous Health Clinics, Overdose Prevention sites, SheWay,
STOP Team, and AIDS Vancouver. Efforts are being made to further develop
relationships with staff and newly housed residents in modular housing.

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ID4ME
The SILO also initiated and operates the ID4ME program in the DTES. The ID4ME
identification project is designed to assist low barrier and vulnerable individuals to move
forward in their lives by providing them with photo identification. The success of this program
has been particularly felt, in the DTES with the residents in the area using their new ID to
open bank accounts, obtain improved housing, and upgrading their education. Every contact
made with individuals in this program closes the gap in helping to strengthen existing
relationships with the Police. Since 2015, the VPF has supported ID4ME which has acquired
just over 650 pieces of identification including birth certificates, BCID, BC Services, and
Status cards, thereby changing the lives of residents in our community.

Women’s Personal Safety Team

In 2013, 16 female police officers of various levels of seniority and experience were recruited
as volunteers and trained to form the Women’s Personal Safety Team (WPST). As news of
the WPST circulated, more female police officers expressed interest in participating. As of
2019, the WPST consists of 30 instructors who volunteer their time to teach women skills and
concepts regarding crime prevention and dealing effectively with violent encounters. The
workshops are designed to be easily learned and remembered by women with little or no
tactical training. The WPST has several community partners, including SisterWatch, and the
Right to Play program, that work with Indigenous Youth and the VACPC. To ensure
Indigenous women are receiving training, workshops have been held in the Musqueam Nation
and at the Vancouver Native Housing Society. Safety training has also been provided to other
low-to-no barrier women’s housing in the DTES. Approximately 30% to 40% of the
participants are Indigenous women.

In 2019, the WPST continued to inform citizens about crime prevention and safety by:

 conducting 35 presentations (compared to 20 in 2018) reaching over 2000 women in

the community (compared to 930 in 2018);
 partnering with DIIRS and hosting several presentations for ISSofBC. Many
participants were from Middle Eastern countries and experiencing self-protection
education for the first time;
 participating in the PLAY Program and working with Native Youth from B.C. and
Alberta at Camp Sunshine in Gibsons, B.C.;
 having a delegation of police women from the Ukraine participating a WPSW to learn
about this program; and
 connecting with Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland and hosting a workshop for them
during their summer program at Simon Fraser University.

The Shoebox Project

Funded by the VPF in 2019, VPD civilians in the Information Management Section (IMS)
participated in the Shoebox Project for Shelters. This program provides women in need (e.g.,
in shelters, displaced from their homes) with shoeboxes containing approximately $50 worth
of items during the holiday season. The donated shoeboxes included something socks,
scarfs, toiletries, gift card; a journal and each box had a message of hope. The shoeboxes
go to women accessing agencies throughout the Lower Mainland, but include many in the
city of Vancouver. The shoeboxes donated by IMS were earmarked for Vancouver area

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shelters, including the YWCA. The VPD IMS will be participating in this program again in
2020.

Collaborating with Citizens: A Collective Effort Towards Safety

Citizens’ Crime Watch

The VPD’s Citizens’ Crime Watch (CCW) program has been operating since 1986 and
involves citizens volunteering their Friday and Saturday nights to assist the VPD, reporting
incidents such as TFAs in progress or identifying stolen vehicles. Volunteers often assist the
VPD Traffic section and have worked on Counter Attack Roadblocks to apprehend drug and
alcohol impaired drivers. CCW also assist in searching for missing persons of a high-risk
nature.

The assistance that the CCW volunteers provide the VPD is significant. For example, in 2019
CCW volunteers went out on patrol for a total of 842 shifts, accumulating 14 arrests, 230
Violation Tickets, 21 stolen vehicles recovered, and 6 Immediate Roadside Prohibitions
issued. Additionally, volunteers have spotted at least three individuals who had overdosed and
were responsible for getting medical assistance in time to revive the person.

With a commitment to this community-based model, the VPD maintains a CCW Coordinator
who is responsible for the supervision and coordination of all activities relating to the CCW
program, deployment of personnel, coaching, evaluation, administration, and planning. The
CCW Coordinator also takes part and assists in the coordination of community events,
including involvement in event coordination, staffing, scheduling, training, and other
associated duties.

Watching out for Each Other: Block Watch

Block Watch is all about neighbours watching out for neighbours. Block
Watch is a free community-based crime prevention program that trains over
1,000 Vancouver residents annually.

With the help of the VPD, residents form a communication chain among
neighbours to share crime prevention information, crime alerts and more, in
residential neighbourhoods comprised of single family dwellings, condos,
townhouses and apartments. They are provided the opportunity to be trained on how to
identify suspicious behaviour and make their homes less attractive and more difficult for
thieves to target. Block Watch is a testament to the fact that neighbours who work together
can deter crime before it starts.

The Vancouver Block Watch program started in 1989 and is managed and maintained by a
civilian coordinator and a police officer. In 2019, Block Watch celebrated its 30th year as a
VPD community-based crime prevention program. As of 2020, VPD Block Watch works with
400 active Block Watch groups across Vancouver. This amounts to 700 community leaders,
called ‘Captains and Co-Captains,’ who have involved 7,300 of their neighbours in crime
prevention. In perspective, this is 8,000 extra pairs of Block Watch trained eyes and ears who
are looking out for each other and reporting suspicious activity to the police.

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Block Watch members have direct access to a police officer, the Block Watch Investigations
and Training Officer (BWITO), who provides support to Block Watch groups through training,
guidance and assistance for all crime, suspicious activity and nuisance related issues. When
a new Block Watch forms, the Captain(s) and Co-Captain(s) attend a four-hour training
session, and then request the BWITO to attend their ‘First Meeting,’ where the neighbours
gather in their neighbourhood or complex. Strategies are discussed to help protect residents
and deter crime. The group is also shown a presentation demonstrating how to be an
effective Block Watch participant, recognize the body language and profile of property crime
thieves, how and when to report incidents to the police, as well as effective crime prevention
tips. These community-based personalized sessions help develop an understanding of the
role of the police and build positive police/public relationships with thousands of diverse
Vancouver residents.

When Captains inform the BWITO of criminal activity or suspicious activity in their areas or
complex, the BWITO can provide specific assistance and identify emerging neighbourhood
crime trends. The officer will liaise and share intelligence with appropriate VPD resources and
sections to help resolve the problem. The BWITO also works with external partners including
the CoV, ICBC, and Metro Vancouver Transit Police for coordinated support.

The Block Watch Coordinator is the first point of contact for new enquiries to start a Block
Watch and supports and tracks the activation of each group. The Coordinator provides
ongoing administrative services and marketing supplies to maintain an active Block Watch
status with the program. The position also works in partnership with the constable to develop
and implement marketing strategies to grow the program. The Coordinator provides all Block
Watch members with weekly crime statistics, links to the VPD’s crime mapping program -
GeoDASH, crime prevention tips, and other resources to Captains to share with their
members.

Community Policing Centres

Vancouver’s 11 CPCs hold a unique position among crime prevention initiatives in North
America, with a strong partnership between the community and its police force. Unlike their
counterparts in other cities, these centres are not satellite police stations, rather, they are
operated, staffed, and governed by members of the community.

The name and contact information of each CPC is described below:

 Chinese CPC
203 - 618 Quebec Street, V6A 4E7
Tel: 604-688-5030 Fax: 604-688-5070
[email protected]

 West End Coal Harbour CPC

1267 Davie Street, V6E 1N4
Tel: 604-717-2924 or 604-717-2925
Fax: 604-717-2926
[email protected]

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 Granville Downtown CPC

1263 Granville Street, V6Z 1M5
Tel: 604-717-2920 Fax: 604-717-2922
[email protected]

 Kitsilano Fairview CPC

78 - 1687 West Broadway, V6J 1X2
Tel: 604-717-4023 Fax: 604-717-4029
[email protected]

 Vancouver Aboriginal CPC

1719 Franklin Street,V5L 1P6
Tel: 604-678-3790 Fax: 604-678-3792
[email protected]

 Grandview Woodland CPC

1977 Commercial Drive, V5N 4A8
Tel: 604-717-2932 Fax: 604-717-2923
[email protected]

 Hastings Sunrise CPC

2620 East Hastings Street, V5K 1Z6
Tel: 604-717-3584 Fax: 604-216-0991
[email protected]

 Collingwood CPC
5160 Joyce Street,V5R 4H1
Tel: 604-717-2935 Fax: 604-430-4955
[email protected]

 South Vancouver CPC

5435 Victoria Drive, V5P 3V9
Tel: 604-717-2940
[email protected]

 Kerrisdale Oakridge Marpole CPC

6070 East Boulevard, V6M 3V5
Tel: 604-717-3434 or 604-717-3433
Fax: 604-717-3432
[email protected]

 Strathcona CPC
872 E Hastings Street, V6A 1R6
Tel: 604-717-0622
[email protected]

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All the CPCs carry out a range of community engagement programs including foot/bicycle
patrols, road safety programs, ethnic and cultural education programs, senior safety programs,
and victim services. As of 2019:

 CPCs are now invested in the CoV Temporary Modular Housing Project by being a part
of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee;
 Collingwood CPC has been active in liaising with a refugee organization that assists
women new to Canada;
 CPCs have been involved with theft from auto (TFA) initiatives in their communities
to assist the VPD with property crime issues;
 The VPD’s Community Policing Services Unit (CPSU) CPC Liaison Constable initiated
a ‘Field Day’ experience for CPC volunteers/student volunteers, whereby they visited
different VPD areas/facilities. Approximately 15-20 volunteers from two CPCs
participated;
 11 CPC Volunteer Field Days were completed in 2019. This initiative offers the CPC
volunteers the opportunity to see the VPD facilities and observe members on their
daily duties and gain a better understanding of the role of police in the community;
 the VPD’s CPSU partnered up with the CPCs in the CPC Soccer Challenge, with the
CPCs competing against one another. The CPC’s designated VPD NPO also
participate in the Soccer Challenge; and
 the CPSU’s CPC Liaison Constable, meets regularly with CPC volunteers to advise and
guide them along in their law enforcement career paths.

Khalsa Diwan Society CPC

To further develop positive relationships with members of Vancouver’s South Asian
Community, the South Vancouver CPC partnered with VPD and the Khalsa Diwan Society to
open an outreach centre in South Vancouver. The Khalsa Diwan Society CPC is staffed by
a VPD police officer and several volunteers. Visitors of the outreach centre are welcomed in
a, friendly environment, where they can seek assistance with their crime and safety concerns.
Volunteers of this outreach office are tasked with foot patrols, organizing safety presentations
and youth games or other activities in an attempt to help build and foster a positive
relationship between youth and policing agencies.

Outreach to Guard Bicycle Theft

Over the last two decades, bicycle theft has grown to epidemic proportions, affecting over
two million North Americans at an estimated economic impact in excess of $500 million
annually. Within B.C., data from Statistics Canada suggests that about 50,000 citizens of B.C.
are affected by bicycle theft annually, with as many as 15 to 20% of these thefts attached to
secondary crimes. Additionally, neighborhoods and residents face quality of life and safety
concerns, even if they are not directly impacted by the criminal activity. Added costs aside,
the direct impact of bicycle theft in B.C. is estimated to be approximately $70 million annually.

While the direct property loss is approximately $40 million within B.C., the impact to the
community is more than the retail value of the bicycle. Stolen bicycles provide an agile
getaway vehicle and are frequently associated with TFA and break-and-enter crimes.

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The cost of seizing, processing, and storing the thousands of bicycles annually is time-
consuming for police, and it ultimately fails to convert into a meaningful public service. Tens
of thousands of policing hours ultimately result in less than five percent of recovered bicycles
being returned to victims. Most of these seized bicycles are sent to auction, charity, or scrap
yards. The CoV recovers over 2,000 bicycles a year of which the vast majority are auctioned
or destroyed.

Project 529
To address these issues with bicycle theft, the VPD partnered with Project 529, a community
policing platform designed and implemented by Microsoft veterans with decades of large-
scale software experience. Project 529 is a modern, simple, and highly efficient bicycle
registration/reporting/recovery platform that allows the public and private sectors to attack
this problem collaboratively. It permits cross-municipality cooperation (which is essential as
bicycles are often illegally sold outside of the area they were stolen) through a single database
that can scale provincially and nationally. Project 529 partners with CPCs and bicycle
retailers to offer this free service. This successful bicycle registry and bicycle theft
prevention/recovery program has registered over 100,000 bicycle since its inception.

Project 529 currently has two VPD police officers assigned to the program, which operates
out of a space at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre. Project 529 conducts training for
CPCs, CSPs, BIA, and other community partners. Project 529 also takes part in assisting
Kwantlen College Criminology department with taking two practicum students for the spring
semester.

In 2019, Project 529 participated in over 50 events throughout Vancouver including a regular
presence at Granville Island. During Bike to Work Week, Project 529 held 10 “bike to work”
registration stations throughout the city, operated by CPC volunteers, outside agency guests,
VPD CSPs, VPD police officers, and CoV staff. Over 3,000 members of the public were
assisted through these events. Many Vancouver bicycles are now being recovered across
the province and being returned to their owners.

VPD is a world leader in tackling bicycle theft, and Project 529 is currently being sought out
by over 30 police agencies in B.C., as well as others in Canada, and around the world. Over
the last three years, bicycle theft in Vancouver has been reduced by 40%.

Project Rudy
In the summer of 2018 VPD, in conjunction with Project 529, developed Project Rudy to
specifically address bicycle theft on Granville Island. At the time, Granville Island was the
number one bicycle theft area for the CoV and possibly the Province. Project Rudy created a
partnership with the federal government, the City, and private and public business. Initiatives
of Project Rudy included the following elements:

 A bicycle valet system that operated daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., allowing cyclists to
valet their bicycles for free. While parked, the bicycles were registered with Project
529.

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 Loaner locks were made available at six business where cyclists could get obtain
ABUS locks in exchange for their drivers’ licence, which they could utilize while on
site.
 Advertising was developed to inform the public about how to properly lock their
bicycles (e.g., not to use cable locks), the existence of the free valet and loaner
lock availability, and the possibility of bait bicycles being located on the Island.
 VPD mapped the area and made recommendations on moving bicycle racks from
high-risk areas to higher use and safer areas.

During the program’s first year bicycle theft went from three bicycles stolen per day to one
bicycle a week. VPD is presently in the early stages of expanding the program with Project
Lucas to the Olympic Village neighbourhood in an attempt to reduce the bicycle thefts in that
area, using the same techniques as Project Rudy.

Business Community Engagement Initiatives

The VPD regularly engages the business community by liaising with retailers and business
organizations with matters such as: exchanging crime related information, providing crime
analysis and advice to the business community, and assisting with crime prevention
initiatives. The VPD Business Liaison portfolio is responsible for coordinating education and
training for the business community on crime prevention and awareness. An example of work
conducted in this capacity includes collaborating with stakeholders, including Vancouver
Business Improvement Areas (BIA) in the creation of a Business Crime Prevention Tips
booklet. The booklet was distributed via CPCs and hand delivered to businesses by volunteer
foot patrols.

Project Access
Project Access, is a designed to reduce potential barriers and time delays when responding
to emergencies at high security rental and/or strata residential buildings. Launched in 2014,
Project Access involves partnering with building strata and rental companies to provide police
with a secure method of entry should a resident of their building require immediate assistance.
The idea is to work cooperatively with individual property managers and/or strata corporations
in Vancouver to develop infrastructure and processes to provide rapid police access to select
buildings during exigent situations through the VPD’s communications partner, E-Comm.

Project Griffin
Adopted in 2009 from England, Project Griffin aims to increase public safety by supplying
security-minded organizations and groups with information and support to assist them in their
crime prevention efforts. Focusing on property crime, Project Griffin helps increase the quality
of information/intelligence provided by these groups, thus improving our service delivery. The
VPD provides a training session to business groups on five topics:

1. Basic suspect identification: Participants learn about the common denominators that
can often identify a suspicious person by their actions and behaviours;
2. Communication protocol: Participants discover what is expected by E-Comm when
they are reporting suspicious or criminal activity;

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3. Counter-terrorism: Participants learn to recognize suspicious behaviours and

incidents that may be precursors to Terrorist activities;
4. Gangs in Vancouver: Participants hear from VPD police officers about the current
gang climate in Vancouver; and
5. Evidence preservation: Participants learn about the importance of crime scene
protection and basic forensic identification techniques used by the police.

SECURUS and SHIELD

The SECURUS Program is a community awareness program about possible terrorist
activities that may target a specific location or utilize the services of an unwitting business to
carry out an attack. VPD’s Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) has registered up approximately
300 businesses, schools, religious sites, sporting venues, hotels and other sites in Vancouver
with SECURUS. Since 2015 CIU has delivered 107 SECURUS presentations to 3,673
civilians. More specifically, in 2019, there were 12 presentations and 6 to date in 2020.

CIU is currently in the process of evaluating/transitioning to the New York Police Department
(NYPD) SHIELD Program and funding has been received from the CFO to assist in this
process. This Shield Program is an umbrella program for NYPD initiatives that pertain to
private sector security and counter-terrorism. In essence, SHIELD is a partnership with the
community that provides training services to the public and private sector entities in defending
against terrorism. Global SHIELD provides world class counter-terrorism resources to
international law enforcement agencies that join the SHIELD program. These resources
include publications, training, conferences, real-time intelligence and an on-line library of best
practice security awareness.

