2015 award ceremony

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT CHIEF CONSTABLE UNIT CITATIONS CHIEF CONSTABLE‘S COMMENDATIONS CERTIFICATE OF MERIT CHIEF CONSTABLE UNIT CITATIONS CHIEF CONSTABLE’S COMMENDATIONS CERTIFICATE OF MERIT CHIEF CONSTABLE UNIT CITATIONS CHIEF CONSTABLE’S COMMENDATIONS CERTIFICATE OF MERIT CHIEF CONSTABLE UNIT CITATIONS CHIEF CONSTABLE’S COMMENDATIONS

CHIEF CONSTABLE’S COMMENDATION AND CERTIFICATE OF MERIT

2015 AWARD CEREMONY

2 015 CH I E F CO N S TA B L E CO M M E N D AT I O N S | 3 | A N D CE R T I F I C AT E O F M E R I T AWA R D S

MS. CARLA SOREGAROLI

MR. KYLE HUGHES

On the morning of December 7, 2012, a 37-year-old man turned into a predator. He would later tell police that he was out to hunt humans. But this “human hunter” made sure that he only went after prey who couldn’t fight back.

His first victim was an elderly Asian woman. After causing her serious injuries he moved on, and within 20 minutes had attacked two other women, aged 79 and 63. He punched them in the face and kicked them in the head when they were down.

He might well have got away with it and gone on to attack others if it were not for the intervention of horrified witnesses.

Carla Soregaroli and Kyle Hughes saw the assaults from their cars. Hughes left his car, approached the man and yelled at him to stop. The man came after Hughes, shouting that he had a gun. Hughes backed off and called police.

Soregaroli saw the man kick a woman’s head like a soccer ball. She too called police. Ignoring her own safety, she approached the man screaming at him to stop. At first she followed him, keeping police informed of his location, but then she turned back to help the victims. Both witnesses helped police find the assailant, who was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault.

For their willingness to get involved to save other people from a vicious attack, Carla Soregaroli and Kyle Hughes are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

MR. CORY WONG

The world can be a scary place for a child, but on September 3, 2013, for 12-year-old Cory Wong and his little sister, it became truly terrifying.

Cory was at home babysitting his nine-year-old sister Natalie while his parents were at work. About 2 p.m., a man started to break in to the house. He banged on the front door and then went around to bang on the back door. The children were scared, but then things got worse.

The man started to climb through an open bedroom window. Cory was already calling his mother. Natalie screamed. Cory took the phone that he had in his hand and smashed it down repeatedly on the intruder’s head. The man fled, leaving his ball cap behind. It would ultimately reveal DNA evidence for purposes of identification.

Cory’s mom called 9-1-1 and police arrived minutes later to find both children terrified and armed with sticks in case the man came back. Cory was able to give police a helpful description of the man.

For showing courage well beyond his years and bravely protecting his little sister, Cory Wong is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

MR. ROBERT ASQUITHMR. HOWARD CARLEYMS. LYNN GILLONMR. NEIL GILLONMS. STEPHANIE GILMOURMS. NATALIE MOONMR. LORNE PEDDERSON

As the man smashed his fist again and again onto his neighbour’s apartment door, he had no way of knowing whether anyone was home and if his bloody rampage could begin. Then, the door opened.

It had been a peaceful evening on January 31st, 2013, when the resident opened the door to see what all the noise was about. She was met by crazed man who instantly shoved a knife into her. Her wounds were graphic and life-threatening.

Her roommate, Natalie Moon, came out to see her friend being slashed and stabbed. The man turned his attack on her. Despite being viciously stabbed, she wrestled his knife away.

A third roommate, Stephanie Gilmour, after initially retreating to a room to save herself, gathered her courage, determined that she would not leave her friends to die. The man who had lost his weapon had left. She took hold of Natalie and helped her to the bedroom. But the man came back. This time he had a hammer.

As he smashed through glass panels, Stephanie guided Natalie to the bathroom. But he used his hammer to smash that door as well. Frustrated that he couldn’t get to them, the man went back to his first victim. Even

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though she was still bleeding from her many stab wounds and writhing in pain, he began beating her with the hammer.

The screams and the pounding were bringing neighbours out of their apartments. Robert Asquith confronted the man. He was punched in the face, but by diverting the man’s attention, he most likely saved the victim’s life.

