beyond the callc e l e b r a t i n g o u t s t a n d i n g a c h i e v e m e n t s o f t h e m e n a n d w o m e n o f t h e v p d

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VPD RecognizeD foR 2010 WinteR olymPics

the 2010 olympic Winter Games were the biggest challenge the Vancouver Police Department has ever or will ever face. The challenge was how to make it safe for tens of thousands of revellers and hundreds of protestors while preventing criminals from harming either group.

The Integrated Security Unit led by the RCMP was responsible for the Olympic venues. As part of that integrated unit, the VPD would lead a team that would search every square inch of all 17 venues.

The team took on the daunting task of searching large outdoor venues, such as the alpine skiing site in Whistler, or complicated inside locations like B.C. Place with its maze of rooms.

Forty search teams of eight members each were assigned to search and secure the venues. At the site of the Nordic Sliding Centre, they found two unexploded blasting caps that had been left behind prior to construction. Their outstanding efforts resulted in a Unit Citation and a Chief Constable’s Commendation for their leader, Sergeant Lee Patterson.

Safety for the hundreds of thousands of people who crowded the streets and any other issues that fell outside the venues were classified “urban domain.” The Vancouver Police Department ensured safety and security within that domain.

The task fell mainly to the Vancouver Police Public Order Group, which includes the Crowd Control Unit, the Mounted Squad, Emergency Response Team, Patrol and the Bicycle Unit. For years they trained and prepared, and for the duration of the Games these groups worked together to ensure that families could enjoy the events without falling prey to those who wanted to disrupt and destroy.

The members of the Public Order Group stood stoically united against a large crowd of demonstrators on Opening Night, despite those criminals in the crowd that tried to goad them into violence.

The officer who made the fateful decision that the world applauded was Inspector Dave Nelmes. His dedicated leadership, long hours of training and preparations, and his always cool demeanour under pressure resulted in a Chief Constable’s Commendation for his key role, his restraint and good judgement.

Units and individuals receive citations and commendations

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When a resident of a home in southwest Vancouver saw a car with four men in it, he thought they were casing the neighbourhood so he called police. As it turned out, these men had something far worse in mind than a simple break and enter.

When Constables Kevin Torvik and Ian Barraclough arrived at the scene, the four men had put on balaclavas and entered a home.

“We knew this was going to be a large call when it came in, but we thought it would be a home invasion,” said Constable Barraclough. “It turned out to be a roller coaster for at least the next five minutes.”

The constables watched the house and saw a man entering it with a large suitcase.

“We had no idea that their plan was to put a woman inside the suitcase.”

When he came out, they quickly took him into custody. Then they saw two more men in hoods leaving the house.

Constables Barraclough and Christine Cho gave chase. Just before they brought down one of the men, they saw him throw away a gun.

“We chased them down one side of the house and they both tried to jump a gate. One

Kidnappers caught in the act tried to run but didn’t get far

made it over but we grabbed the other,” said Constable Barraclough.

Meanwhile, a fourth man was running from the house, but it was his bad luck to run straight into Constable Torvik.

Police found two victims in the garage, an elderly mother in the trunk of a car and her daughter, both bound and gagged with duct tape. A third victim was in the house.

“Their idea was to leave the wife bound up for the husband to find when he got home and they would take the daughter away in the suitcase for ransom.”

The man who got away didn’t get far. He was flushed out of hiding by a dog unit.

For foiling a potentially deadly kidnapping, Constables Kevin Torvik, Ian Barraclough and Christine Cho received the Chief Constable’s Commendation, as did Sergeant Bill Rattray for his supervising role.

And for their involvement in the rescue of the victims and the arrests of the suspects, the following constables received the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation: Bruce Rhode, Steve Hanuse, Wade Rodrique, Christian Galbraith, Shawn Bollivar, Brent Derksen, Jeff Neuman, Jacqueline Wilson and Tajinder Sangha. n

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When police are dealing with a deranged suspect who is armed and intent on harming himself and others, circumstances can quickly turn the incident from an assault call to a rescue.

That’s the situation the members of the Emergency Response Team were facing when they went to a call involving a man in an apartment suite who had threatened people with a knife, then threatened to turn the knife on himself. After his victims fled, he barricaded himself in the suite.

As ERT members negotiated with him, they noticed a small flame inside the suite and could hear an alarm. The man was torching his own apartment, posing a deadly threat to himself and everyone else in the building. ERT broke in the door but the man ran deeper into the apartment. The smoke became more intense as he lit more objects. Fearing for everyone’s safety, the ERT members stormed through the smoke and the fire, capturing the man and getting him out of the building.