CIU is invested in public awareness to counter violent ideology and depends on members of
the community to be our ‘eyes and ears’. With a possible transition to SHIELD, the VPD will
have the full resources of the world-class NYPD Global SHIELD program which will only
enhance our existing relationships with community contacts.

Terrorism Threat Awareness Video Project

CIU applied for and received a grant from the VPF to make three safety and educational
videos on counter terrorism awareness. Each video scene runs approximately 90 seconds
and takes place at high-risk business that have either been targeted in recent attacks in the
West or have been used to facilitate an attack. The videos take place at a truck rental desk,
hotel lobby check-in desk and outside a large public venue. CIU members produced each
scene and they were filmed by members of the Public Affairs Section. The videos are meant
to highlight suspicious indicators of a would-be violent extremist and are geared for civilians
working in vulnerable businesses. These videos will be presented via VPD social media
and/or through CIU presentations.

Other Community Liaison Positions

Homeless Outreach Officer

Strong partnerships between all levels of government, non-profit and co-operative housing
providers, and community support services are required to build safe and inclusive

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neighbourhoods. Organizations such as BC Housing, Ministry of Social Development and

Poverty Reduction (MSDPR), faith-based organizations, non-profit housing operators working
in single room occupancy and shelter systems, as well as community members, partner to
provide support to the marginalized population. Towards this goal, in 2009, the VPD
developed the role of a Homeless Outreach Constable. The Homeless Outreach Constable
conducts outreach work with the homeless and coordinates with mental health, addiction,
housing serving sectors, and municipal and provincial governments. The Constable also acts
as a resource for external agencies, as well as within the VPD. In 2019, the Homeless
Outreach Constable conducted significant outreach including:

 engaging with Raincity housing and the COV for the openings of winter shelters;
 conducting approximately 40 SRO Inspections in collaboration with CoV building
Inspectors and Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS);
 conducting outreach with both the MSDPR and VCH in an effort to address some of
the more challenging homeless individuals;
 presenting at the BC Crime Prevention Association conference;
 monitoring Temporary Modular Housing developments that were opened in 2019
(52 units at 258 Union Street, 98 units at 610 and 620 Cambie Street, and 52 units at
265 West 1st Ave);
 liaising with the Abbotsford Police Department and West Vancouver Police Department
to discuss the VPD’s Homeless Outreach position that both departments were
researching in anticipation of creating a similar (or the same) position in their respective
agencies; and
 forming a group comprised of multiple stakeholders including VPD, CoV, VCH, Carnegie
Outreach, a n d BC Housing to work collaboratively tackling challenging homeless cases
that all groups are dealing with.

Community Events Coordinator

This Community Events portfolio was created in 2017 and assigned to a temporary Constable
to assist the CPSU Sergeant with event planning. The Community Events Coordinator works
with multiple community partners throughout the year to facilitate VPD participation in events
around Vancouver and within VPD.

In 2019, the Community Events Coordinator exclusively handled eight events including the
VPD Volunteer Recognition Day, Family Day, PNE First Responders Weekend, Science
World First Responders Weekend, Celebration of Light, and the VPD contingent in the Santa
Claus Parade. Additionally, the Coordinator assists community stakeholders in organizing the
VPD contingent for the various parades that occur every year such as Chinese New Year
Parade, Vaisakhi Parade, Pride Parade, and the Remembrance Day Ceremony.

CPC Liaison Officer

The primary role of the CPC Liaison Officer for the Community Services Section (CSS) is to
provide support and guidance to over 950 CPC volunteers. As a representative of the VPD
during numerous events, the CPC Liaison is involved in organizing and leading the volunteers

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at numerous functions, creating a cohesive image of the volunteers in attendance and

reinforcing the position that they are partners with the VPD.

One positive effect of the interactions between the CPC Liaison Officer and CPC volunteers,
is that volunteers are afforded the opportunity to connect with VPD members for guidance
and mentorship when they are considering a career in law enforcement. Certain initiatives
that the CSS has introduced to the CPCs, such as the Volunteer Field Day and VPD/CPC
Volunteer Interactive Sessions, are well-received and attract high volunteer participation.
Overall, having a designated VPD police officer that is consistently available to liaise, guide,
and mentor the volunteers, benefits them and the community that they are serving. The CPC
Liaison also works on a newsletter that provides information on events that the VPD and
CPCs are involved with, as well as resources.

Community Safety Personnel

CSPs are distinct and separate from regular police members, and they are considered a
unique element of the VPD. Structured within the Community Safety Unit, their primary
purpose is to:

 assist with lower-level, lower-risk tasks, as directed, to alleviate regular police officers
from such tasks, thereby providing regular police officers with more capacity to serve
the community and to maintain high visibility while patrolling neighbourhoods;
 assist the VPD at community and public events by providing a visible presence to the
community and promoting safety and security where the presence of a regular police
officer is not required;
 act as a liaison between regular police officers and the community, as appropriate, to
ensure the VPD continues to effectively serve citizens in Vancouver; and
 assist police officers in order to maximize their available proactive policing time.

The CSP program serves also a valuable hiring tool; several former CSPs have been hired
as police officers in the VPD and other agencies.

Representing the Community on all Levels: The VPD Executive

Vancouver is a community that celebrates and benefits from the tremendous diversity of its
residents and visitors. People of all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, colour, religions,
gender, and sexual orientation comprise our community.

The VPD recognizes that our staff must reflect the community we serve and that includes the
management and leadership levels of the Department. The VPD Executive is comprised of
12 (7 men and 5 women) accomplished police officers and civilian professionals that are
indicative of the diverse and inclusive community we are proud to serve (please see
Appendix).

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Recruiting Initiatives
Although the typical age of recruitment for VPD police officers is between 23-27 years of age,
recruitment efforts begin long before the actual hiring date in a potential applicant’s life. VPD
police officers act as direct role models and mentors for youth through various programs and
initiatives. This investment by the VPD often instills youth with an aspiration to become future
police officers and thereby begin to take the necessary steps and life choices required to do
so.

Positive interactions between students and police are not limited to youth programs primarily
delivered by youth service focused officers such as a SLOs. Police recruiters too, have a
positive impact on the lives of youth by educating them and/or demonstrating what becoming
a police officer entails. In addition to the myriad of youth programming delivered by various
VPD police officers, the VPD’s Recruiting Unit regularly attends schools, colleges, and
universities to engage and inform students about a policing career, and what early steps they
may take for a successful path into policing. As an example of this early outreach, in March
2019, the VPD Recruiting Unit travelled to Prince George and Cranbrook, targeting colleges
and secondary schools. It is recognized that many of the students at these institutions will
make their way to the Lower Mainland looking for work and it is the VPD’s intention to recruit
these potential applicants to be reflective of the greater community of B.C.

The VPD Recruiting Unit also works closely with VPD’s DIIRS in efforts to engage
communities including the LGBTQ2S+ and Indigenous communities and work together on
programming and events to recruit members of these communities. Select examples include
the following:

Gathering Our Voices Indigenous Youth Conference

The Recruiting Unit attends the annual GOV Indigenous conference hosted by the BC
Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres. This large event attracts thousands of
Indigenous youth participants along with their chaperones and other guests of honour. The
GOV has provided the VPD Recruiting Unit an excellent opportunity to promote career
opportunities within the VPD.

Hoobiyee (Nisga’a New Year)

The Recruiting Unit attends the annual Vancouver Hoobiyee Festival, a celebration of the
waxing crescent moon, hosted by the Nisga’a Ts’amiks Vancouver Society. This event draws
thousands of Indigenous visitors every year, and has provided the VPD Recruiting Unit an
opportunity to make positive connections with members of the Indigenous community through
this event.

National Indigenous People’s Day

National Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated annually across Canada on June 21, and in
Vancouver comprises a full day of events, activities, and performances. The VPD Recruiting
Unit attends this event hosted by the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society at Trout

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Lake. This celebration brings together a large population of the

Reflecting Our Vancouver Indigenous community, including First Nations, Metis,
and Inuit People.
Community
Indigenous Link
The VPD Recruiting Unit recently formed a partnership with
• VPD police officers Indigenous Link, an online employment search portal that reaches
represent at least 15 out to an Indigenous audience on a national level. With a virtual
different ethnic
presence on this career website, the VPD Recruiting Unit has
backgrounds provided a unique opportunity for the Indigenous community to
connect with the VPD and engage VPD Recruiters on career
• 25% of VPD police opportunities with the VPD .
officers are
ethnically diverse
Chinese New Year Parade
On February 10, 2019, the Recruiting Unit participated in the 46 th
• 35% of VPD civilian
annual Chinese New Year Lunar Parade through Chinatown. There
employees are
were over 3,000 participants from other community and cultural
ethnically diverse
groups, and the event drew over 100,000 spectators along the
parade route. The VPD Recruiting Unit was able to not only
• Currently, 27% of
showcase its initiatives to the community, but this event offered a
VPD police officers
fantastic opportunity to connect with other young volunteer
are female
participants with interest in law enforcement.
• Of all VPD police
officers hired in Korean Leadership Conference
2019, 20% were On March 16, 2019, VPD recruiters attended the C3 Korean
female Leadership Conference to set-up a Recruiting booth during the
lunch hour. Members engaged with 125 potential applicants, which
• VPD police officers included members of the Korean Consulate. The event was a
speak over 50 success, and organizers were enthusiastic about having the
languages Recruiting Unit attend further networking events throughout the
year.

Vaisakhi Parade
The annual Vaisakhi celebration provides a valuable opportunity for
VPD recruiters to engage with the South Asian community. On April
13, 2019, in one of its main outreach events of the year, the VPD
Recruiting Unit participated in the Vaisakhi parade. The Recruiting
Unit vehicles formed part of the VPD contingent in the parade as
they proceeded from the starting point, the Khalsa Diwan Society
Sikh temple, and along the entirety of the parade route. Throughout
the festive day, VPD recruiting officers engaged with the
community, handed out stickers, and answered questions as they
moved through the busy streets of South Vancouver.

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LGBTQ2S+ Community
Ensuring diverse communities are represented, the VPD Recruiting Unit created a dedicated
information session for the LGBTQ2S+ community. To plan the event, members of the
Recruiting Unit were involved in ongoing discussions with VPD’s DIIRS, as well as VPD
members from the LGBTQ2S+ community. The well-attended event was held on August 13,
2019 at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre. The evening included
compelling speakers from the Department discussing their experiences with the VPD, and
resulted in several prospective applications. This information was also made available
through social media via Twitter, which provided an opportunity for prospective applicants to
discreetly reach out to the VPD Recruiting Unit and ask questions in real-time.

The VPD Recruiting unit is also active on social media with Twitter and Instagram accounts;
this footprint in the online world generates outreach opportunities for the unit. The VPD
Recruiting Unit works to reach many different communities and groups across Vancouver,
B.C., and western Canada. Efforts continue with several events planned throughout 2020.
The efforts of recruiters to identify competitive candidates continues with innovative outreach
and targeting not only regular member applicants, but also applicants for the SMC program.

Community Outreach for Mental Health

Awareness regarding mental health has been a long-standing priority for the VPD (e.g., in
2008, the VPD published Lost in Transition, regarding the lack of capacity in the mental health
system). In 2013, the VPD released Vancouver’s Mental Health Crisis: An Update Report,
focusing on the increase in mental health incidents, particularly violent crimes that police, as
the first responders, must deal with. The VPD’s 2018 Pathway to Wellness video highlights
the many partnerships and initiatives the VPD is involved in to lessen the impact untreated
mental illness has on the community, on policing, on health services, and, most importantly,
on those living with mental health issues.

The VPD, in collaboration with health partners, continues to provide a spectrum of mental
health outreach, care, and support to the community, including challenging environments
such as the DTES. Furthermore, the VPB meets annually with health partners to provide
governance and direction to VPD and health working groups. More specifically, Project LINK
is a collaboration among the VPB, the VCH Board, and the Providence Health Care Board.
Initiated in October 2011, its goal is to achieve improved outcomes for those living with mental
illness and addiction. A major first step was to enable the sharing of information across these
police and health organizations. With that in place, LINK was able to make dramatic changes,
including formation of the Assertive Outreach Teams (AOT) and Assertive Community
Treatment (ACT) team, described below, these teams have greatly reduced negative
contacts with police, emergency room visits, victimization, and criminal justice involvement
for those living with mental health and substance use issues.

The Assertive Outreach Team

The AOT is a health care and police partnership unique to Vancouver. This program serves
to stabilize high-risk clients and transition them to the appropriate level of care in the system.
This program partners a police officer with a team of health care professionals including

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psychiatric nurses, clinical supervisors and psychiatrists. This team works together to meet
the needs of complex concurrent disorder clients, formulate treatment plans, and navigate
intersections of various systems (e.g., criminal Justice, health care etc.). This team works
with a cohort of 20-40 clients and works collaboratively to problem solve issues and provide
care in the community.

Assertive Community Treatment

ACT provides long term tertiary level care to clients in the community. The ACT program is
one police officer engaged with five ACT teams who serve 350 clients in the community. Each
multi-disciplinary ACT team is comprised of approximately 10 health care professionals
including but not limited to social workers, nurses, psychiatric nurses, vocational therapists,
peer support members and psychiatrists to provide wrap around care to clients and improve
their quality of life. Provincial ACT standards suggest three positive contacts per client/per
week, preferably in person.

Car 87/88
VPD’s Car 87/88 program is a partnership between a VPD plain clothes police officer and a
registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse to provide urgent assessment/intervention for
individuals for people with mental health issues. The partnership of work as a team in
assessing, managing and deciding the most appropriate action in the best interest of the
patient and the community. The program is co-managed by the VPD and VCH, with
appointments directed in consultation with VPD by VCH. Work for Car 87/88 typically includes
but is not limited to:

 assessments of clients in community;

 connecting persons to mental health and addiction services;
 support of the work of Community Mental Health Teams including outreach,
assessments and providing/administering of medication; and
 apprehension of clients, where necessary under Section 28 of the Mental Health Act
or those with active warrants (i.e., Form 41 or Form 212) intended to ensure the
individual is supported and/or continues to be connected to mental health plan of care.

Community Outreach and Partnerships through VPD Investigative

Sections
In addition to serving as members on the SisterWatch committee, members of the VPD’s SIS
are partners in The Treehouse Vancouver Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC), a
collaborative initiative between the VPD, Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV), BC
Children’s Hospital, MCFD, and Vancouver Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society
(VACFSS).

1
Form 4 – Medical Certificate issued by a physician to order a person detained involuntarily. When issued,
the police officer has authority to apprehend that individual for the purpose of bringing them to a care facility.
2
Form 21 – Director’s Warrant issued to peace officers and to apprehend the named patient and transport
him/her to a named facility.

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The Treehouse coordinates a dynamic, multi-disciplinary response, which supports the

investigation and intervention of child abuse, minimizes trauma, and works to enhance the
community’s ability to protect children. The team is comprised of VPD Sex Crimes Unit (SCU)
detectives, social workers from MCFD, the VACFSS, and Victim Support Workers from
FSGV. It also includes a service director and coordinator from The Treehouse, and an
accredited facility dog from the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society. In addition to the Treehouse,
investigators in the SCU rely on the support of VACFSS for child abuse or sexual assault
investigations that are not conducted at the CYAC. For example, VACFSS counselors support
Indigenous victims by providing counseling and/or treatment services in addition to providing
supportive information on the criminal justice system.

VPD’s Domestic Violence and Criminal Harassment (DVACH) Unit investigators and Victim
Support Workers attend quarterly meetings at VACFSS headquarters in Vancouver. Other
community partners in attendance include Probation Officers, MCFD representatives, and
various advocacy group representatives. VPD’s DVACH Unit collaborates with a variety of
community partners to help those involved in violent situations with an intimate partner. For
example, DVACH detectives will often work with the Musqueam Liaison Officer and the MIB
Security when incidents of intimate partner violence occur in the community. This
collaboration typically involves offender management and safety planning with the victims.
DVACH also works closely with community services societies, namely VACPC and WISH.
Continued training and sharing of appropriate information is vital to maintaining community
relationships that are relied upon to ensure the safety of victims.

DVACH investigators ensure that they develop community connections via presentations and
meetings with community members. For example, a DVACH sergeant and Victim Support
Workers from FSGV present to group participants, including Indigenous women,
transgendered persons, sex workers, and those with mental health and addiction issues. The
participants are actively involved in relationships or situations that expose them to frequent
physical violence - largely intimate partner violence. Select topics are presented including
safety planning, justice system processes, counseling and support services, and discussions
around bridging the barriers to reporting to police.