Lynn and Neil Gillon also came to the rescue and were beaten with the hammer. Their selfless actions saved Robert Asquith from further injury.

They in turn were saved by another neighbour, Lorne Pedderson, who was smashed in the face with the hammer. As police arrived, the man fled deeper into the building.

Howard Carley was attacked when he emerged from his suite, but he managed to pin the man to the floor and hold him for police.

Five people went to hospital that evening with serious injuries after being senselessly attacked by a man with no apparent motive. Today, seven people are being recognized for their bravery.

For their selfless actions in the face of grave danger, Robert Asquith, Howard Carley, Lynn and Neil Gillon, Stephanie Gilmour, Natalie Moon, and Lorne Pedderson are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

MR. JOGINDER JOHAL

Fear can be a terrible thing; it can either paralyze you in the face of great danger or send you blindly into the abyss.

Luckily for Joginder Johal and all around him, it put him squarely in the driver’s seat.

On June 15, 2013, about 9:00 a.m., a group was boarding a bus for a day-trip to Harrison. All of a sudden, the parking brake released, sending the bus careening backwards down a steep hill while the driver stood outside. An elderly woman who was trying to board was knocked down and died from her injuries.

As the bus picked up speed, heading for a busy street, Joginder Johal jumped into the driver’s seat, grabbed

the wheel and attempted to wrestle the bus to the curb. But the wheel would not budge. He jammed his foot onto the brake, hoping that would work.

He had no way of knowing, as he had no prior knowledge or experience with coach buses.

The brake held, bringing the bus to a stop right before it entered the busy intersection.

For his brave and immediate actions that certainly saved many others from crashes and injuries, Joginder Johal is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

MR. MARC LEVESQUE MR. JASON MACMILLAN

The threat of death comes in many forms, often when you least expect it. In the early morning hours of March 10, 2013, it snuck up behind a young woman.

The woman was standing at the counter at a convenience store when suddenly she experienced a warm feeling on her body and saw blood. She was being stabbed in the head and the neck by a deranged man.

She tried to break free, believing that she was being murdered. Another customer in the store, Jason MacMillan, witnessed the stabbing and wrestled the attacker away from her. He pinned the man to the ground and got the knife away from him.

Marc Levesque was passing by when he witnessed the drama through the store window. He rushed inside to help hold the man for police.

The frantic woman was now outside the store bleeding profusely from several wounds. Other passers-by rushed to her aid using napkins and paper towels from the store.

The woman was rushed to hospital for surgery and survived the attack. The man who was arrested had no explanation for why he did it.

For their quick and decisive actions that may well have stopped a critical attack from turning fatal, Marc Levesque and Jason MacMillan are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.



MR. NICHOLAS GUDMUNDSON

When the police Gang Enforcement Unit goes on its Bar Watch patrol in Vancouver’s Entertainment District, they are literally looking for trouble. On November 17, 2013, in a nightclub on Granville Street, they found it.

The Police Officers from combined gang units entered the Caprice Nightclub and were checking several males, when one constable was suddenly attacked by a man who tackled him around the waist, driving him backward across the dance floor. In a matter of seconds that constable was separated from his colleagues and fighting a lone battle.

Two officers rushed to his aid, but in the process one of them was attacked from behind by a man who punched him viciously in the face and head.

While the majority of the nightclub crowd stood by and watched, a civilian emerged from the crowd and with no regard for his personal safety came to the aid of the officer under attack.

Nicholas Gudmundson grabbed the attacker from behind, pulled him off the police officer and subdued him. He then held the attacker at bay until the situation was under control, delivered him to a member of the security staff and gave a report to the police.

Because of his quick and selfless actions, Nicholas Gudmundson prevented further injury to a police officer and supplied vital evidence that allowed police to identify and arrest the man for aggravated assault.

Nicholas Gudmundson is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

MR. MORRIS DORIEMR. LOUIS-FREDERICK ST. GERMAINIT WAS NO DAY AT THE BEACH.

Morris Dorie and Louis-Frederick St. Germain were sitting on a bench enjoying the view at Crab Beach Park on January 15, 2014, when their day took a turn for the worse.

They were unaware that on a nearby bench an 83-year-old man was planning to kill himself. Distraught with news of a serious medical condition,

he had filled his pockets with heavy rocks. He stood up, walked to the edge of the dock and jumped into the water.