Man-with-a-Knife call heats up for eMergency response teaM

For their courage and quick action, the following members received the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation: Inspector Brad Desmarais,

Sergeant Dennis Scally, and Constables Andrew Chan, Jordan Lennox, Mike Wagar and Jeff Neuman. n

Above: For their quick actions during the rescue, these officers received a Chief Contable’s Unit Citation. From left, Constables Steve Hanuse, Tajinder Sangha, Brent Derksen,

Jeff Neuman and Bruce Rhode with police dog Bosco.

Right: Constables Christine Cho, Ian Barraclough and Kevin Torvik received the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

While thousands of cheerinG olympic fans cloGGed VancouVer’s streets, little did they know that a life or death drama was unfolding high above their heads.

Late on the evening of February 19, 2010, a 33-year-old man, oblivious to the celebration below, climbed a ten-storey crane and began to drop notes of apology and suicide. The VPD’s Emergency Response Team rushed to the scene in an effort to save the man.

Team members trained in high-angle rescue began the perilous climb in the dark and the

high-angle rescue prevents a Man froM Killing hiMselfcold. For three hours they tried to communicate with a man who was weeping, leaning over the boom while barely holding on with one hand, and all the while indicating he was going to jump. The members inched closer in the dim light, always calm and reassuring. Finally the man let out a guttural cry, turned to the members and surrendered.

For saving the life of a man under extremely dangerous and stressful conditions, Constables James Flewelling, Sheldon McLean, Randy Bakker, Cesar Young, Richard Kent and Darren Bayne received the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation. n

one of the most challenGinG calls facing police is that of a disturbed person, armed and intent on doing damage to themselves and others.

On July 28, 2010, Acting Sergeant Mike Drummond and Constables Keith Howson-Jones and Ian Scott took such a call. When they arrived, they found a man on an outside deck stabbing himself with an ice pick and screaming at police to shoot him.

I wasn’t going to let that happen,” said Acting Sergeant Drummond. “It was clear he wasn’t in his right mind and did not know what was happening. I wanted this to end safely.”

Acting Sergeant Drummond moved within a few feet of the man, shot him with pepper spray, ran up the stairs and pulled him to the ground. He then kicked the ice pick from his hand. Covered with blood from self-inflicted

restraint, courage and quicK action save a lifeinjuries, the man wrestled with police exposing the officers to health risks. The man was taken to hospital and successfully treated.

“I was happy the way it turned out. What we didn’t know at the time was there was someone else in the house that he was mad at, so he could have hurt someone. Sometimes you have to expose yourself to danger to make sure that someone else doesn’t get hurt.”

For showing restraint, professionalism and courage by saving the life of an armed suicidal man and preventing him from harming others, Acting Sergeant Mike Drummond and Constables Keith Howson-Jones and Ian Scott received Chief Constable’s Commendations. n

there are feW thinGs more satisfying to a police investigator than solving a heinous crime and getting the bad guy off the street. Solving it quickly and watching your suspect plead guilty to first degree murder, with a sentence of 25 years without parole, is icing on the cake.

On January 30, 2006, Tracey Guthrie, a TB patient, walked away from Vancouver General Hospital. She was found naked a few hours later on the grounds of City Hall. She had been brutally assaulted and bludgeoned to death.

“In my five years in homicide, this was the

teaM cracKs heinous Murder case with a Massive Manhuntugliest murder scene I have ever seen,” said Detective Constable Mark Bragagnolo. “It was a brutal stranger attack and we knew that time was of the essence if we were going to prevent him from doing it again.”

Sergeant Chris Fielding and Detective Constable Bragagnolo led a team that worked 20-hour days and weekends canvassing nearby shelters. The canvass generated the name of a man who had left the area around the time of murder. They then took the unusual step of placing a giant billboard with Tracey’s photo asking for information. Doggedly pursuing their

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Man-with-a-Knife call heats up for eMergency response teaM

From left, Constables Cesar Young, Richard Kent, James Flewelling and Darren Bayne performed a dangerous rescue.

Acting Sergeant Mike Drummond took the steps necessary to save a life.

Innovative billboard with the murder victim’s picture was a key tactic in the manhunt.

leads, they found their suspect. His DNA was a match to the crime scene.

“We knew that once we had the DNA that this was going to be a massive manhunt, like finding a needle in a haystack. At any one time we had 40 investigators and patrol teams on this. It was truly a Departmental effort. It was a great feeling when we got him.”

For their dedication in solving this murder in such a timely fashion, Sergeant Chris Fielding and Detective Constables Mark Bragagnolo, Glynis Griffiths and Todd Singbeil received the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation. n

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beyond the call is a publication produced by the men and women of the Vancouver Police Department’s Community & Public affairs Section. for more information, please email media@vpd.ca. To download a copy of Beyond the Call, go to vpd.ca.

editinG Laurel Kennedy and Shona McGlashandesiGn Sharmini Thiagarajah photoGraphy Martin Deeproduction assistant Georgina Spencereditorial consultants Constables Jana McGuinness and Lindsey Houghton

There are many images of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games that have already become iconic, among them the sight of a VPD Mounted officer and their horse facing protestors and crowds.