In 2015, DVACH created the Safety Awareness for Elders (S.A.F.E) program to increase
awareness and education directed at victims and potential victims of elder abuse. The
program includes specific information sessions for communities as well as training for
community organizations. Simultaneously, the educational materials and the VPD S.A.F.E
internet site are made available to community and various organizations. The goal is to
increase reporting of these offences and ultimately decrease all forms of elder abuse in
Vancouver. The program serves Vancouver’s diverse communities, with information in
multiple languages and disseminated through different modes of communication. The
S.A.F.E program assists the VPD with engaging and educating the aging community,
increasing positive and trusting relationships with elders who may become, who are, or have
been victims of elder abuse

Another section within the SIS is the Counter Exploitation Unit (CEU). The CEU has an
imbedded FSGV Case Worker who frequently acts as a bridge between sexually exploited
Indigenous women and the police. This Case Worker is mindful of the systemic issues that

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prevent women from disclosing their criminal victimization to the police. In addition to this
partnership with FSGV, CEU members will exchange information related to identified risks,
offenders, and exploitative practices, with community partners such as WISH, UNYA, and
VACFSS.

VPD’s CEU also conduct human trafficking workshops that they deliver to the health care and
service industry (e.g., hotels). The primary objective of the workshops is to highlight the issue
of human trafficking and educate the public on this growing industry. This includes awareness
on the signs, how to recognize a victim, and how citizens can help. The presenters from CEU
also provide information to sex workers pertaining to exit strategies and resources available.

The VPD’s MPU investigations have been profoundly impacted by community input. MPU
reports have increased due to community concern and awareness of the issues surrounding
such files. For example, elderly individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia are more
recognizable as high-risk and this increases public awareness and assistance. The VPD MPU
has formed a partnership with Realty Watch and the taxi industry to assist in getting
information out to the public for high-risk missing persons. In addition, The VPD MPU has
worked with the Adolescent Psychiatric Unit of BC Children’s Hospital to assist them with
developing improved policies in the reporting and follow up of high-risk youth that go missing
from their facility.

Highlights from VPD Investigative units in 2019 include:

 DVACH continues to regularly distribute S.A.F.E. magnets and brochures through the
CPCs and the Public Information Counters at both VPD buildings. Over 1,000 S.A.F.E
posters, over 700 wallet cards, and 2,500 magnets were made available for
distribution.
 S.A.F.E program continues to be highlighted on the front page of the VPD website,
receiving 544 page views in 2019, up from 401 in 2018.
 In 2018, DVACH partnered with VPD Major Crime Section, other VPD units, and
various community organizations (e.g., VCH, MedicAlert, and the Alzheimer’s Society)
to launch the inaugural Seniors Health and Safety Fair held at the Roundhouse
Community Centre, which saw 370 participants. With the support of the VPF, a second
Seniors Health and Safety Fair will be held in 2020 followed by a third in 2022.
 VPD’s Financial Crime Unit (FCU) worked to educate elders and the general public
regarding elder abuse scams through multiple media avenues including bi-weekly
Tweets, website fraud alerts, and Facebook updates.
 Cybercrime prevention advice was newly added to the VPD’s website and cybercrime
prevention pamphlets were created and distributed through the CPCs.
 The FCU has assigned a detective to a financial elder abuse portfolio, which includes
being a member of the Provincial Counsel, to reduce elder abuse.
 FCU hosted a two-day conference in 2019 focusing on reducing financial elder abuse.
Presenters included financial institutions, the British Columbia Securities Commission,
and the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia.
 The VPD General Investigation Section once again teamed up with DIIRS to
implement a one-day Youth-in-Action program in 2019, which had 17 youth living with

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autism visit VPD headquarters to participate in fun and engaging activities with VPD
members, including meeting with the VPD Executive. The program partnered with the
Pacific Autism Centre and will be repeated in 2020.

Support through Victim Services

The VPD’s Victim Services Unit (VSU) provides victims and witnesses with professional,
supportive, and timely assistance, to lessen the impact of crime and trauma. Services may
include emotional support, practical assistance, justice-related information and referrals to
other agencies. Target outcomes include improved safety, reduced risk of further
victimization, access to information and support, enhanced criminal investigations and
increased willingness to participate in the criminal justice system.

VPD Victim Services Unit

The VPD’s VSU follows mandated protocols to refer clients to specific community agencies,
several of which are tailored towards Indigenous clients. If a victim of crime self-discloses that
they are Indigenous to one of the VPD caseworkers, they are to refer them to Indigenous-
focused services such as the Aboriginal Wellness Program, Watari, or AFDS. Referrals are
also made to DEWC, WAVAW, Battered Women’s Support Services, and others who have
developed Indigenous culturally-focused support groups. Additionally, clients may be referred
to the VACPC or liaise with the NPO at the VACPC. VPD’s Investigative sections work with
community members and groups in many ways to provide support and outreach.

In February 2016, Lucca an accredited Justice Facility Dog, joined the VPD VSU in February
2016. His role is to compliment the work of the VSU team by providing comfort and support
to victims and witnesses of crime and other traumatic incidents. Lucca can be used at any
point along the continuum of a police investigation – at the scene of an incident, in police
interviews, in follow up meetings with VSU staff, in Crown Counsel meetings, and as a
testimonial aid to witnesses during a trial. His calm and gentle demeanor helps to reduce
anxiety, and mitigate the impact of stress and trauma on individuals involved in the criminal
justice process.

Proactive Drug and Gang Prevention Engagement

In response to the opioid crisis, the VPD called for immediate access to evidence-based
treatment services. In a 2017 report, The Opioid Crisis: The Need for Treatment on Demand,
the VPD presented several recommendations, including the need for expanded support from
federal and provincial governments, more funding for evidence-based addiction treatment,
and the need to increase public awareness about the risks of illicit drug use.

Since the 2017 report, considerable efforts by the VPD have been made to combat the opioid
crisis, as outlined in the 2019 report, A Journey to Hope. Key highlights include the VPD’s
work on the Provincial Joint Task Force on Overdose Prevention and Response. This task
force, which included VPD representatives, was created to provide expertise and guidance
to the Province on actions to respond to the crisis.

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B.C. Overdose Action Exchange

The VPD is actively participates in the B.C. Overdose Action Exchange (ODAX). Established
in 2016, ODAX annual meetings facilitate dialogue between key stakeholders including first
responders, local/provincial government, health care, and persons with lived experience. The
goal of ODAX is to discuss solutions to the opioid crisis in a safe and welcoming environment.
Key topics include drug policy, treatment options, providing safer drug supplies, and stigma.

Drug Overdose and Alert Partnership

VPD’s Organized Crime Section (OCS) also participates regularly in the Drug Overdose and
Alert Partnership (DOAP), a multi-sectoral committee established to prevent and reduce the
harms associated with substance use. The membership consists of first responders including
the VPD, regional health authorities, BC Coroner's Service, the BC Centre for Disease
Control, and other partner agencies who identify and disseminate timely information about
harms related to substance use including overdose and adverse reactions to contaminated
products, and coordinates public health responses to these emerging issues. DOAP
continues to maintain a public website with information on preventing and recognizing
overdoses, treatment, take home naloxone, harm reduction, and health care.

Community Action Teams

Eighteen B.C. communities, including Vancouver, that were the hardest hit by the overdose
crisis, created Community Action Teams (CAT). The B.C. government allocated $100,000
in funding as part of the government’s escalated response to the overdose crisis for these
teams. The role of CAT is to intervene early to provide support to people at risk of overdose.
The team focuses on expanding harm reduction services, increasing the availability of
Naloxone, addressing the unsafe drug supply and connecting people to support services
for treatment options. The VPD has been a member of Vancouver’s CAT since it was formed
in 2018.

The VPD was consulted by the Mayors Opioid Emergency Task Force on recommendations
to lower the number of fatal and non-fatal illicit drug overdoses. VPD members attended a city
council meeting and assisted city staff with developing some task force recommendations. In
response to public concerns related to Federal and Provincial Cannabis legalization, the
VPD continues to work closely with the CoV and public stakeholders to address community
concerns.

In response to the opioid crisis, the VPD continues to work with health partners and
community stakeholders to decrease fatal and non-fatal overdoses. The VPD has continued
regular contact with these groups to share information on the location of all fatal drug
overdoses so that harm reduction and other health care services can be delivered to prevent
deaths. The VPD also collects and submits drugs for analysis for the BC Coroners Service
to assist in determining the cause of death in fatal overdoses.

End Gang Life

In late 2018, the VPD adopted the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – British
Columbia’s End Gang Life program, a comprehensive gang education, prevention, and
awareness initiative that uses visually impactful images and messages. The End Gang Life

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presentation was viewed and approved by the VSB and was delivered to 3,167 high school
students at 14 schools in Vancouver in 2019.

Gang Tackle
The Gang Crime Unit (GCU) continues to organize and hold their annual Gang Tackle event
which has run since 2013 and takes place annually every May. This anti-gang program deters
vulnerable youth from a life of crime and violence, instils confidence, and develops
relationships between the youth and VPD members. The program consists of a flag football
game held at UBC Thunderbird Stadium with the involvement of members of the GCU,
varsity and Canadian Football League football players and at-risk youth. One of the most
exciting aspects of this initiative is the involvement and interaction with current professional
football players. This program has proven to have a positive effect on this target group
and has been funded since 2013 by the CFO and by the VPF.

Turning Point
Turning Point is another anti-gang program that provides education and strong alternative
choices for at-risk youth who are vulnerable to become involved in the drug trade or gangs.
The program is an extension of the Gang Tackle Program and i s generously funded by
the VPF. Many youth often have a romanticized view of gang life and drugs. Turning Point
seeks to provide students with real life examples of how drugs and gang life can negatively
impact their lives. At-risk youth are given the opportunity to spend a day with GCU. This event
has taken place yearly in the fall since 2017 where participants are given a tour of the DTES,
where they meet with several residents who are given the opportunity to tell their story to
the youth. After the tour, the participants attend a BC Lions football or Vancouver Canucks
hockey game where they have the opportunity to meet with players and staff before enjoying
the game. VPD also provides dinner and game merchandise for the youth as well.

Her Time
Although the focus of many gang awareness programs has been conducted with a male lens,
females are also victims of gang violence and the tragedies that come with involvement in
gang life. Her Time was created by two VPD police officers to provide young women with a
voice and to allow women to actively participate in taking control of their lives. Her Time has
reached over 40 schools and over 5,000 students, educators, and community partners.
Proactively, the program provides young women with the tools, resources and knowledge
about the dangers of gang lifestyle. Reactively, the program offers women currently involved
or at high-risk to becoming involved in gang life the opportunity to connect with the VPD police
officers who can aid with an exit strategy. In 2019, this program was approved by the VSB
for delivery in schools across Vancouver.

Disrupting Criminal Enterprises and Giving Back to Communities

The VPD has found a way to incorporate asset forfeiture of proceeds of crime and offence
related property in its overall strategy to combat organized crime and community outreach.
Through referrals of criminal investigations conducted by its officers, the VPD has contributed
over $36.2 million in referred property and assets which have been successfully forfeited by
the CFO as of fiscal 2019 since its inception in 2007. This number is significant – over $36.2
million in property and assets have been removed from criminals and put back into local
community organizations.

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The CFO is mandated by legislation to have all net forfeited funds go towards local
communities throughout the province by way of grants to fund social programs. Since its
inception in 2007, the CFO has forfeited over $90.2 million; of that, approximately $42 million
has been put back into the local communities of B.C. Some of the largest grant amounts
have been to organizations such as the Salvation Army ($100,000), Treehouse Advocacy
Centre ($70,000), PLEA Community Services Society ($75,000), WAVAW ($85,000) and
Network of Inner City Community Services ($69,500).3

Overall, the VPD and the OCS asset forfeiture team has made very tangible and consistent
contributions to the community. Referrals to the CFO from police are strictly voluntary, and
through VPD’s contributions, local Vancouver communities have benefited. VPD police
officers are committed to ensuring that proceeds removed from the criminals can be
reintegrated into the communities.

Bridging Communities with Rich History and Traditions

Entertaining Displays: The Motorcycle Drill Team

Since 1954, the VPD Motorcycle Drill Team has reached out to people in communities and
entertained citizens with displays of riding precision, throughout Metro Vancouver and as far
away as Penticton and Seattle.

Using Harley Davidson Electra Glide motorcycles, the Motorcycle Drill Team is comprised of
police officers of the VPD Traffic Enforcement Unit. The Motorcycle Drill Team activities are
separate from their regular work and officers join the Team on a voluntary basis. The VPD
Motorcycle Drill Team engages and entertains the public at various community events and
parades throughout the year. Each year, the Motorcycle Drill Team participates in
approximately 12 parades, most of which are in the Vancouver area. Recent performances
include the Vancouver Canada Day Parade, Point Grey Fiesta Days, Vancouver Pride
Parade, West Seattle Seafair Parade, and Penticton Peach Festival. They Team also
regularly supports charitable events such as the Ride to Live for prostate cancer research,
Kops for Kids, and the Music Therapy Ride.

Musical Ambassadors of the VPD: The Vancouver Police Pipe Band

With a long and acclaimed history, the Vancouver Police Pipe Band (VPPB) was formed in
1914, when a handful of police pipers and drummers organized themselves to perform at the
opening of a new police headquarters. Enthralled by the display, the Chief Constable at the
time authorized the formation of a departmental pipe band. The band has been in continuous
operation since that time. The VPPB is the oldest non-military pipe band in B.C. and ranks
amongst the most senior police pipe bands in the world.

3
Established for transparency, the following website is available to the public to look up grant funding that
is awarded each year to local communities:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/crime-prevention/community-crime-prevention/grants.
This website has the breakdown of all of the net forfeited funds from the CFO granted to local community
social programs for every fiscal year back to fiscal 2012.

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The VPPB celebrated its centenary by performing Guard Mount ceremonies at Buckingham
Palace and Windsor Castle in June of 2014. This marked the first and only time a non-military
band has been granted the privilege in the 350-year history of the iconic ceremony.

The VPPB performs at numerous cultural events throughout the year including the annual
Vaisakhi parade. In 2019, acting as ambassadors for their country, province, and city, the
VPPB traveled to India to honour the victims, survivors, families, and all those affected, by
participating in the commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh
massacre. The VPPB also attended many community and cultural events throughout India,
including visits to Agra, Amritsar, Chandigarh, and Delhi. The VPPB performed at several
venues including the Jang E Azadi Freedom Memorial in Kartarpur, and the Ellante Mall in
Chandigarh. At his invitation, the VPPB also performed at the Official Residence of Canada’s
High Commissioner to India. While in India, the VPPB supported local charities including the
Navjyoti India Foundation and the Guru Nanak Mission Hospital.

Sharing Customs and Traditions: The VPD Lion Dance Team

Proud of their heritage, a group of VPD police officers, civilian staff, and volunteers from the
Chinese CPC came together in 2005 to form the VPD Lion Dance Team. The Lion Dance
Team was created to recognize and enhance the multicultural diversity of the VPD, honour
the Chinese community’s cultural contributions to Vancouver, and build positive relationships
with all community members. With support from the VPF, the Lion Dance Team was the first,
and continues to be, the only police team in Canada.

Taking part in the Chinese New Year Parade is a highlight for VPD members each year, who
are honoured to recognize the Chinese community’s longstanding contributions to our city.
The VPD Lion Dance Team has participated in numerous lion dance performances for
functions and events for the VPD, CoV, and various communities, including the Vaisakhi,
Santa Claus, and St. Patrick's Day Parades.

Courage, Strength, and Honour: The VPD Ceremonial Unit

Formed in 1985, the Ceremonial Unit primarily serves in a memorial function for all sworn
members (serving and retired) of the VPD when requested by the family, and to the funeral
or memorial of any sworn member of a Canadian or American police service as a show of
support. In addition to Remembrance Day ceremonies, the Ceremonial Unit also attends
police officer memorial services, across B.C., Canada, and the United States. The Unit also
attends numerous other community events annually when requested or approved by the Chief
Constable, attending approximately 75 events annually.

Members of the Ceremonial Unit, comprised of both serving and retired police officers, attend
ceremonies on their own time; the essence of volunteerism of the Unit is embodied in this act
and the members continue to volunteer their time for this noble endeavour.

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A Focus on the Frontlines: Community Contacts

VPD's frontline officers routinely work alongside

multiple community partners to better the lives of
community members. This work includes advocating
for better housing, working out next steps for recovery
and treatment, and connecting people with family
members.
FRONTLINE CONNECTIONS
Frontline members also regularly take part in
community ceremonies and events throughout the ENGAGEMENT HAPPENS NOT ONLY IN
year. Several patrol officers are active members of the VERY RECOGNIZABLE WAYS
SisterWatch Program. Finally, one patrol officer (from THROUGH EVENTS LIKE PARADES
the Beat Enforcement Team ) has been assigned as a CELEBRATING VAISAKHI, CHINESE
liaison with the DEWC and works closely with the NEW YEAR, AND PRIDE, BUT ALSO
VPD's SILO. ON A GRASSROOTS LEVEL, THANKS
TO OUR FRONT LINE OFFICERS.
Community Cultural Events
The VPD participate in a significant way in EVERYDAY, THEY ARE OUT ON THEIR
community cultural events. These community events BIKES, ON FOOT, AND IN THEIR
develop relationships and positive engagement that
PATROL CARS INTERACTING WITH
allow the police to have a positive presence in
VANCOUVER/TES. THEY HAVE FACE-
communities. Participation involves all ranks from
frontline officers to members of the VPD Executive, TO-FACE CONVERSATIONS WITH
and includes sworn and civilian employees. Further, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS
VPD is often involved in organizing and/or assisting to IN EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY.
secure funding of these important cultu ral events.
Examples include but are not limited to: Chief Constable Adam Palmer
Vancouver Police Department
• Pride Parade;
• Annual Tribal Journey;
• Vaisakhi Parade;
• Chinese New Year celebrations;
• Orange Shirt Day; and
• National Aboriginal Veterans Day.

