Author Archives: Kristina Dyk

The Vancouver Police Foundation is proud to announce an extraordinary $1 million gift from Peter Wall and Wall Financial Corporation to support the Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) community safety and mental health initiatives in Vancouver. For 45 years, the VPF has supported VPD’s community building, crime prevention and public safety initiatives that fall outside of the city’s […]...

Flash cars, high fashion, expensive jewelry, fine dining. For some people, the “allure” of gang life is hard to resist. It appears to offer easy money and riches most couldn’t dream of. The reality is far different and much harsher. Often overlooked are the women who are lured into gang life by their boyfriends or […]...

Cst. Byron Yee has been with the VPD for nearly 20 years. He currently is the Chinatown-Gastown Neighbourhood Police Officer. For the past five years, Byron has been working with individuals and businesses in these neighbourhoods to build a stronger relationship with the VPD and address neighbourhood concerns and frustration. Both communities border the Downtown […]...

Sgt. Lorna Berndsen started her working life as a dental hygienist but wasn’t challenged by the job. Each day’s sameness and the limited ability to make a difference (people have to choose to floss!) caused her to switch careers and join the VPD. She was drawn by the ability to make a real difference and […]...

The Vancouver Police Foundation recently held its annual general meeting, and we are delighted to announce that Dr. Sherri Magee is the new Board Chair. She replaces outgoing Chair John Montalbano, who has served as Chair for the past two years. John will remain on the Board as past-Chair and will continue to lend his […]...

The VPD Canine unit has recruited four new Police Service Dogs. As proud supporters of the Canine Unit, we wanted to introduce you to these new four-legged members –  Cash, Ghost, Dak and Solo! CASH  Cash came from the Netherlands and is named after Johnny Cash, aka Man in Black. Born May 8, 2019, Cash is […]...

Women in Blue is a comprehensive history of women in the VPD from 1904 (as it turns out) through 1975. For decades, VPD history noted that the first females were hired in 1912, but it turns out four matrons were hired between 1904 and 1912. The matrons performed many of the same duties as the […]...

Jasleen Bahia is an alumna of the VPD Cadet program. But not just any alumna. She finished the program as a Grade 12 student with Cadet Class 5 in 2019 and was also the Cadet Inspector – the highest-ranking Cadet. She learned about VPD Cadets because her older brother was in the program. After hearing […]...

We recently shared the story of the incredible VPD Women’s Personal Safety Team and how they responded to a community request to tailor their program to accommodate a group of visually impaired people. We asked Kerry-Anne Horgan of the WPST how it went. She said it was amazing. The group was so friendly and helped the entire […]...

Carolyn Daley was the first woman to be appointed as a Deputy Chief for the Vancouver Police Department. Based on that alone, one would think it’d be an easy guess as to why she undertook a 17 + year labour of love to document the history of women in the VPD in Women in Blue. […]...