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 […]...
Meet the VPF Board!
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 […]...
Meet the new VPD K9 Recruits!
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 […]...
Trailblazers of the VPD: Women in Blue
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 […]...
Cadet Spotlight: Jasleen
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 […]...
WPST: You Couldn’t Get a Better Group To Do It!
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 […]...
It had nothing to do with gender; it had everything to do with the job.
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. […]...
Love Who You Want, Work Where You Want
Happy Pride Week! Since 2017, the VPD has had a full-time officer dedicated to the LGBTQ2S+ community. Cst. Dale Quiring met with us this week to explain a little more about this multi-faceted role. First and foremost, it’s about building relationships and building bridges with the community – connecting with people on social media, opening […]...
Kids Floor Hockey: Cst. Terry Parmar
Cst. Terry Parmar is no stranger to youth programming. When he was younger, he started to hang out with people who were having a negative influence on him. His dad, who was a janitor at Hastings Community Centre, pushed him into volunteering there. This was in the late 90s. Terry met a youth worker named […]...
Supporter Spotlight: Christian Chia
One of the Foundation’s greatest strengths is its Board of Trustees. From day one, the Board has sought to recruit the city’s leading business, community and philanthropic leaders. One of the newest Board members, Christian Chia, President & CEO of Open Road Auto Group, is one such example. Christian brings immense expertise in strategy, marketing […]...