The Road to Safety

The VPD's Traffic Section works cooperatively with the Provincial Police Services Division,
ICBC, the CoV , the VSB , and various other community groups to deliver road, pedestrian ,
and bicycle safety campaigns, along with several other educational initiatives . Officers in the
Traffic Section attend monthly meetings with CoV Engineering, Co V Traffic Data
Management, and ICBC to address specific commun ity complaints or concerns about Traffic
issues from a planning and engineering perspective.

The VPD Traffic Section continues to embark on pedestrian safety awareness campaigns
with the primary goal of reducing the number of pedestrians involved in collisions. For

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example, the VPD has a dedicated School Safety Patrol Team that aims to improve road
safety in the CoV through the education of school children, seniors, and other community
groups in pedestrian and bicycle safety.

VPD Traffic members are regular participants in the annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Coast
with the BC Cancer Agency. They have also recently become involved in supporting the
Driven Project, where children with life threatening illnesses take rides in high performance
cars.

Engagement with Special Interest Groups

VPD frontline police officers routinely communicate with event organizers and community
stakeholders in preparation for special events. This communication is vital to ensuring events
are managed safely.

The VPD engages in one-on-one dialogue with organizers and stakeholders, but is also part
of a larger working group called the Festival Expediting Service Team that brings event
organizers together to discuss events with representatives from an array of city and
provincial agencies including, Vancouver Parks Board, BC Ambulance Service, and VFRS.

Organizers and stakeholders work together to find solutions to problems related to traffic
congestion, transit interruptions, waste abatement and public safety concerns. The
collective community input is critical to safeguarding the public and ensuring special events
proceed as intended.

Ensuring Cultural Competencies

To ensure positive engagement with communities, the VPD is committed to making all
employees more culturally fluent. As such, DIIRS partners with VPD’s Training Section and
with organizations outside of the department to provide education and awareness workshops
for frontline members. For example, workshops around Indigenous Peoples and the impact
of colonization introduces VPD members to urban Indigenous communities who have over-
represented levels of physical and sexual abuse, alcohol and drug addiction, victimization,
and have a history of lacking trust in police.

The VPD provides a number of training initiatives to officers and civilians, including: VPD
Aboriginal Cultural Competency Training; Circle of Understanding, Aboriginal First Nations
Awareness Course; Indigenous Awareness for Special Municipal Constables; and Sex Work
and Sex Workers Awareness Course. To educate police regarding the LGBTQ2S+
community and their experiences, and to address discrimination, the VPD offers training on
gender frameworks and models contextualizing LGBTQ2S+ history in Canada, and
reflections on LGBTQ2S+ lived experiences.

In addition, the VPD has implemented mandatory Fair and Impartial Policing training, a full
day workshop delivered to all frontline VPD police officers. This important training illustrates
how implicit biases may affect police perception and behaviour, and as a result negatively
affect community members. Notably, the training provides specific focus to the effect of bias
on Indigenous communities.

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Indigenous Resource for Frontline Officers

Effective community work requires face-to-face coordination with someone in a position of
trust and respect. The Indigenous Liaison Officer fulfills that role and acts as a resource for
frontline patrol members who may have questions about specific individuals, resources
available in the community, or how best to approach situations in a culturally sensitive
manner. The Indigenous Liaison Officer also provides frontline officers with assistance,
monitors Indigenous gang activity in Vancouver, and represents the VPD at many community
functions and meetings.

Community Connections through Communication

Transparency in Policing our Community

An important pillar to effective, community-based policing is the need for police to be
consultative and transparent in how police services are delivered and how important policies
are developed. The VPD achieves this principle by engaging community members,
stakeholders, and advocates in order to develop and implement major policy initiatives, many
of which are discussed and approved publicly by the VPB. Furthermore, almost all of the
VPD’s operational polices are publicly available.

As an example, in January 2013, the VPD implemented the Sex Work Enforcement
Guidelines (SWEG) as a guiding document for the VPD to work with the sex industry
community, open lines of communication, and foster increased engagement. These
guidelines were created for frontline officers understanding of the VPD’s philosophy and
expectations of crime in the sex industry. In the final Missing Women Commission of Inquiry,
the SWEG were commended and referred to as “a model of community policing at its best”.4

Other examples of important policies/guidelines that are of notable interest to the community
include (but are not limited to), the VPD’s:

 Homeless Policy;
 Drug Policy;
 Public Demonstration Guidelines;
 Policy on Initial Contact with Transgender People; and
 Mental Health Strategy.

Public Affairs
An important aspect of public safety and policing is education and awareness. The VPD’s
Public Affairs Section helps Vancouverites have the information they need to help them stay
safe. The Public Affairs Section connects with the public and other stakeholders (like news

4
The VPD SWEG are outdated with the enactment of Bill C-36 (2015). The B.C. Provincial Sex
Enforcement Guidelines and Principles were established in January 2018. The VPD was an active member
of a provincial Police Services working group that helped establish these guidelines for the province. The
Provincial Guidelines, which the VPD currently follow, closely resemble the VPD SWEG.

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media) on behalf of the VPD through integrated marketing campaigns, news media tools,
social media, and video.

Some of the topics covered are identified by areas in the Fast Facts:
Operations and Investigation divisions based on
emerging crime trends or immediate public safety needs. In 2019, the VPD had…
Others can be tied to national or international campaigns
creating awareness about topics related to public safety.
 171,300 Twitter followers
Public Affairs works with news media to provide the public  17,001 Instagram followers
with useful safety information about large public events  31,499 Facebook likes
(e.g., Celebration of Light, Canada Day celebrations).
 33,157 Facebook followers
The section also provides warnings about people or
events that could threaten public or personal safety (e.g.,
high-risk offenders, sex assaults, homicides, etc.), and to *as of May 14, 2020

issue appeals for witnesses, information, and/or video.

A priority for Public Affairs is to ensure that material created by the VPD represents the
diversity of the Department and the community. As such, social media posts celebrate the
diversity of Vancouver by acknowledging cultural and religious celebrations like Lunar New
Year, Vaisakhi, Holi, Nowruz, Ramadan, Eid, Rosh Hashana, and many more. In 2019,
Public Affairs planned and implemented numerous campaigns. Examples include:

 Anti-groping: The VPD’s SCU identified the need to remind potential offenders that
groping is a crime. Public Affairs developed a marketing campaign to remind people
that any sort of unwanted sexual contact is a crime. The VPD partnered with Barwatch
and Metro Vancouver Transit Police to deliver the campaign and put up
advertisements in bars and transit stations.

 Fraud awareness: The VPD’s Cybercrime Unit noted that millennials are more
susceptible to online fraud than any other group. Public Affairs developed an online
advertising campaign to target millennials to raise awareness of the different types of
fraud they need to be aware of. The #NanaSays campaign was developed to
challenge the traditional assumption that seniors are most often victimized. The
campaign played on the unexpected, with fraud-aware Nana texting advice to her
millennial grandchild.

 Senior safety: New frauds are identified every single month. To ensure seniors are
armed with the right information to protect themselves against fraud, Public Affairs
compiled a booklet with fraud prevention tips. The booklets describe, in detail, eight
different types of fraud and top practical tips for preventing against them. The booklets
were also translated into Punjabi, Tagalog, and traditional and simplified Chinese. The
booklets were tied into the existing S.A.F.E. campaign to ensure continuity and
recognition.

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Innovation at its Finest: Reaching Our Community

 The VPD was the first major Canadian police department to

launch a Facebook profile

 The VPD was first Canadian police agency to have a YouTube

profile

Coming Together for Change: VPD Fundraising Initiatives

For causes that are important to the community, the VPD regularly works to raise awareness
and money, to make a difference. Outlined in the following sections are several examples of
fundraising initiatives the VPD is involved in.

Cops for Cancer

Cops for Cancer is a fundraising event where law enforcement and emergency services
personnel cycle across regions and engage communities during the cycle route. This event
helps the Canadian Cancer Society fund paediatric cancer research and to send children and
their families to Camp Goodtimes, a medically supervised safe, fun, and recreational-based
camp program.

The VPD team cycles over 800 kilometers in 9 days raising cancer awareness and money in
communities all over the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, and Sea-to-Sky corridor.

Kops for Kids

Kops for Kids is a program that started over 35 years ago by members of the VPD Motorcycle
Drill Team and raises funds to purchase Christmas gifts for many underprivileged children in
the city.

In 2019, throughout various fundraising initiatives, the Motorcycle Drill Team raised
over $21,000 almost exclusively from VPD police officers’ contributions. The VPD
Motorcycle Drill Team was able to purchase 500 presents and spread holiday
cheer throughout the city. They distributed gifts to various BC Housing locations and
worked with VPD SLOs to visit various schools as well. The remaining funds will be
distributed throughout the year to provide funding for meals, programs, and therapy
sessions to Vancouver students and families identified by VPD SLOs. Of note, the VPD
Motorcycle Drill Team also participates in many community-based events throughout the
year, travelling as far as Seattle and Penticton, for community events

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Vancouver Police Community Fund

The VPCF is organized for the purpose of supporting people in particular need of assistance
who reside in the community we police. There is specific focus on inner-city children and
families, and those people who have physical and mental disabilities.

As a registered charity, the VPCF supports other registered charities as well as its own
charitable activities including sponsoring families at Christmas. Contributions to local charities
include:

 BC Children's Hospital;
 Kidsafe;
 Cops for Cancer;
 Tour de Coast;
 CKNW Orphans' Fund;
 Child Foundation;
 Empty Stocking Fund;
 Make a Wish Foundation;
 Heart and Stroke Foundation; and
 Rotary Hearing Foundation.

Variety Show of Hearts Telethon

The VPD participates annually in the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon which disburses over
1,300 grants for children:

 with medical emergencies,

 needing therapies, specialized equipment, or drug prescriptions; and
 out-of-town accommodation and travel costs.

Variety the Children’s Charity, also provides grants to children’s organizations for
construction, renovations, equipment, and program costs.

CBC Vancouver's Annual Open House and Food Bank Day

The VPD is a proud supporter of the CBC’s Vancouver’s Annual Open House and Food Bank
Day. The VPD annually participate in the food drive and donates gifts for auction. Last year
the auctioned gift was a tour of the VPD’s Canine Unit’s kennels. CBC Vancouver's annual
Open House and Food Bank Day has been raising money for those in need for three decades.
At the 2019 event on December 6, total donations surpassed $10 million.

Supporting Special Olympics: BC Law Enforcement Torch Run

The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics British Columbia (SOBC) is an
innovative initiative powered by dedicated law enforcement personnel around the province
who want to help SOBC athletes experience acceptance, achievement, and personal value
through sport. Members of the VPD run shoulder to shoulder with SOBC athletes and other
law enforcement agencies, on the four-day multi-city run which travels through 15 cities in 13
legs. VPD members also attend athletic competitions to cheer athletes on and award
medals and community events such as the Torch Run to raise awareness and support

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for this important cause. Members of the VPD also represent the department and support
athletes at various SOBC competitions internationally. The VPD is a participant and the top
law enforcement team fundraiser for the Polar Plunge for SOBC held annually in March. In
2019, the event raised more than $100,000.

Making Christmas Dreams Come True: Children’s Wish Breakfast

In support of the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, each year the VPD donates thousands
of toys at the Children’s Wish Breakfast. Mountains of toys, clothing, and money are collected
to be distributed to families in need throughout the Lower Mainland. A morning filled with
festive cheer; this event is held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver annually. VPD
participation is of all ranks and with sworn and civilian staff attendance.

Covenant House: Sleep Out Vancouver

On any given night there are between 500 and 1,000 young people living on the streets in
Vancouver. The majority of street youth have experienced physical, sexual, and or emotional
abuse, often at the hands of the adults responsible for taking care of them. Covenant House
is a not-for-profit organization that runs programs for youth between the ages of 16-24 who
have fled abuse, have been forced from their homes, and those that have aged out of foster
care. Raising funds and awareness for homeless youth, members of the VPD regularly
participate in the Covenant House Sleep Out event by sleeping outside overnight.

VPD Police Dog Calendar

The annual VPD Police Dog Calendar was started in 2009 by retired VPD Sergeant Mike
Anfield in honor of his wife, VPD Constable Candy Anfield who lost her battle with breast
cancer. The calendar, featuring pictures of VPD police dogs and their handlers, is a
fundraising initiative with proceeds going to the BC Cancer Foundation and the BC Children’s
Hospital Foundation. The calendar is funded and produced by the Candy Anfield Memorial
Foundation. In 2019, the calendars raised $150,000 and in 2020 thus far, the calendars have
raised $90,000. Since 2010, sales of the calendar have raised $450,000 for charity.

Jeans Day
Entering its 30th year, Jeans Day is a fundraiser to ensure children in B.C. receive the best
health care possible through the BC Children’s Hospital. The VPD participate in Jeans Day
by wearing jeans and buttons to work. Funds raised help push forward innovative research,
purchase advanced equipment, and create spaces and practices that prioritize the unique
needs of children and their families. Since it began in 1990, Jeans Day has raised more than
$21 million to transform health care for children in B.C.

Pink Shirt Day

Children and youth face a range of complex social factors that shape their opportunities and
outcomes – unfortunately, bullying is one of these factors that impacts individuals negatively.
Each year, Pink Shirt Day aims to raise funds to support programs that foster children’s
healthy self-esteem and bring awareness to bullying. VPD staff wear pink and a donation is
made in the name of the best pink outfit to the CKNW Orphan’s Fund by the Community Fund.
Pink Shirt Day ties into VPD's ongoing respectful workplace and mental health initiatives.

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Supporting this important cause, the VPD spreads awareness and kindness to crate safe
environments for all.

The Vancouver Police Foundation

In 1976, a group of Vancouver citizens and business leaders recognized the need for new
and creative ideas in policing – initiatives that were not within the VPD’s regular operating
budget. They established the VPF – a registered charity that to this day works in partnership
with the VPD to fund programs that reduce crime, increase safety, and put a human face on
policing.

Through the vision of the VPF founders, and the generous funding from supporters, the VPF
has, to date, granted over $10 million towards ground-breaking outreach programs and
innovative policing equipment.

The VPF partners with individuals, companies, and foundations to fund programs for:

 youth;
 mental health and addictions;
 community outreach and engagement; and
 innovative technology and equipment.

The Vancouver Police Board: Ensuring Community-Police Links

As the VPD’s governing body, the VPB (Board) provides strategic oversight and direction and
fosters police services which reflect the needs, values, and diversity of Vancouver’s many
communities. The Board is made up of eight volunteer citizens, all residents or business
people from Vancouver, and the Mayor is the Chair of the Board.

One of the VPB’s most important priorities is to ensure an open and transparent link between
the community and the VPD. The VPB encourages opportunities for the community to
engage with the VPD and with the VPB, to ensure that police services are responsive to the
needs and priorities of Vancouverites.

The VPB regularly hears from a variety of community stakeholders either through delegations,
or presentations. Members of the public speak to the Board about community programs,
challenges and unique neighbourhood policing issues. In 2019, for example, the Board heard
from members of the community on topics such as policing and safety in Yaletown, VPD
enforcement on vehicle inspections, Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers, employment in the
public service, policing in the DTES, VPD’s SWEG, and the funding structure of CPCs.

The Board stresses the need for the VPD to create opportunities for citizens to have access
to the Department and have input into police issues. To monitor these initiatives, the Board
asks the VPD to report annually on the ways in which it facilitates community engagement.
This report (available on the Board website) outlines a wide spectrum of activities and
initiatives which the VPD undertake to connect with the community it serves.

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Another way in which the Board endeavors to engage with the community is by periodically
holding public meetings in a community location and focusing on topics of interest or concern
to that community. In the past few years, the Board has held meetings at the Khalsa Diwan
Society Sikh temple, the Al-Masjid Al-Jamia Mosque, the Musqueam Cultural Pavilion,
ISSofBC, and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Chinatown.

In 2019, the Board held two of its meetings at community locations. In June, the Board met
at the Jewish Community Centre (JCC) and received presentations by the VPD, the Centre
for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and JCC staff on topics such as hate crimes, the re-development
of the JCC, inclusion and diversity programs, anti-Semitism and safety concerns for the
Jewish Community, and the relationship between the Police and the Jewish community. In
September the Board held its meeting at the Musqueam Cultural Pavilion. Board member
Wendy John, who served three terms as Chief of the MIB, provided an introduction, and the
Board received presentations on the VPD ICP, Musqueam culture, VPD Indigenous
initiatives, and the Musqueam-police relationship. In addition to being highly informative,
these meetings help the Board connect with the community, and help ensure that policing
remains responsive and relevant to the people of Vancouver.

Board meetings are open to the public and are also webcast live on the Board’s website and
on the VPB twitter account.

Our Community, Our Promise: A Commitment to Continue

Outreach
The VPD will continue its commitment to building and sustaining relationships with local
communities and cultures. Members of the VPD will continue to regularly meet with
community representatives to develop programming to enhance community safety, and to
participate in community forums, workshops, and events. The VPD acknowledges that
enforcement alone is not sufficient to make neighbourhoods safer – collaboration will always
form a significant and critical component in the delivery of policing services by the VPD.