Throughout the Games, the Vancouver Police Mounted Squad was tried and tested and never found wanting. The Squad provided security and an escort to the Olympic Torch Run as it wound its way through cheering crowds and jeering protestors, all of whom could have spooked a horse, but the members and their equine partners never wavered.

During some protests the mounted officers were pelted with bags of marbles, bottles and projectiles. They maintained their integrity and professionalism at all times.

The Mounted Squad received a Unit Citation and Chief Constable Commendations for Constables Richard Kitos and Douglas Jensen.

The members of the Crowd Control Unit trained extensively for the Games. They responded quickly to black-hooded anarchists who were destroying property and threatening members of the public.

The Bicycle Unit also played a key role in providing security for the Torch runners, riding tirelessly across the entire city and keeping the runners and public safe from protestors who tried to disrupt the event.

Even the VPD police dogs and their handlers took specific training for the Games and showed courage and diligence in the face of violent protests.

For displaying professionalism and composure and for playing a major role in the success of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Public Order Group with all its units was awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation.

None of the success for the safety of the Games would have been possible, however, without years of planning, training, intelligence-gathering and practical exercises.

For their outstanding contributions, the following units were awarded Unit Citations: the Integrated Security Unit (Planning), the Olympic Logistics Office (OLO-Games Live),

the Joint Intelligence Group, the Public Order and Critical Incident Commanders, the Venue Commanders, Gold and Silver Commands, Emergency and Operational Planning Section / Department Operations Centre, Departmental Operations Centre Tech Support, NCOs, and Crime Analysts, the EOPS Operational Planning Unit, and the Transportation Security Operations Centre.

The officers who led this massive planning operation were Deputy Chief Constable (retired) Steve Sweeney, Superintendant (retired) Al Neidtner, Inspector Joanne McCormick and Sergeant Bruno Gatto, who all received Chief Constable’s Commendations for their remarkable efforts that were crucial to the success of the Games.

Part of the planning process was solving the question of how hundreds of thousands of people and thousands of vehicles were going to move safely within the city without causing gridlock that would bring the entire event to a standstill. Thanks to the 66 men and women of the VPD’s Traffic Authority, it was a flood that always seemed to flow smoothly.

They worked 12- to 16-hour days, safely controlling the unprecedented flow of pedestrians and traffic in the downtown core. The team pulled tough duty during the Olympics but never complained. They stood on their feet, in the rain, in the crowds, and continued to smile and remain cheerful. Often their whistles and directions were ignored, yet they persevered in trying to keep everyone safe.

For their professionalism, outstanding dedication and exemplary performance of duty, the VPD Traffic Authority was awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation.

Communicating with the public before, during and after the Games was and remains a challenge to the Department to this day. About 10,000 international media descended on the city creating unprecedented demands on the VPD Community and Public Affairs Section. The Media Unit received 900 media requests, more than 8,000 phone calls and provided interviews for more than 650 print and broadcast stories. They also sent out close to 9,000 emails during this period.

The Public Affairs Unit received a Unit Citation and media officers Sergeant Howard Chow, and Constables Jana McGuinness and Lindsey Houghton received Chief Constable’s Commendations. n

vpd recognized for 2010 winter olyMpics

there’s an old sayinG that says a man never stands as tall as when he stoops to help a child. If that’s the case, then one of the tallest members of the VPD must be Constable Kalwinder Dosanjh.

Since 2007, he has been instrumental in bridging the gap between the police and community through the creation of the annual Beat Enforcement Team / Police Athletic League Soccer Tournament. It is aimed at helping children in the city’s east side who have not had the opportunity to participate in organized sports because of financial hardships. The tournament now reaches out to more than a thousand kids.

“It all started after a tragic homicide in 2006, when a 14-year-old boy was killed in a dispute involving two factions of kids,” said Constable Dosanjh.

KicKing around a good idea to help the Kids“We thought that if we could reach kids early and show them a positive experience with police and other kids, it would promote camaraderie and friendship rather than hostility.”

Constable Dosanjh personally dedicates hundreds of hours of his own time to building partnerships with community corporations and schools who generously donate their support.

“It’s nice to see that everyone’s hard work has paid off. We all worked together to make this happen.”

For making a difference to so many youth and for standing so tall in the community, Constable Kalwinder Dosanjh received the Chief Constable’s Commendation. n

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Constable Kalwinder Dosanjh went beyond the call to reach out to youth.