Morris Dorie ran over immediately and saw the man face down and unconscious in the water. Without hesitating, he also jumped into the frigid water and tried to rescue him. Louis-Frederick St. Germain saw the struggle and quickly dove in to help. Together they were able to pull the man to safety.

The elderly man was in serious condition, but he was taken to hospital and survived.

For their quick and selfless actions that put their own safety at risk to save the life of another, Morris Dorie and Louis-Frederick St. Germain are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

MR. CALEB JOHNSON

Some say that the job of a security guard is filled with hours of boredom, broken up by moments of panic.

On the evening of January 31, 2014, the routine of security guard Caleb Johnson was shattered by the sounds of a fight and the screams of a man who had just been stabbed in the stomach by two attackers.

He yelled at the men, who were about 30 feet away from the entrance to the store where he worked, but they continued to attack the victim. Without hesitation, he ran over and pushed the pair off the injured man. He held one of them against the wall as the other ran off. Then the second man wrestled free and ran. He gave chase, but had to stop when his duty belt broke and fell to the ground.

He called 9-1-1 and gave police at the scene key witness information.

His observations and intervention disrupted a violent attack and prevented further serious injury to the victim. Doctors would later say that the stab wound was three centimetres away from being fatal.

For his brave and decisive actions to put his own safety at risk to prevent further harm to another person, Caleb Johnson is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.



ARMY, NAVY AND AIRFORCE VETERANSTAURUS UNIT 298

In 1948, Vancouver Police Officer Ray Slattery, a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran, wanted to do something for Vancouver Police members who had been discharged from the military after World War II. His vision was to start a social club where they would always feel welcome and supported.

On May 5, 1948, Taurus Unit #298 of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada was created with the purchase of some land and the construction of a building at East 23rd Avenue and Main Street in Vancouver. The required funding was raised through dues paid by VPD police officers.

To this day, the building still stands as a welcoming oasis of fellowship for veterans, police officers and the community. Sometimes referred to as The Cop Club, it continues to have strong ties with the Vancouver Police Department.

Recently, club officials and members voted to increase that tie and make sure that the main asset of the club, the land, would always be a part of the Vancouver Police family as the charter members had intended.

In a move of extraordinary generosity that showed commitment to the Vancouver Police and its vision of making Vancouver Canada’s safest major city, the property has been transferred to the Vancouver Police Foundation. While the club continues to operate, its legacy and endowment will contribute to community programs that enhance public safety and benefit at-risk youth for years to come.

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The club also contributes to housing in the Downtown Eastside, for veterans and other residents, and supports George Derby Centre and Brock Fahrni Centre, residential care facilities for veterans. As well, they play a leading role in the planning of the South Memorial Park Remembrance Day Services.

In grateful recognition of their outstanding commitment to the community, Canadian veterans and Vancouver police members, the following officials of Taurus Unit #298 are awarded the Vancouver Police Department’s highest award for civic duty, the Chief Constable’s Citation:

President Ian Sinclair, First Vice President Eric Borglund, Second Vice President Mary Frazer, Secretary Treasurer Grant Thompson, Recording Secretary Byrne Turner, and Executives-at-Large Peter Seiersen and Mike MacDonald and Past President Andy Perrie.

This citation has been given out only once before in recognition of outstanding commitment to civic duty. It is the Chief’s highest award.


DETECTIVE CONSTABLE RYAN SMITHDETECTIVE CONSTABLE PAUL WOODCOCK

No one heard him. No one saw him.

In the early hours of April 12, 1999, a shadowy figure crept to the back door of a house on St. George Street in Vancouver and quietly began to barricade the exit. Then he slipped around to the front porch and poured gasoline in four different spots, including the front door, which he then set on fire.

Inside the house, Nicholas Cortner would be awak-ened by the smoke and the flames. Terrified, he ran for the back door. In his panic, pushing against the blocked exit he would suck in the fumes that would kill him. His roommate, Alexander Conto, suffered the same fate, but died in bed.

For ten years the murderer was able to stay in the shadows. The house fire was initially deemed to be accidental and the file was closed. But then one day in 2007, someone came forward who claimed the fire had been set and he knew who did it.

But finding the proof that could eventually convict the killer in court would still be a massive task. It fell to a group of VPD homicide investigators. The two lead-ers were Detective Constables Ryan Smith and Paul Woodcock.