The VPD will continue to build relationships with Vancouver’s diverse communities. These
communities include First Nations, LGBTQ2S+, recent immigrants, various neighbourhood
groups, and specific vulnerable populations (such as the elderly and youth), amongst others.
Through programs such as SisterWatch and Safe Place, the VPD has experienced first-hand
success in forging strong, trusting relationships. Similarly, role-modelling programs such as
the PAL, Student Challenge, and the Cadet Program have resulted in positive relationships
with youth throughout the city.

The VPD is committed to transparency in its actions and remaining accountable in its service
to the public. The VPD acknowledges that its success is inherently reliant upon maintaining
and improving existing relationships with the communities it serves; community matters, to
the VPD.

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Glossary

ACT ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT

AFDS ABORIGINAL FRONT DOOR SOCIETY
ARC ACCESS, RECREATION, AND CULTURE
AOT ASSERTIVE OUTREACH TEAMS
B.C. BRITISH COLUMBIA
BCLEDN BC LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVERSITY NETWORK
BIA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREAS
BWITO BLOCK WATCH INVESTIGATIONS AND TRAINING OFFICER
CAT COMMUNITY ACTION TEAMS
CCW CITIZENS’ CRIME WATCH
CEU COUNTER EXPLOITATION UNIT
CFO CIVIL FORFEITURE OFFICE
CIU CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT
CLICK CONTRIBUTING TO LIVES OF INNER-CITY KIDS
CoV CITY OF VANCOUVER
CPA CITIZENS’ POLICE ACADEMY
CPCs COMMUNITY POLICING CENTRES
CPSU COMMUNITY POLICING SERVICES UNIT
CSP COMMUNITY SAFETY PERSONNEL
CSS COMMUNITY SERVICES SECTION
CYAC CHILD AND YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE
DEWC DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE WOMEN’S CENTRE
DIIRS DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND INDIGENOUS RELATIONS SECTION
DOAP DRUG OVERDOSE AND ALERT PARTNERSHIP
DTES VANCOUVER DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE
DVACH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CRIMINAL HARASSMENT SECTION
FCU FINANCIAL CRIME UNIT
FSGV FAMILY SERVICES OF GREATER VANCOUVER
GCU GANG CRIME UNIT
GOV GATHERING OUR VOICES
ICP INDIGENOUS CADET PROGRAM
IMS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SECTION
ISSofBC IMMIGRANT SERVICES SOCIETY OF BC
JCC JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTRE
LGBTQ2S+ LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER, QUEER, TWO-SPIRIT, PLUS
MCFD MINISTRY OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
MESH MAKING EVERYONE SAFE AND HEALTHY
MIB MUSQUEAM INDIAN BAND
MPU MISSING PERSONS UNIT
MSDPR MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION
NPO NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICE OFFICER
NYPD NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT
ODAX OVERDOSE ACTION EXCHANGE
PACE PROSTITUTION ALTERNATIVES COUNSELLING AND EDUCATION SOCIETY
PAL POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE
ReMAKE RESTORATION THROUGH THE MOBILE ARTS FOR KIDS EXCHANGE
SACY SUPPORTING AND CONNECTING YOUTH
S.A.F.E SAFETY AWARENESS FOR ELDERS
SCU SEX CRIMES UNIT
SILO SEX INDUSTRY LIASION OFFICER
SIS SPECIAL INVESTIGATION SECTION
SLO SCHOOL LIAISON OFFICER

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SLU SCHOOL LIAISON UNIT

SMC SPECIAL MUNICIPAL CONSTABLES
SOBC SPECIAL OLYMPICS BRITSH COLUMBIA
SWEG SEX WORK ENFORCEMENT GUIDELINES
TFA THEFT FROM AUTO
TROO TOTAL RESPECT FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS
UBC UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
UNYA URBAN NATIVE YOUTH ASSOCIATION
VACFSS VANCOUVER ABORIGINAL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES SOCIETY
VACPC VANCOUVER ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY POLICING CENTRE
VCH VANCOUVER COASTAL HEALTH
VFRS VANCOUVER FIRE RESCUE SERVICES
VPCF VANCOUVER POLICE COMMUNITY FUND
VPD VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
VPF VANCOUVER POLICE FOUNDATION
VPB VANCOUVER POLICE BOARD
VPPB VANCOUVER POLICE PIPE BAND
VPSSC VANCOUVER POLICE SOCCER AND SERVICE CLUB
VSB VANCOUVER SCHOOL BOARD
VSU VICTIM SERVICES UNIT
WAVAW WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
WISH WOMEN’S INFORMATION AND SAFE HAVEN
WPST WOMEN’S PERSONAL SAFETY TEAM
YSS YOUTH SERVICES SECTION

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Appendix

Chief Constable Adam Palmer

Deputy Chief Howard Chow Deputy Chief Steve Rai Deputy Chief Laurence Rankin
Operations Division Support Services Division Investigation Division

Supt. Cita Airth Supt. Martin Bruce Supt. Michelle Davey Supt. Steve Eely
Investigative Services Personnel Services Investigative Support Services South Command

Sr. Director Nancy Eng Supt. Marcie Flamand Sr. Director Jason Rude Supt. Fiona Wilson
Financial Services North Command Information Services CFSEU-BC

COMMUNITY Matters I COMMUNITY OUTREACH REPORT

VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT
vANcouvER Beyond ~THE VANCOUVER::::::
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DEPARTMENT~ CALL ~VANCOUVER >-<C BEYOND POLICE 0 ~
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Vancouver Police
Mental Health Strategy
A comprehensive approach for a proportional police response
to persons living with mental illness

Prepared by:

Superintendent Daryl Wiebe

July 8, 2016

VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT

Beyond the Call
 Table of Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 5
VPD Approach ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Access to Care versus Criminalization....................................................................................................... 8
Partnering with Stakeholders ................................................................................................................... 8
Policy ........................................................................................................................................................... 11
Definitions ................................................................................................................................................... 13
Procedures .................................................................................................................................................. 17
Initial Patrol Response ............................................................................................................................ 17
Specialized Mental Health Response ...................................................................................................... 21
Education and Training ............................................................................................................................... 23
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 27
Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................................... 29
Appendix – A: Historical Context ................................................................................................................ 31
Background ............................................................................................................................................. 31
Scope of the Problem.............................................................................................................................. 34
Appendix – B: VPD Policies and Procedures ............................................................................................... 37
Section 1.6.24(i) - Apprehensions under the Mental Health Act............................................................ 37
Section 1.6.24(ii) - Transportation of Persons Apprehended under the Mental Health Act .................. 39

3|Page
Executive Summary
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has been proactive over the past 30 years regarding incidents
involving mental health, implementing a number of programs and initiatives to improve outcomes
relating to police interactions with persons living with mental illness. In 1978, the VPD implemented
‘Car 87,’ an integrated response model partnering a police officer with a mental health professional.
That program continues today, and has served as a model for many other police agencies to copy. It has
been further augmented with other initiatives to focus on youth and chronic offenders, and more
specialized mental health programs.

Over the past five years, the VPD has publicly reported on the dramatic increase in the incidence of
police interactions with persons living with mental illness (see Appendix – A). There has also been a
number of high-profile incidences of violent crime associated with an apparent mental health factor,
highlighting gaps in the continuum of care and in the system generally. That is not to say that mental
illness is a causal factor in violent crime. Rather, persons living with mental illness are more likely to be
a victim of crime, rather than the perpetrator. These drivers have led to the VPD enhancing its service
delivery and actively participating in broader multi-disciplinary teams, with health care providers, to
deliver proper community-based mental health support for those in need.

While these initiatives have all proven valuable in terms of client needs and reduced police interaction,
and can each be supported as effective through evidence-based research, a broader Mental Health
Strategy will serve as an overarching approach for the VPD. It is intended to account for the significant
impact that can result from persons living with mental illness coming into contact with the police, and
set forth a framework on how the VPD models its interaction with this segment of the population. In
addition, it is important to acknowledge that most mental-health-related calls to the police involve
persons with concurrent disorders – a mental illness and substance abuse problems.

This Mental Health Strategy is framed around the core values of the VPD, and the principles of
justification, proportionality and intrusiveness. It is designed to provide clear and concise information
about the VPD’s position and intent, and to serve as a framework to support operational deployment,
organizational partnerships, education and training initiatives, and a commitment to the community
relative to its interactions with persons living with mental illness.

Finally, this Mental Health Strategy was not developed in isolation. The VPD has consulted with
partners in the mental health community, in an effort to include their perspectives on this jointly-shared
social challenge. Input was received from numerous stakeholders and partner organizations, including
Vancouver Coastal Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association, the City of Vancouver, and mental
health professionals from St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, and UBC Psychiatry. In
addition, a consultation session with the Persons with Lived Experience Committee, Mayor’s Task Force
on Mental Health and Addiction resulted in meaningful feedback from this affected population.

5|Page
VPD Approach
The VPD has long-acknowledged that mental health, mental illness, and the associated patient care are
all the primary responsibility of health care providers. Further, there are numerous other social factors
that influence the behaviour of persons living with mental illness, and the likelihood of success with
their care plan. These factors include access to housing, poverty, education, substance use and misuse,
etc.

In the traditional sense, the VPD is focused on public safety and law enforcement. Its mission is to be
“Canada’s leader in innovative policing, maintaining public safety, upholding the rule of law and
preventing crime.” 1 However, the very nature of police work is challenging, with police officers
frequently confronted by traumatized individuals or traumatizing circumstances. As such, the VPD is
committed to:

1. The best training to better understand mental illness and to effectively respond to incidents
where a person living with mental illness is in a state of crisis and in need of care;
2. Providing support to police officers who may themselves be experiencing loss, trauma or
violence, through mentoring, peer support, or therapy from a mental health professional; and,
3. Systematically reducing stigma within the Department, and serving as a role model for the
community where persons living with mental illness are accepted as individuals within society
and not subject to differential treatment.

Police officers regularly come into contact with persons living with mental illness, including a majority
who concurrently struggle with substance abuse, some who are not receiving necessary medical care
and community support, and a small number who may be in a state of crisis. Given these inevitable
interactions, the VPD has proactively worked to provide care and mitigate risk by collaborating upstream
with health care partners in an effort to get these vulnerable persons the support they require.

The overarching objective for the VPD is client-focused and recovery based, meaning that the individuals
themselves often need support, housing, and medical services, and do not usually require more
traditional enforcement measures associated to a police department. This objective aligns with the
strategic direction of Vancouver Coastal Health which focuses on patient-centered care. 2

The VPD is intent on diverting persons living with mental illness away from the criminal justice system
when the circumstances of the criminal activity are minor in nature, have little immediate impact on the
community at large, and are grounded in the individual’s mental illness. This approach aligns with the
Diversion Framework set forth by the Canadian Mental Health Association. 3 As a part of that broader

1
Vancouver Police Department (2011). 2012-2016 Strategic Plan – Vancouver Police Department. Found at
http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/vpd-strategic-plan-2012-2016.pdf
2
Vancouver Coastal Health (2015). 2015/16 – 2016/17 Service Plan. Found at
http://www.vch.ca/media/Service%20Plan 2015 2016 FINAL October 2015.pdf
3
Hall, N and Weaver, P (2008). A Framework for Diversion of Persons with a mental Disorder in BC. Canadian
Mental Health Association BC Division. Found at http://www.cmha.bc.ca/files/DiversionFramework.pdf

7|Page
commitment, the VPD has reassigned existing personnel away from other areas of policing, in order to
address this growing responsibility to public safety in our community. Further, the VPD has
collaborated with many stakeholders in health care, health research, and government to develop client-
focused solutions that reduce the incidence and lessen the impact of interactions with the police.
However, these collaborative solutions must include sufficient capacity within health care to respond to
a high-needs population and expanded community services to serve chronic patients effectively, while
respecting the rights of persons living with mental illness and de-escalating conflict to ensure that use of
force is the last line of defence.

Access to Care versus Criminalization

Through all of the research and reports coordinated by the VPD, it is apparent that the majority of
people who are living with mental illness and who come into negative contact with the police require
some form of access to care or community support. In some instances, the seriousness of the incident
and the need to maintain public safety will require a criminal investigation and potential criminal
sanctions. However, in many instances the actions of the individual are minor, or of a nuisance nature,
and driven by a state of crisis attributable to mental illness.

In all such cases, the VPD is committed to pursuing access to care through health care providers, and
proactive follow-up with supportive multi-disciplinary teams that focus on the well-being and recovery
of the individual. By working with the health care system, and ensuring individuals receive the requisite
care for their illness, recidivism and future negative police contacts should diminish dramatically.

Partnering with Stakeholders

The VPD has long-recognized that great things can be accomplished through effective partnerships with
the community, government, and the private sector. In spite of the fact that mental health and
wellness, and addictions treatment, are the responsibility of the Ministry of Health (and the Ministry of
Children and Family Development in cases where youth are involved), the very nature of the increasing
incidence of police involvement with persons living with mental illness precipitates the VPD driving
change to improve the quality of care for this vulnerable group.

The VPD will continue to partner with mental health stakeholders and effect change in the system. It is
imperative, however, that all partners in this continuum provide sufficient resources to meet the
demand for service. Where a person receives insufficient services or support, they will ultimately fall
back on the VPD as the last line of help, and this can create risk for the individual, the community, and
the VPD.

Three key mental health partnerships that have grown over the past few years have been with
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), Providence Health Care (PHC), and the City of Vancouver.

8|Page
Vancouver Coastal Health and Project LINK
Following the release of the 2010 report Beyond Lost in Transition, the VPD and VCH formalized a long-
standing partnership with Project Link, committing to work together to improve the quality of life of
persons living with mental illness and/or problematic substance use and addiction. Both agencies’
leaders and respective Board chairs signed a letter of understanding, committing to take a patient-
centred approach to the problem, committing to work together for collaborative solutions, improving
how they respond to and interact with the mentally ill, improving policies and procedures, and providing
the most expedient and appropriate care for the individuals involved.

A working group was formed from this agreement, including representatives from PHC, and the three
organizations continue to work to address gaps in the system and support proper care for the clients.
Accomplishments include:

- Embedding police officers within Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams

- Expanding ACT from three teams to five, to support a larger clientele base
- Developing an information sharing agreement and formalized discharge agreements
between the police and health, enabling the exchange of critical client information between
the two organizations to facilitate proper care for each individual client
- Improved communication with the VPD Chronic Offenders Unit to deliver a coordinated
response that ensures the most prolific offenders who are living with a mental illness
receive the mental health support they require
- Improved collaboration with the mental health programs provided through the Downtown
Community Court
- Improved reporting within the VPD to account for incidents involving a ‘mental health
factor,’ and forming part of a broader early warning system to identify clients at risk
- Improved linkage with St. Paul’s Hospital/Providence Health Care, particularly when dealing
with ACT clients who come into contact with health care professionals from different
hospitals

At the senior leadership level, the Executive and Boards of both the VPD and VCH meet annually to set
priorities for the working group for the coming year. Collectively, both agencies identify achievable
targets to pursue program change and advancement, all in the interests of the client. By working
collaboratively, sharing vital information, and leveraging their partnership, change has taken place, and
clients are often receiving better care when needed the most.

Mayor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Addictions

The Mayor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Addictions was formed in 2013, and designed to support
the efforts of VCH, PHC, and the VPD to further their recommendations to the Province following the
release of the Mental Health Crisis report. The mandate of the Task Force is to:

…help the City, Vancouver Coastal Health, the Vancouver Police Department
and other related sectors, including Housing and Justice, to identify high
priority, feasible actions that will address the continuum of needs of SAMI

9|Page
 [Seriously Addicted and Mentally Ill] residents. The Task Force will be modelled
after the best practice of the Four Pillars Coalition, recognizing the need to
mobilize and involve key stakeholders and community. 4

The Task Force is led by the Mayor and membership is comprised of representatives from health, justice,
social development, housing, academia, non-governmental organizations, urban Aboriginal groups, and
people with lived experience. This multi-sectoral approach has provided significant input and support to
VCH and the VPD, and in September 2014, the Task Force released a comprehensive report that
identifies actions to enhance the system of care for persons living with mental illness. Six action areas
were identified, containing 23 priority action items to enhance access to quality and effective support
services. The six key action areas are:

1. Work better together and address service gaps, utilizing a collective impact methodology and
data-sharing model;
2. Convene a peer-informed leadership system to examine best practices relating to health care,
housing and community support;
3. Create a greater awareness of mental health and addiction, whereby de-stigmatization will
increase access to services, improve chances of recovery, and improve a sense of inclusion and
belonging;
4. Develop better support systems for youth transitioning out of care;
5. Focus on wellness for Aboriginal peoples;
6. Enhance addictions knowledge by supporting training and integrating addictions specialists into
the existing medical system. 5

The VPD is a key partner in this initiative, and is specifically committed to enhancing the education and
training of all police members, collaborating with the Province of BC and the Justice Institute of BC to
develop appropriate training, and working with people with lived experience to further de-stigmatize
mental illness.

4
City of Vancouver (2013). Mayor’s Task Force on Mental health and Addictions – Terms of Reference. Found at
http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/Mayors-Task-Force-on-Mental-Health-and-Addictions-Terms-of-references.pdf
5
City of Vancouver (2014).Caring for All: Priority Actions to Address Mental Health and Addictions. Found at
http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/mayors-task-force-mental-health-addictions-priority-actions.pdf

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Policy
The Vancouver Police Department is committed to a culture in which persons living with a mental illness
and/or substance use will be treated with respect and compassion. Further, the rights of these
individuals are equally as important as the rights of others, and the VPD will ensure that procedural
justice principles are adhered to. Recognizing that persons’ interactions with systems and institutions
can create trauma on its own, it is imperative that the underlying mental health issues be addressed,
while minimizing the criminalization of the individual.

To accomplish this objective, the VPD is committed to reducing the stigma associated with mental illness
within the organization, and delivering robust education and training that focuses on de-escalation
strategies and the peaceful resolution of potentially volatile situations without the need to use force.
The importance of well-being and the sanctity of life are emphasized and any use of force must also be
considered in this context, and not just on whether it is justified or lawful. In addition, the VPD is
ultimately seeking to achieve positive outcomes for individuals in crisis, and is committed to working
collaboratively with partner agencies to achieve this objective.

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Definitions
Access and Assessment Centre (AAC): A single point-of-entry site for adults, into the mental health and
substance use system, and located on the Vancouver General Hospital campus. It is a ‘designated
facility’ as described below and staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The AAC began operations in
February 2016, and provides a range of services for urgent and non-emergent referrals, crisis line, intake
clinicians, outreach, and community psychiatric services.

ACT: Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a full-service mental health program, led by VCH, which
provides higher intensity and greater frequency support for more challenging mental health and/or
substance use clients, where traditional mental health services have been unsuccessful. The VPD is a
partner in this program, with police officers embedded into the ACT teams.

AOT: The Assertive Outreach Team (AOT) is a unique mental health program, delivered in partnership
with VCH, which provides short-term transitional support for more challenging mental health and/or
substance use clients, as they transition from hospital or corrections to primary care service providers.

Apprehension: A term used to describe the involuntarily detention of a person by police under the
Mental Health Act (MHA), for the purpose of transporting the person to a designated medical facility to
be seen by a physician. It is not a form of ‘arrest’ and there is no criminal implication for the person.

CNT: The Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) is a key component of the VPD’s emergency response mandate.
Specially trained members, primarily assigned to front line patrol teams, provide an immediate response
capability to conduct on-scene negotiations during any significant crisis event involving the VPD.

Car 87: A mental health crisis response car that partners a VPD constable with a registered nurse or a
registered psychiatric nurse to provide on-site assessments and intervention for people with psychiatric
problems. The nurse and the police officer work as a team in assessing, managing, and deciding the
most appropriate action, which may include referrals for community-based mental health follow-up or
emergency intervention.

Concurrent Disorder: A term used to refer to co-occurring mental health and substance use problems.
This is also sometimes referred to as ‘dual diagnoses’; however, this latter term is also often limited to
mean a mental illness combined with an intellectual disability.

Crisis: An emergency situation that creates an immediate threat to the physical, emotional, and mental
health of an individual. A person may experience crisis during times of stress, in response to real or
perceived threats, and/or a loss of control. Symptoms may include emotional reactions such as fear,
anger, or excessive giddiness; psychological impairments such as inability to focus, confusion,
nightmares, and potentially even psychosis; physical reactions like vomiting/stomach issues, headaches,
dizziness, excessive tiredness, or insomnia; and/or behavioural reactions including the trigger of a ‘fight
or flight’ response. Any individual can experience a crisis reaction when normal coping mechanisms are
ineffective, regardless of previous history of mental illness.

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De-escalate: A communication tactic intended to instill calm into an otherwise dynamic or volatile
situation, thereby reducing the necessity or intensity of force to resolve a confrontation.

Designated Facility: A provincial mental health facility, psychiatric unit, or observation unit designated
by the Minister of Health, under the MHA. In Vancouver, this includes Vancouver General Hospital, St.
Paul’s Hospital, UBC Health Sciences Centre Hospital, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre, BC
Children’s Hospital, Mount St. Joseph’s Hospital, and G.F. Strong Centre.

Elopee: A person on unauthorized leave from a designated facility. A police officer has the authority to
apprehend the elopee and return the elopee to the designated facility, provided the elopee has been
away from the facility for less than 48 hours. If the elopee has been absent for more than 48 hours, the
director of the facility must issue a Form 21 Director’s Warrant for the police to have the authority to
apprehend the elopee and return the elopee to the designated facility.

Form 4 Medical Certificate: A certificate completed by a physician and issued under Section 22 of the
MHA for involuntary admission to a designated facility. Two Form 4 Medical Certificates must be issued
by the physician in order to hold a person for more than 48 hours.

Form 21 Director’s Warrant: An apprehension warrant issued under Section 39 or 41 of the MHA for a
person recalled from a doctor-approved leave from a designated facility, or a person who has eloped
from a designated facility.

MHA: The Mental Health Act is Provincial legislation that ensures ‘… the treatment of the mentally
disordered who need protection and care…’ The MHA provides authority, criteria, and procedures for
the involuntary admission and treatment of patients, and contains protections to ensure that these
provisions are applied in an appropriate and lawful manner.

MHES: Mental Health Emergency Services is a program operated by VCH, and is designed to deliver
community-based interventions during mental health emergencies, relieving the pressures that are
often placed on police and area hospitals. MHES staff partner with VPD members to form Car 87.

MHU: The Mental Health Unit is a VPD unit within the Youth Services Section that coordinates the
supervision and deployment of police officers for ACT and AOT. The MHU is focused on a collaborative
approach to addressing mental health and/or substance use in the community.

Mental Disorder: A term used in the MHA, but not defined within the Act. It is described as, ‘a disorder
of the mind that requires treatment and seriously impairs the person’s ability to react appropriately to
the person’s environment, or to associate with others.’

PHC: Providence Health Care is the organization that operates St. Paul’s Hospital and Mt. St. Joseph’s
Hospital in the City of Vancouver. PHC is a separate legal entity from Vancouver Coastal Health
Authority (VCH) and provides many services in partnership with VCH across the mental health and
substance misuse continuum of care.

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Section 28: The section within the MHA that provides the authority for police officers to apprehend a
person and take them to a physician for examination if the person is acting in a manner that is likely to
endanger themselves or others, and apparently has a mental disorder.

SPH: St. Paul’s Hospital

VCH: The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is one of the five regional health authorities providing
direct and contracted health services in BC. The region that VCH is responsible for includes Vancouver,
Richmond, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, the Sea-to-Sky Highway, the Sunshine Coast, Bella Bella,
Bella Coola, and the surrounding areas.

VGH: Vancouver General Hospital

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Procedures
VPD members will often come into contact with individuals who are living with a mental illness. In some
instances, those individuals may be in a state of crisis and pose a risk to themselves, the responding
police officers, and/or the general public.

Section 28 of the MHA provides that;

A police officer or constable may apprehend and immediately take a person to a

physician for examination if satisfied from personal observations, or information
received, that the person:
a) is acting in a manner likely to endanger that person’s own safety or the
safety of others, and
b) is apparently a person with a mental disorder. 6

This section of the MHA allows for considerable police discretion, as it provides the police officer with
the authority to apprehend. However, with the wording ‘may apprehend,’ the police officer has the
ability to pursue a number of other courses of action, depending on the circumstances involved.

History has shown that police interactions with persons living with mental illness, and who are in crisis,
sometimes have the potential for violence. Occasionally, the mere presence of the police can elevate
the tenor of the interactions and complicate communication further. These interactions frequently
require a police officer to make difficult judgement decisions about an individual’s mental state and
his/her intentions. They require specialized communication skills and techniques geared to resolving
each situation, while minimizing the instance of physical harm to the individual, the public, and the
police.

To that end, the goal in every interaction is de-escalation. Police officers are expected to recognize
behaviour that is characteristic of mental illness or a crisis, and the VPD is committed to ensuring that all
of its members are trained in this skill. Through effective de-escalation techniques, the safety of all
involved in the interaction is the paramount priority, and should guide the resolution of each unique
situation as safely as possible.

Initial Patrol Response

Police officers are regularly called to incidents that involve persons living with mental illness. However,
only a trained mental health professional can diagnose mental illness and even they can have difficulty
with such diagnoses. VPD members are not expected to diagnose mental illness, but they are expected
to recognize behaviours that are indicative of a person affected by mental illness or in a crisis. In
addition, there is the added complexity of assessing risk when the circumstances of an incident suggest
the potential for violence or danger.

6
Mental Health Act [RSBC 1996] Chapter 288. Found at:
http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96288 01

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Risk assessment is a critical skill in police work. When interacting with individuals affected by mental
illness or crisis, VPD members shall continually assess risk throughout their interactions with the
individual involved. That risk may be to the individual, to the responding VPD members, and/or to the
general public. However, most persons living with mental illness, or who may be in crisis, are not
dangerous. These individuals may only present ‘dangerous behaviour’ under certain circumstances or
conditions, which may be controllable during their interactions with the police. It is a combination of
the observed behaviours of the individual and the perceived risk to those involved that will guide the
course of action taken by the police.

When responding to an incident involving a person exhibiting behaviours attributed to mental illness, or
in a mental health crisis, VPD members should consider all of the following strategies to manage the
situation, for the safety of all involved:

• Evaluate the nature of the incident and determine the necessity for police intervention;
• If police intervention is necessary, determine the best method to communicate with the
individual involved, including consideration for the existence of a language barrier;
• Evaluate the need to involve other police officers for cover and inform a supervisor when an
expanded response is required;
• Evaluate the need for specialized resources, mental health professionals, and/or the assistance
of those with specialized training in crisis intervention;
• Consider engaging the assistance of a family member or caregiver of the affected individual,
who can often provide insight and perspective on the behaviour, and may be able to serve as an
advocate or possess the authority to involuntarily commit the individual; and,
• If it becomes necessary to apprehend the individual under the MHA or to take them into
custody as a part of a criminal investigation, develop and communicate a plan that considers the
most effective options to safely resolve the incident.

However, it is important to note that many of these incidents occur suddenly, and can be exceptionally
dynamic and evolve quickly. This landscape frequently requires police officers to respond immediately,
interact with a person with very limited background information, draw on their own life experience and
training, and take actions in an uncontrolled environment that are in the best interests of public safety,
and for the protection of both the individual and the police officers involved.

When working towards an appropriate resolution to a call involving a person exhibiting behaviours
attributed to symptoms of a mental illness, or in a mental health crisis, VPD members will consider the
totality of the circumstances involved, including the behaviour of the individual and the proportionality
of the response. Following are acceptable resolutions or dispositions that may be appropriate:

• Non-engagement: When a member determines that police engagement in the first instance will
result in undue safety concerns for the individual, the public and/or the members involved, it
may be acceptable to not engage with the individual at all. In such instances:
o Members will notify a supervisor and the supervisor shall attend the scene;

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 o The supervisor shall consult with the Duty Officer in all instances where a decision is
made to not engage with the individual;
o The individual shall not be left alone, and another suitable support person should be in
place and willing to assist the individual; and,
o A police report will be submitted that clearly identifies the circumstances of the event,
reasons for the police to not engage with the individual, the identity of the individual
who took responsibility to provide care to the individual, and follow-up strategies and
referrals identified to ensure the individual receives the support they require.
• Disengagement: When continued contact with the individual will result in undue safety
concerns for the individual, the public and/or the members involved, it may be acceptable to
disengage from further police action. In such instances:
o Members will notify a supervisor and the supervisor shall attend the scene;
o A plan will be developed, under the direction of the supervisor, to make contact with
the individual at a different time, or under different circumstances; and,
o A police report will be submitted that clearly identifies the circumstances of the event,
actions taken by the police, reasons for the dis-engagement, and follow-up plan and
referrals identified to ensure that the individual receives the support they require.
• Delaying Custody: When a member determines that taking a person into custody under the
present circumstances may result in undue risk to the individual, the public, and/or the
members involved, it may be appropriate to delay custody. In such cases, members will notify a
supervisor and develop a plan, in consultation with health care practitioners and/or a family
member or caregiver, to determine a safer time and method to take the person into custody.
• Director’s Warrant: When the individual involved is named in a Form 21 Director’s Warrant,
members will apprehend the individual and arrange transportation to the hospital or designated
facility identified in the warrant.
• Apprehension: When the circumstances are present to meet the requirements of Section 28 of
the MHA and a Criminal Code arrest is not required, members will apprehend the individual and
arrange transportation to a hospital or designated facility for examination by a physician.
• Arrest: When there are reasonable grounds to believe that the individual has committed a
serious criminal offence, members will proceed under the lawful authority of the Criminal Code,
affect an arrest, and ensure subsequent examination by a physician in the Vancouver Jail to
assess and refer to mental health support.

The VPD will not engage in the practice of voluntary transports (solely at the request of an individual). If
an individual does not meet the criteria for an apprehension, members will not provide transportation
to a hospital in a police vehicle. The responsibility rests with the individual to get himself/herself to the
hospital, and the VPD will limit their involvement to assisting the individual with other methods of
transportation (EHS, family member, mental health professional, etc.).

Crisis Negotiation Team

The VPD Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) is an important asset to assist Patrol members with critical
incidents, usually involving persons living with mental illness and in crisis, and their role is one of

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advanced crisis de-escalation and negotiation. The team is comprised of 24 members and one full time
coordinator (team leader). All but the coordinator have primary duties elsewhere in the VPD, with the
majority working in Patrol.

CNT members are all experienced police officers who are readily available to assist front line policing,
where the vast majority of all contacts with persons living with mental illness occur. These members
regularly engage with suicidal individuals, including persons actively attempting to jump off bridges and
structures, as well as with armed and barricaded persons threatening harm to themselves or others.

All CNT members complete an 80-hour basic VPD Crisis Negotiation course, modelled after a course
offered at the Canadian Police College (CPC). This local program incorporates elements of the CPC
national course, the FBI negotiator training program, and the UK National Negotiator Course. The VPD
course emphasizes scenario-based learning, specifically designed to reflect and reinforce the concepts
taught throughout the program.

CNT members are required to complete a 40-hour refresher course once every five years, offered at the
CPC. In addition, there are six mandatory CNT training days throughout the year. These facilitated
sessions include incident reviews, discussions on training, deployment issues, and presentations on local
and relevant topics. In addition to the mandatory training days, CNT members participate in a number
of multi-agency training scenarios throughout the year. A unique element to the VPD CNT program is
the existence of a full-time coordinator. The consolidation of training, selection, team leadership,
performance management, and academic research has allowed the VPD to develop the program to
meet the unique challenges faced in Vancouver.

Supervision
Patrol supervisors have a significant role in the initial police response to persons living with mental
illness who are in crisis. While they are seldom the first members to come into contact with these
individuals, they will frequently become aware of their members doing so. When members come into
contact with a person living with mental illness and who is in crisis, and a robust police response is
required, the sergeant shall:

• Take control of the call and advise the responding members and Dispatch that they are
monitoring the incident;
• Determine the need to attend at the incident, and particularly if the matter becomes
protracted;
• Ensure sufficient Patrol resources are in place to effectively contain the scene;
• Ensure an ambulance is readily available;
• Determine the need for additional resources at the scene, including the assistance of mental
health professionals;
• Monitor the interactions between the responding members and the individual, and continually
assess the circumstances, the behaviour of the individual, and the proportionality of the police
response, to ensure the needs of the individual are best served to get them help;
• Ensure proper reporting is completed at the conclusion of the incident;

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 • Notify the Duty Officer of all incidents in which the individual is injured as a result of police
actions, regardless of the seriousness of the injury.

Specialized Mental Health Response

While many individuals first come into contact with the VPD through the initial Patrol response, the VPD
has additional members working in specialized assignments to provide a targeted response to support
individuals with the greatest risk, due to mental health and addiction concerns. The Mental Health Unit
and the Police Community Response Unit are staffed with specially trained police members who focus
their work to support persons living with mental illness. These members work in partnership with
health care practitioners who specialize in mental health.

There are ten police officers and a civilian analyst, under the supervision of a sergeant, and reporting to
the Inspector in charge of the Youth Services Section. The three key functional components of the VPD’s
mental health response are Car 87, ACT teams, and AOT.

Car 87
The Mental Health Emergency Services ‘Car 87’ is a joint VPD/MHES program that was created in 1978.
Car 87 partners a mental health nurse with a police officer to respond to individuals experiencing a
mental health crisis. The program provides referrals, follow-up, and emergency intervention as dictated
by the circumstances of each event. The program also receives referrals for clients experiencing a
mental health crisis from elsewhere within the VPD, through VCH programs, and from the community.

Crisis intervention through Car 87 typically provides a mental health assessment for clients without a
previously documented mental health background. They also receive Form 21 Director’s Warrants from
community mental health and assist in locating clients for apprehension and for transport to a
designated facility. In addition, Car 87 provides support to front line Patrol members and assists the
Crisis Negotiation Team with mental health backgrounds when required. The complete team includes
psychiatric nurses, a clinical supervisor, support staff, and VPD members. Four full-time police officers,
work a four-day shift rotation, covering almost 21 hours every day. The day shift works from 0700 to
1815 hours and the afternoon shift is from 1600 to 0345 hours.