For two years, the investigators of Project Resurrect used a number of techniques, including an undercover operation and wiretaps to expose the killer. They got their man, and in June 2012, he was convicted of manslaughter and arson.

For their persistence and tenacity in their unrelenting efforts to bring some measure of closure and justice for the families of Nicholas Cortner and Alexander Conto, Detective Constables Ryan Smith and Paul Woodcock are awarded the Chief Constable’s Com-mendation.

CONSTABLE BRIAN CHERNOFFCONSTABLE GRAEME WELLS

A cry for help in the middle of the night and an icy, heart-stopping plunge into dark waters turned into a rescue for both the woman in distress and the police officers who came to save her.

About three o’clock in the morning on March 5, 2013, a distraught young woman made a phone call saying she was in Stanley Park and was going to hang herself. When Constables Brian Chernoff and Graeme Wells arrived, they found the woman hanging from the sea-wall railing just below the Brockton Point Lighthouse.

They immediately jumped over the fence and cut the rope. Bringing the uncooperative woman back to safety wasn’t going to be easy. Struggling up the steeply sloped and slippery sea wall, the two con-stables lost their footing trying to get the struggling woman over the railing. The trio then tumbled 20 feet, plunging into the ocean below. They were immediately submerged in ten feet of frigid water.

Once the constables regained their footing on un-derwater rocks, their ordeal was far from over. The officers had to use force to restrain the woman from swimming out into deeper water. An attempt to climb the steep seawall was impossible, so now all three had to wait for rescue while standing in thigh-deep freez-ing water.

For more than 20 minutes they stood, shivering in the cold. Police threw blankets down. The constables gave theirs to the woman. When rescue came in the form of a fire ladder, the constables insisted that the woman receive medical attention first.

For their selfless efforts and heroic actions, Constables Brian Chernoff and Graeme Wells are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

SERGEANT HAL HAMILTONSPECIAL CONSTABLE EVELYN PEDERSON

There are old school detectives who may still claim that solving a murder is more of an art than a science, but today it takes science to win a conviction.

It was the incredible science and hard work of two Vancouver Police members, Sergeant Hal Hamilton and Special Constable Evelyn Pederson, who solved

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the brutal murder of Marc Rozen in 2004 and gave the judge the evidence he needed to put the killer away for life.

When Sergeant Hamilton was first called to the victim’s apartment, he encountered the most horrific murder scene he had ever observed. The victim had been killed with multiple stab and gunshot wounds in a fight that ranged over every room. During the next seven days, he would produce 650 photographs and three videos. He collected 170 exhibits, including 68 footwear, barefoot or sock foot impressions. Nine years later, in court, that careful and detailed work would tie the killer to the scene.

But his work didn’t end at the crime scene. Over the years he searched for matches to the footprints and combed footwear data banks. When a suspect was identified, he met with Crown Counsel staff to carefully explain the value of his evidence, and then for seven days he expertly testified on the stand.

His testimony was supported by that of Special Con-stable Pederson, a firearms analyst who examined six bullets and a cartridge case found at the scene. She was able to tie the bullets to two guns found with the sus-pect. But her job got tougher when she was told that the defence team had an expert witness who would chal-lenge her methods and her science.

Undaunted, she prepared a massive response to support the validity of the science, including more than 200 reference citations and case citations. She spent three days on the witness stand with testimony so convincing and compelling that the defence decided not to call their expert after all.

For their diligence, commitment and expertise that sent a brutal killer to prison, Sergeant Hal Hamilton and Special Constable Evelyn Pederson are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

CONSTABLE CRAIG LOOK

It was neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night that kept this courier from his appointed rounds; it was a crazed woman with a large knife.

On the morning of April 25, 2013, 9-1-1 received multiple calls about a woman who was attacking her roommates with a knife. The operator told the caller to get out of the house. She left the house and stood on the

lawn while another roommate locked herself safely in her room.

Meanwhile, unaware of the deadly drama inside, a postman was walking up to the house to deliver the mail. The roommate tried to warn him off, but it was too late. The screaming woman opened the door and lunged at him with the knife.

He turned and ran with the woman at his heels. The roommate who witnessed this later told police, “I didn’t know she could run that fast. I couldn’t have believed the mailman could run that fast.”