Assertive Community Treatment Teams

Assertive Community Treatment teams, managed by VCH, provide a full-service mental health program
to their clients. The first ‘full fidelity’ ACT team in Vancouver was created in January 2012. The goal of
ACT is to provide higher intensity and greater frequency support for severe mental health and/or
substance use clients where traditional services have been unsuccessful. It delivers an evidence-based
model of care and provides a client-centered recovery-oriented service delivery model in an effort to
reduce emergency psychiatric hospital admissions. Services are not brokered to individual agencies.
Rather, all service needs for the client are met by the team.

The primary objective of ACT is to prepare the client for a successful transfer to a step-down community
service. ACT clients are typically pre-contemplative in their substance use, experience severe functional
challenges related to community living, and have an extensive history of police involvement and high

21 | P a g e
use of health services. Clients demonstrate high-risk behaviour and long-standing complex mental
health issues.

ACT teams are comprised of 10 to 12 professionals focused on the well-being of a limited number of
clients. Each team, with a maximum caseload of 80 clients, includes psychiatrists, social workers,
nurses, vocational counsellors, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, and peer counsellors,
among others. A unique feature to the five Vancouver ACT teams, although not a requirement under
the British Columbia ACT Standards, is that police members are embedded in the teams. Two full-time
VPD members work with the Vancouver teams, on a four-day shift rotation that provides police support
seven days a week, between 0700 and 1815 hours.

Assertive Outreach Team

The Assertive Outreach Team is a VPD mental health program, created in March 2014 as an outcome of
the SAMI 120-day action plan, 7 and designed to assist a small cohort of the community that cannot be
support by ACT. This team also involves a partnership with VCH, providing short-term transitional
support, from hospital or detention to a primary care service provider. The program addresses the
needs of clients with moderate to severe substance use and/or mental health issues while addressing
the gap in the continuum of care, while they transition from the health or criminal justice systems back
into the community. The goal of AOT is to reduce the incidences of violence and self-harm, prevent
further deterioration in the quality of life of the individual, and reduce re-engagement with the criminal
justice system while bridging services, through a practice of intensive case management.

AOT functions to connect individuals to their primary-care provider over a one- to two-month
transitional period, using a creative and collaborative problem-solving approach. Clients are also
typically pre-contemplative in their substance use, experience functional challenges related to
community living, and have a history of police involvement and complex mental health issues. The team
consists of psychiatrists, nurses, clinical supervisors, and the police.

AOT is more police-intensive than ACT, allowing the team to readily assess risk, proactively locate
individuals in risk-laden environments, and provide input and support for future services. Referrals are
received directly through recent police interactions, from health services and the criminal justice
system, and through an in-house ‘Early Warning System’ that identifies individuals with increasing
mental illness related police interactions.

AOT has an average caseload of 40 clients. Four full-time police officers work a four-day shift rotation,
covering 16 hours every day. The day shift works from 0700 to 1815 hours and the afternoon shift is
from 1200 to 2315 hours.

7
BC Ministry of Health Report (2013), Improving Health Services for Individuals with Severe Addiction and Mental
Illness. Found at http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/library/publications/year/2013/improving-severe-addiction-and-
mental-illness-services.pdf

22 | P a g e
Education and Training
The VPD is committed to a robust education and training regimen in order to prepare its members for
the inevitable interactions with persons living with mental illness. In 2002, the VPD developed an in-
house Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) program, based on the Memphis Model 8 for crisis intervention,
and ensured that all front line personnel working in Patrol received this course. At the time, it was the
only course of its kind available in BC and focused on understanding mental illness, how mental illness
can affect behaviour, understanding crises, and included a component of input from people with lived
mental health experience.

In 2011, the Province of BC developed a Crisis Intervention and De-escalation Training (CID) course,
modelled after the VPD CIT and designed for all police officers in BC. This course effectively replaced the
CIT program delivered within the VPD, and provides the most current information available today for all
front line VPD personnel. The triennial recertification requirement commenced in 2014, further
entrenching the practice of de-escalation and delivering up-to-date information relative to mental
health and substance use.

In addition to the mandated training, the VPD provides further education and training to members
assigned to specialized positions where there is a greater likelihood of contact with persons living with
mental illness, and in particular to members assigned to the MHU, Car 87, CNT, and others whose work
may increase their chances of interacting with this community. These additional courses include, but
are not limited to:

• Province of BC CID triennial requalification

• Road to Mental Readiness (R2MR)
• Specialized use-of-force training simulations, including randomized de-escalation scenarios, and
delivered to uniformed personnel annually as a part of cycle training
• Mental Health First Aid
• Historical Clinical Risk Management (HCR-20) Violence Risk Assessment
• VPD Crisis Negotiation Course
• Canadian Police College Crisis Negotiation course
• Province of BC Standardized Use-of-force Instructor’s Course (SUFIC) training and certification,
including specialized de-escalation training
• VPD Conducted Energy Weapon operator training, including specialized de-escalation training

Two reports were released in Ontario in 2014 in relation to a number of separate incidents where the
police were involved in lethal use-of-force situations with individuals in a mental health crisis. A
coroner’s inquest into the death of three Torontonians, colloquially known as the JKE Inquest, provided
74 recommendations for change to the Toronto Police Service (TPS), the Toronto Police College, the
Ontario Police College, and the Province of Ontario, relative to police interactions with persons living

8
CIT International. Memphis Model. Found at http://www.citinternational.org/training-overview/163-memphis-
model.html

23 | P a g e
with mental illness. 9 In addition, TPS Chief Bill Blair ordered an independent review into his
department’s interactions with persons in a mental health crisis, and this review was conducted by the
Honourable Frank Iacobucci, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. He made a further 84
recommendations for change in his report Police Encounters with People in Crisis. 10

Forty (25%) of the 154 combined recommendations were related to police officer training. The VPD
conducted a review of both Ontario reports, and applied a local lens to the recommendations. The VPD
is well-positioned relative to the Ontario recommendations, with the VPD satisfying 147 of them at the
time of the report. 11 The key deliverable from that review is an expansion on specialized training for
VPD members, and particularly for those members who are more likely to come into contact with
persons living with mental illness. In addition, the VPD made adjustments to the recruiting process,
specifically recognizing applicants’ experiences relative to dealing with people living with a mental
illness. This life experience is valuable in the department’s quest to hire the highest calibre applicants,
and that life experience may come from either professional or personal experiences.

Crisis Intervention and De-escalation

CID training was developed by the Province to ensure that a consistent approach and content is
delivered to police officers in BC. CID training is one of the provincially-approved training programs that
fulfil the provincial standard on dealing with persons living with mental illness. It is mandatory training
for all front line personnel, including supervisors, all police recruits, and all specialized assignment
personnel, who are more likely to come into contact with persons living with mental illness. In addition
to the training course, there is a triennial recertification requirement, ensuring that all members receive
a refresher program and any new information on a regular basis. 12

The VPD has fully trained all of its front line personnel, and all new recruits graduating from the police
academy receive CID training in the academy. The first recertification process started in 2015, and the
VPD is now monitoring compliance for those scheduled to complete the recertification, ensuring that
this updated training is completed when required.

In addition to the initial CID training and triennial recertification, the VPD delivers practical scenario-
based training to operational members through quarterly cycle training days, administered at the
Tactical Training Centre. The scenarios involve a full spectrum of police interactions with the public,
with actors filling the role of the involved subjects. Many of these scenarios are designed to incorporate

9
Eden, D. (2014). Verdict of Coroner’s Jury into the death of Reyal Jardine-Douglas, Sylvia Klibingaitis, and Michael
Eligon. Found at:
http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/stellent/groups/public/@mcscs/@www/@com/documents/webasset/ec167854.
pdf
10
Iacobucci, F. (2014). Police Encounters with People in Crisis. Toronto Police Service. Found at:
https://www.torontopolice.on.ca/publications/files/reports/police encounters with people in crisis 2014.pdf
11
Vancouver Police Department (2015). Review of Ontario-based findings from the Iacobucci Review into Police
Use-of-force, and the JKE Coroner’s Inquest. A report to the Vancouver Police Board found at:
http://vancouver.ca/police/policeboard/agenda/2015/0716/1507V01-Use-of-Force-and-Mentally-Ill.pdf
12
British Columbia Provincial Policing Standards (2015). Crisis Intervention and De-escalation Training. Found at
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/criminal-justice/police/standards/provincial-policing-
standards.pdf

24 | P a g e
de-escalation techniques, applied in a practical setting. The scenarios are designed to put CID theory
into practice, with realistic scenario-based exercises where the successful resolution of the scenario is
based on de-escalation and without any use of force by the police officer. In addition, the VPD has
drawn on practical experiences learned from police officers in the field, both in Vancouver and
elsewhere, and developed training scenarios around these real-life experiences.

De-stigmatization
The stigma attached to mental illness and substance use is often viewed as the biggest barrier to
effective change and support for those living with mental illness. The VPD is committed to reducing the
stigma of mental illness, and has taken proactive steps, through education and training, to break down
these barriers.

The original CIT program introduced the concept of education from people with lived experience, and
their inclusion in the design and delivery of the material made significant inroads toward personalizing
the issues associated to mental illness. De-stigmatization remains a core focus of the newly mandated
CID program. The VPD has further addressed the issues of stigma with the 2015 launch of the Road to
Mental Readiness (R2MR) program. R2MR is focused on the mental well-being of police officers
themselves, and addresses workplace stressors, post-traumatic stress disorder, and peer support.
Finally, unfettered access to mental health services for police officers, should they need it, has further
served to de-stigmatize mental illness. Opening the minds of police officers to the reality of mental
illness in a demanding profession has helped de-stigmatize mental health in the workplace, and
generally within the broader community at large.

Further, the VPD had amended its police information check policies and adopted new processes relative
to the release of information. Today, an individual’s mental-health-related contacts with the police will
not be routinely disclosed as a part of that person’s request for a police information check. The
Department recognizes that these health-related contacts should not stigmatize an individual, and do
not define an individual who may be living with mental illness, and the VPD has no role in sharing that
information with prospective employers or community/volunteer associations.

TEMPO
In 2010, a learning framework to assist police during their interactions with persons with mental illness
was developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). In 2014, this TEMPO framework
was revisited and validated by the MHCC, and received national support from the Canadian Association
of Chiefs of Police.

TEMPO is not a training tool per se, but an umbrella approach that police
organizations can use as a framework to assess their own progress in training, to
identify gaps in their existing learning programs, and to use as an aspirational
document to create appropriate new learning programs. It is intended to assist

25 | P a g e
 police agencies to make a positive difference and contribute to public safety in
regard to police interactions with persons with a mental illness. 13

The TEMPO framework provides a multi-level structure for police training, specific to dealing with
persons living with mental illness. Each of the five levels serves to guide the curriculum for specialized
training, taking into account different variables for the individual police officers. These variables include
length of service and experience dealing with the mentally ill, specialized assignments that may put an
officer into contact more frequently with the mentally ill, expert-level training, and specialized curricula
to incorporate into use-of-force training.

The VPD is committed to being a leader in policing, and ensuring that its members receive the best
training available relative to crisis intervention and de-escalation. To that end, the VPD continues to
work with the MHCC and other stakeholders and mental health professional to ensure that the TEMPO
framework can translate directly to the various types of specialized training that members of the VPD
receive.

13
Coleman, T. and Cotton, D. (2014). TEMPO: Police Interactions – A report towards improving between police and
people living with mental health problems. Mental Health Commission of Canada. Found at:
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/system/files/private/document/TEMPO%20Police%20Interaction
s%20082014.pdf

26 | P a g e
Conclusion
The VPD Mental Health Strategy details the strategic position of the Department, relative to the
significant impact that can result from VPD members coming into contact with persons living with
mental illness. It is framed around the core values of the VPD and its principles of justification,
proportionality, and intrusiveness.

The Strategy was developed with valuable input from community stakeholders and mental health
professionals, and is designed to provide clear and concise information about the VPD’s approach when
interacting with persons living with mental illness. It will serve as a framework to support operational
deployment, organizational partnerships, training initiatives, and a broader commitment to the
community.

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Acknowledgements
The VPD has long-recognized that policy and practice cannot be developed in isolation. Extensive
consultation was conducted with police resources, subject-matter experts, and the mental health
community, in an effort to develop a meaningful policy position that fulfils the objectives of the police
department, while recognizing the broader role policing plays in the community at large.

This report was reviewed in draft form by the individuals listed below, who were selected for their
diverse perspectives, areas of expertise, and broad representation of academic, government, health,
and legal organizations.

The reviewers assessed the objectivity and quality of the report. Their submissions, which will remain
confidential, were considered in full by the VPD, and many of their suggestions were incorporated into
the report. They were not asked to endorse the strategy, nor did they see the final draft of the report
before its release. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the author and the VPD.

The VPD would like to thank the following people and organizations for their input, involvement, and
considerations during the development of this policy:

Terry Coleman – Public Safety Consultant; Adjunct Professor, Graduate Studies and Research, University
of Regina; and, Chief of Police (retired), Moose Jaw, SK

Deborah Conner - Executive Director, BC Schizophrenia Society

Dorothy Cotton – Psychologist, PMHL Solutions

Fred Dawe - Director, BC Schizophrenia Society; and, Member of BC Alliance on Mental Health/Illness
and Addictions

Jennifer Duff – Regional Director Mental Health & Substance Use, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority;
and, Program Director, Mental Health, Providence Health Care

Natasha Golbeck – Director, Strategy Deployment – Vancouver, Vancouver Coastal Health

Nichola Hall – Past President and founding member, From Grief to Action

John Higenbottam – Editor in Chief, Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health; and, Clinical
Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia

William G. Honer – Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia

Kerry L. Jang – Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia; and, Councilor, City of
Vancouver

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Douglas C. King – Barrister and Solicitor, Pivot Legal Society

Michael Krausz – UBC-PHC Leadership Chair for Addiction Research, Department of Psychiatry, University
of British Columbia

Bill MacEwan – Head, Department of Psychiatry, Providence Health Care

Monica McAlduff – Director, Mental Health and Addictions, Vancouver Coastal Health

Jonny Morris – Senior Director, Policy, Research, and Planning, Canadian Mental Health Association
British Columbia

Diane Nielsen – Supervising Lawyer, Mental Health Law Program, Community Legal Assistance Society

Lynn Pelletier – Vice President, BC Mental Health and Substance Use, Provincial Health Services Authority

Tom Stamatakis – President, Vancouver Police Union; President, BC Police Association; and, President,
Canadian Police Association

MaryClare Zak – Managing Director of Social Policy, City of Vancouver

The VPD would also like to acknowledge the contributions from the Persons with Lived Experience
Committee from the Mayor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Addiction. The engagement and
contributions from this group were invaluable and served as a vital part of framing this strategy and
ensuring it met the expectations of those most affected.

30 | P a g e
 Appendix – A:
Historical Context

Background
In the late 1970s, the VPD identified a unique demand placed on its members from a segment of the
community who were living with mental illness, and frequently coming into contact with the police. In
response to this demand, the VPD launched Car 87 in 1978, a partnership involving a police officer with
a mental health professional, whose mandate was to assist those individuals when they came into
contact with VPD members, and to build a level of expertise when dealing with such individuals.

Over the years that followed, Car 87 has been a consistent part of a proactive response in this area, and
as demand increased, the VPD increased the number of members assigned to this duty to better service
the demand. Presently, there are four police officers assigned to Car 87.

In spite of this commitment, demand continued to increase. Persons living with mental illness were
coming into contact with the police more frequently, were victimized within the community, and were
often involved in criminal behaviour and violent crime. In many cases, these actions were a direct result
of their mental illness.

The VPD has always maintained that mental health is primarily the responsibility of health authorities;
however, given the nexus to a significant portion of the police workload, the VPD recognized that a
multi-agency collaborative response was necessary and pursued an influential role with government and
the community to foster change. In 2007, the VPD conducted research into the true picture of mental
illness on the workload facing the department, and that led to the first of three reports that identified
gaps in service for the mentally ill, and the impact it was having on the police and others in the broader
community.

Lost in Transition
In January 2008, the VPD published a report entitled “Lost in Transition: How a Lack of Capacity in the
Mental Health System is Failing Vancouver’s Mentally Ill and Draining Police Resources.” This report
highlights significant gaps in the health care system, and details the overall impact felt by the VPD when
dealing with persons living with mental illness who are in crisis.

Lost in Transition provides an analysis of the calls for service where VPD members come into contact
with persons living with mental illness. Further, it serves to identify the significant factors that
contribute to the frequency of these incidents, and the potential consequences for a mentally ill person
who comes into contact with police. Finally, it provides the VPD perspective on capacity gaps in the

31 | P a g e
mental health system, and how the system is failing persons living with mental illness. 14 This report
served as an official position of both the VPD and the Vancouver Police Board. The report garnered
significant interest, locally, nationally, and internationally, was a catalyst for improved services, and
resulted in an award to the VPD from the BC Schizophrenia Society.

Lost in Transition provided a series of recommendations for health care improvements:

• A mental health care facility that can accommodate moderate to long-term stays for individuals
who are chronically mentally ill;
• What has been termed an “Urgent Response Centre” by Vancouver Coastal Health, where
individuals can be assessed and triaged according to their needs;
• Increased services for people who are dually diagnosed;
• A continued increase in supportive housing in Vancouver;
• For St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital to speed up the admission process for
police who have arrested an individual under the provisions of the Mental Health Act (by
negating the need for the emergency physician to initially examine the patient, for example) in
the absence of an “Urgent Response Centre,” as detailed above;
• Enhanced ability to gather data on all calls for service that are mental-health-related to facilitate
further research on this matter, and to establish benchmarks to track change; and,
• A system, much like PRIME, that has readily accessible details of an individual’s mental health
history and addresses privacy concerns, for British Columbia mental health service providers.

Beyond Lost in Transition

In September 2010, the VPD drafted an update report entitled “Policing Vancouver’s Mentally Ill: The
Disturbing Truth – Beyond Lost in Transition.” This report follows up on the findings of Lost in Transition,
reaffirms that the police are society’s de facto 24/7 mental health workers, and although some system
change occurred over the preceding two years, little had changed from the perspective of the ‘street
cop.’ 15

This report continued to serve as an official position of both the VPD and the Vancouver Police
Board, and provided an updated list of recommendations for health care improvements:

• That the Ministry of Health and Vancouver Coastal Health establish an “Urgent Response
Centre,” where individuals can be assessed and triaged according to their needs;
• That the Ministry of Health and Vancouver Coastal Health establish an “Assertive Community
Treatment” team model with sufficient capacity to address community based treatment needs,
with police as a part of an integrated team;

14
Wilson-Bates, F. (2008). Lost in Transition: How a Lack of Capacity in the Mental Health System is Failing
Vancouver’s Mentally Ill and Draining Police Resources. Vancouver Police Department.
15
Thompson, S. (2010). Policing Vancouver’s Mentally Ill: The Disturbing Truth – Beyond Lost in Transition.
Vancouver Police Department.

32 | P a g e
 • That Vancouver Coastal Health, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, and the police
establish formalized standing bodies with appropriate terms of reference to resolve police-
/health-related incidents, and address systemic issues affecting all;
• That Vancouver Coastal Health, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver General Hospital, and the police
establish an information-sharing and feedback mechanism so that attending emergency room
and psychiatric unit and ward physicians are advised in a timely manner of suicides, suicide
attempts, and other critical incidents involving their patients;
• That St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital speed up the admission process for
police who have apprehended an individual under the provisions of the Mental Health Act (by
negating the need for the emergency physician to initially examine the patient, for example) in
the absence of an “Urgent Response Centre,” as detailed above; and,
• That the Ministry of Health makes legislative changes to the Mental Health Act to facilitate a
speedier health system response and reduce police wait times at hospitals.

Collaboration between the VPD and VCH became more structured following the release of Beyond Lost
in Transition, and is best highlighted with the 2011 creation of ‘Project LINK,’ a formal partnership
between the Boards of the VPD and VCH. Each Board oversees staff responsible for change, and
collectively they govern the development of strategies to address all of the recommendations in this
report. The overarching objective was to shift from a crisis response model to one that better addresses
the existing issues and circumstances related to persons living with mental illness, and prevents
individual crises from occurring in the first place.

Vancouver’s Mental Health Crisis

In September 2013, the VPD released an updated report on what it described as Vancouver’s mental
health crisis. This report, prepared in collaboration with Vancouver Coastal Health, builds on the two
‘Lost in Transition’ reports, acknowledges some of the change with earlier recommendations, and
highlights improved collaboration between the VPD, VCH, and Providence Health Care (PHC). 16 Noting
an increasing trend where persons living with mental illness were involved in violent and random
assaults on innocent persons, the VPD put forward five recommendations to address this problem:

• Add 300 long-term and secure mental health treatment beds;

• More staff and services at BC Housing sites to support tenants with psychiatric issues and a
reduced proportion of this type of tenant;
• More significant support through ACT teams for psychiatric patients living in the community,
including those residing in market housing;
• An enhanced form of urgent care (crisis centre) that can ensure consistent and expert care
of individuals in crisis situations, located at a Vancouver hospital; and,
• The creation of joint VPD-VCH Assertive Outreach Teams for mentally ill persons who do not
yet qualify for ACT teams.

16
Vancouver Police Department (2013). Vancouver’s Mental Health Crisis: An Update Report. Found at
http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/reports-policies/mental-health-crisis.pdf

33 | P a g e
Scope of the Problem
Research conducted for Lost in Transition shows that the incidence of MHA apprehensions rose by 490%
between 1999 (360 incidents) and 2007 (1,743 incidents). The research supported the hypothesis that
31% of all calls-for-service involved at least one individual who was living with mental illness and that
illness was a factor in the police involvement in the incident. 17

Since that time, improved measurement tools to track the mental health factor associated to police calls
has allowed the VPD to further refine this data, and have a clearer picture on the scope of the problem.
Between 2012 and 2013, the VPD experienced an 18% increase in MHA apprehensions.

In addition, health care has provided alarming hospital usage data. For example, in 2009/10, SPH had
63,987 visits to their Emergency Department; this included 5,659 visits (9%) for mental health and/or
substance abuse reasons. These visits were made by 3,755 individual patients, for an average of 1.51
visits per patient for mental health and/or substance abuse reasons. Gradual increases have been seen
every year, and in the most recent year 2014/15, there were 83,364 visits to the Emergency Department
– a 30% increase over five years. This figure included 11,035 visits (13%) for mental health and/or
substance abuse – a 95% increase. This was comprised of 6,409 individual patients, for an increase of
71% and an increased average of 1.72 visits per patient. VGH has reported similar increases, with a 30%
increase in Emergency Department visits for mental health and/or substance use reasons.

Violence and the Mentally Ill

It is important to note that persons living with mental illness are not typically violent. It is only a small
subset of this population who demonstrate a propensity towards violent behaviour, generally those with
psychosis, often caused by schizophrenia or a related illness.

However, persons living with mental illness are significantly more likely to be a victim of crime. A study
of VPD victimization rates where a mental health factor is involved shows that persons living with
mental illness are 23 times more likely than the general population to be a victim of crime. More
concerning is the fact that they are 15 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime.

For example, in 2013, VPD members were dispatched to 125,785 calls-for-service, and 106,019 resulted
in a general occurrence report being written. There were 15,254 calls (15%) involving a person living
with mental illness as a suspect or a victim, and where an individual’s mental health played a factor in
the incident. Of those calls, 1,573 (11%) were for a violent crime (e.g. robbery, assault, sexual assault,
etc.). These trends continued over the following two years. In 2014, 14% (15,413) of the 114,677
dispatched calls with a General Occurrence (GO) report written involved a mental health factor, and 9%
(1,336) of those were for a violent crime. In 2015, 13% (14,760) of the 118,042 dispatched calls with a
GO report written involved a mental health factor, and 7% (1,067) of those were for a violent crime.
While violent crime is generally on a downward trend, there is a consistent mental health factor
associated to the violent crime that is reported.

17
Wilson-Bates, F. (2008). Lost in Transition: How a Lack of Capacity in the Mental Health System is Failing
Vancouver’s Mentally Ill and Draining Police Resources. Vancouver Police Department.

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Substance Use and the Mentally Ill
It is also important to note that the majority of people living with a mental illness do not generally come
into contact with the police. However, the majority of those that do are generally suffering from a
concurrent disorder, i.e., they are mentally ill and also engage in substance use and abuse.

Drug induced psychosis is prevalent in cases involving violence or threats of violence and persons living
with mental illness. While the police track a mental health factor for all calls-for-service, hospitals track
substance use in all patients coming into the Emergency Department. Between 2009 and 2014, VGH
and SPH collectively reported a 114% increase in the instances of substance misuse with presenting
patients.

Data from SPH shows that the drivers of this increase include a 378% increase in amphetamine-induced
psychosis and a 300% increase in marijuana-induced psychosis over the last five years. This is
attributable to the increased availability and affordability of crystal meth on the street, and an increase
in the toxicity of marijuana in recent years.

Drug-induced psychosis creates a unique challenge for police members. While a significant investment
has been made in training front line personnel to respond to individuals in a mental health crisis, the
complicating factor of a drug-induced psychosis creates additional risk and uncertainty for all involved.

Police Interactions with Persons Living with Mental Illness

The VPD has seen a steady increase in the number of incidents where their members interact with
persons living with mental illness. In the majority of these incidents, there is no crime involved. Rather,
these calls represent quality of life issues for either the person living with mental illness or the broader
community.

In 2012, the VPD made 3,315 apprehensions under the MHA, a 33% increase over the preceding year.
Notably, those apprehensions involved 2,313 unique individuals, meaning 1,002 incidents that year
involved a person who was apprehended multiple times in the year. In 2013, the number of MHA
apprehensions rose by 19%, to 3,928, and in 2014, it increased a further 13%, to 4,426. There were
2,913 unique individuals apprehended in 2014, meaning that 1,513 incidents involved an individual who
had already been apprehended by the VPD that year.

In 2015, the VPD experienced a levelling off of the number of Section 28 apprehensions, rising only 1%
over the previous year. However, there is an overall increase of 6% in the total number of MHA
apprehensions (4,713) due to a notable increase in Form 4 and Form 21 Director’s Warrants. This
increase in the number of warrants is a positive trend, indicating that clients are receiving more
comprehensive attention from health care to meet their unique needs. There is also an overall increase
in the number of calls for service involving a mental health factor, regardless of whether an
apprehension under the MHA occurs or not.

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 Appendix – B:
VPD Policies and Procedures

Section 1.6.24(i) - Apprehensions under the Mental Health Act

(Effective: 2016.01.19)

POLICY

Apprehensions under Section 28 of the MHA should occur primarily when a member comes into contact
with a person who meets the criteria for apprehension under Section 28 of the Act and the person has
not committed a criminal offence. There may, however, be occasions where members use their
discretion to apprehend a person under the MHA where the offence is minor and non-violent in nature.

Members are advised that it is not appropriate to apprehend a person under Section 28 of the Mental
Health Act (MHA) when the person has committed a serious or violent offence as there are specific
NCRMD (Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder) provisions within the Criminal Code
that address this type of situation. (See training bulletin)

PROCEDURE

1. When members come into contact with a person who meets the criteria for apprehension
under Section 28 MHA, members shall apprehend the person and ensure that the person is
taken to a physician for examination.
2. When a person attempts suicide or is about to attempt suicide, such person shall be
apprehended under Section 28 of the MHA and taken to a physician for examination. The
member shall accompany the patient to the hospital and provide the hospital staff with a full
and detailed report as outlined in subsection 4.
3. Members shall maintain control of the apprehended person until the hospital has assumed
responsibility of the person and admitted the person into care.
4. The British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS) will normally transport persons apprehended
under Section 28 of the MHA. The apprehending member shall:
a. Consult with the Ambulance Attendant to determine the most appropriate hospital
emergency ward for the person;
b. Immediately prepare a G.O. report after the person has been admitted into hospital.
Obtain the hospital's fax number and the name of the appropriate contact person
(e.g. Mental Health nurse);
c. After completing the G.O. report, contact the Information Management Section.
Provide the Reviewer with the incident number, the fax number of the hospital, and
the name of the hospital contact person. The Reviewer will process the electronic
report, make a hard copy and fax the required report to the hospital; and
d. Notify the hospital staff when further police action is contemplated.

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Persons on Unauthorized Leave from Hospital

5. In the case of patients who have eloped from provincial mental health facilities (Vancouver
General Hospital, St. Paul's, UBC, Riverview are the main ones) the following applies:
a. If a patient is suspected of having eloped, a query will be made through CPIC. If there
is nothing on file, further inquiries may be made directly to the hospital where the
person is believed to be a patient on unauthorized leave. If no authority to apprehend
can be located, consideration should be given to proceeding under Section 28 MHA;

b. If information is received from a provincial mental health facility authority (nurse,

doctor, etc.), that a patient detained under the MHA has eloped, then members may:
i. if a form 21 Director's warrant has been issued, apprehend and return the
patient to the facility (Refer to RPM Section 1.6.24(ii): Transportation to
Hospital); or
ii. where no warrant exists, the patient may be apprehended under Section 41(6)
of the MHA, providing the apprehension takes place within 48 hours of the
time the patient eloped.
c. When members assist in the transport of a patient on unauthorized leave to hospital,
they shall advise staff at the hospital of the circumstances so that the hospital is
aware that a Medical Certificate is in effect for the patient. A Medical Certificate
provides the hospital with authority to prevent the patient from leaving the facility.
The hospital then assumes responsibility for the patient.
d. Members are reminded that when hospital authorities require assistance of police to
keep the peace, members shall provide assistance as appropriate, RPM Section 1.6.19:
Hospital Emergency Calls.

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 Section 1.6.24(ii) - Transportation of Persons Apprehended
under the Mental Health Act

(Effective: 2015.12.29)

POLICY

The police have the authority to apprehend and convey patients to hospital in certain circumstances
under the British Columbia Mental Health Act (MHA). It is preferable to have the BC Ambulance Service
(BCAS) transport the patient when available as mental health is foremost a medical issue; however,
there are instances where it is appropriate for members to apply their discretion and convey the
patient to a hospital or designated mental health facility in a police vehicle to eliminate waiting time
for BCAS.

The decision to transport a person apprehended under the MHA in a police vehicle is a discretionary
one for the apprehending members.

Before choosing the option to transport a person apprehended under the MHA in a police vehicle,
members must weigh the convenience of doing so with both officer safety considerations and the needs
of the apprehended individual. Members should consider that the person, no matter how cooperative
at roadside, may become uncooperative after being placed in a police vehicle.

In making an assessment whether to transport an apprehended person in a police vehicle, members

should establish that the following criteria exist:

i. The person is not suffering from any physical, non-mental-health-related medical condition
and/or distress that would require that they be seen by BCAS prior to hospital admission;
ii. There are no significant hygiene or biohazard concerns; and
iii. There are no apparent officer safety concerns.

All decisions to transport a person apprehended under the MHA in a police vehicle must be documented
(including how the person met the above criteria) in the accompanying General Occurrence (GO)
report.

The following procedure outlines the options that members have for transporting persons apprehended
under the MHA.

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PROCEDURE

BC Emergency Health Services

1. When a person has been apprehended under the MHA, it may be in the best interest of the
patient to be transported by BCAS, for medical or other reasons. If BCAS requests that a
police officer accompany them, a member shall do so.
2. If BCAS refuses to transport a person who has been apprehended under the MHA, members
shall call a Supervisor.
3. The Supervisor shall:
a. Contact a BCAS Supervisor;
b. Advise the BCAS Supervisor that the patient is a person apprehended under the MHA
and therefore transportation by the BCAS is more appropriate and is in the best
medical interests of the patient; and
c. In the event BCAS continues to refuse to transport, the patrol supervisor may consider
the transportation alternatives below, and follow up with the Youth Services Section
Mental Health Unit for further assistance in resolving the matter.

Transport by Police Car

4. If members determine that it would be appropriate to transport a person whom they have
apprehended under the MHA in a police car (not equipped with a partition), the following will
apply:
a. Members shall notify their supervisor of the intended transport;
b. The apprehended person must be handcuffed and searched prior to being placed in the
police car, and the police car must be searched by members before and after the
transport;
c. The person must be placed in the rear passenger-side seat of the police car, with the
seatbelt securely fastened;
d. The apprehended person must be accompanied by at least one member of the same
gender;
e. Mileage, and start- and end-times must be provided by the transporting members to
dispatch over the radio and the details logged in CAD remarks;
f. The destination hospital or designated facility must be contacted via phone by the
assigned members to advise that the apprehended person is en route; and
g. Police vehicles with firearms stored in the interior vehicle gun rack shall not be used
to transport patients. Members deploying with carbine or beanbag shall have
apprehended patients transported by ambulance, or in a different police vehicle that
is not carrying firearms such as carbine or beanbag.
5. If, at any time during the transport, the members’ original assessment changes, whereby the
transport in the police car is no longer appropriate (e.g. emergent medical issues, a significant
change in the apprehended person’s behaviour), they may discontinue the transport and call
for BCAS.

Transport by Police Wagon

6. Children and youth under 19 years of age shall not be transported in a police wagon.
7. Police wagons should only be used for transporting persons apprehended under the Mental
Health Act in exceptional circumstances (e.g., where the patient presents a biohazard
concern, or is combative and the wait time for BCAS can make the situation more volatile or
be detrimental to the patient).
8. Supervisory approval must be granted prior to transporting via wagon.

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 9. The assigned members must contact the destination hospital or facility by phone prior to
transport, accompany the wagon while en route, and assume custody of the apprehended
person upon arrival.
10. The apprehended person shall be placed alone in a compartment and must be transported
directly to the destination hospital or facility.

Transport Destinations

11. Members transporting persons apprehended under the MHA should convey them to the nearest
Metro Vancouver hospital or to BC Children’s Hospital if the person is 16 years of age or under.
12. If feasible, members transporting individuals for whom a Form 21 Director’s Warrant or a Form
4 Medical Certificate has been issued should convey them to the originating facility from
where the document was issued. If the facility lies outside of the above mentioned
geographical area, members should instead transport the apprehended person to the nearest
hospital or designated facility, from where further transport will be arranged internally.

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