As he ran, the courier spotted another man in the street and tried to warn him away, but that man was Constable Craig Look who was the first to respond to the 9-1-1 call. He told the mailman to get behind him, shielding him with his body from the attacker.

The woman was still closing in, but Constable Look had his firearm pointed at her, yelling at her repeatedly to stop and drop the knife. She did neither. He fired twice.

The woman survived her injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.

For his quick actions that saved a man from certain injury or worse, Constable Craig Look is awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

CONSTABLE PAUL KEMPCONSTABLE SAM PRIMERANO

There are times when police face a person so deter-mined to harm himself that the best outcome you can hope for is that no one else is harmed in the process.

On November 13, 2012, police received a call to assist paramedics. When Constable Sam Primerano arrived, he discovered a disturbing and frightening scene. Am-bulance and Fire Service personnel were confronted by a man armed with a knife who had already inflicted wounds to his neck and was now holding the knife to his stomach.

In an effort to save the man’s life, Constable Primera-no called for a unit with less lethal options. Constable Paul Kemp arrived with a Taser, but his first shot was rendered ineffective by the man’s heavy coat. As Con-stable Primerano urged the man to drop the knife, he instead thrust it deep into his abdomen.



Both constables placed themselves within range of the man’s weapon, risking their own lives to save his, but he plunged the knife through his own neck. Constable Kemp, desperate to save the man’s life, fired his Taser a second time. This time the shot worked and the man dropped to the ground.

Constable Kemp accompanied the man to the hospital in the ambulance, but all efforts to preserve his life failed.

For risking their own lives to protect those of other first responders and a distraught man, Constables Paul Kemp and Sam Primerano are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

CONSTABLE JEFF FLETCHERCONSTABLE ANDRE HAAKSMA

In the early morning hours of August 1, 2013, po-lice were called to a single room occupancy hotel to respond to a domestic dispute. What they found was far worse.

Even though the dispute was over by the time they arrived, Constables Jeff Fletcher and Andre Haaksma decided to investigate further when they heard that bear spray had been used. Concerned for the other residents, they climbed to the second floor where the air was still heavy with toxic fumes.

Their first instincts may well have been to retreat immediately from the stinging residue of bear spray, but then they heard banging, shouting and crashing coming from around the corner. Unaware of what lay ahead, they advanced towards the noise to find a hysterical man in front of a fire in the hallway. They handcuffed the man and passed him to another officer, but now they were facing a fire that was waist-high and filling the corridor with smoke. To their horror, they also saw a propane gas bottle beside the flames.

Constable Fletcher jumped around the fire and began to bang on residents’ doors, getting at least six of them to leave. Constable Haaksma found a water hose in the stairwell, but it would not reach, so he smashed out a panel to get to an extinguisher. The fire was now at head-height.

Keeping low, he shot the extinguisher successfully at the base of the fire, but now thick, black smoke and white particulate from the extinguisher engulfed him. In the chaos, he joined his partner in banging

on doors. In all, they helped more than 20 people to escape.

For their quick and courageous actions that put the safety of the building’s residents above their own, Constables Jeff Fletcher and Andre Haaksma are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

CONSTABLE CHAD MCRAE

The murder was cold, calculated and brutal. The victim was a loner, impaired and of simple mind. The killer was a vicious street enforcer, who preyed on the weak and appeared to have got away with it scot-free.

In 2008, the victim, a quiet man who kept to himself, was at home in his apartment when the killer blud-geoned him to death and stole what little he had of value. Police found a partial print and a DNA sample at the scene, but could find no match in data banks.

For a year, the case was unsolved and turning cold. In the end, it wouldn’t be CSI techs and teams of homi-cide detectives who would crack the case -- it would be a good street cop using good old-fashioned police work.

Constable Chad McRae is a police officer who takes pride in getting to know the people on his beat, es-pecially the marginalized. He would often buy them coffee on a cold night, a Slurpee on a hot day, and an occasional cigarette.

It was that rapport and trust that prompted a person on his beat to tell him she knew who committed the murder. The name she gave was familiar to Constable McRae; it was the name of a street enforcer who had inflicted a reign of terror on the locals -- burning houses, shaving girls’ heads, and stabbing and killing. For years, people were too afraid to speak out, but Constable McRae, through his own efforts of building trust, had broken through that fear.

At the request of the homicide detectives, he obtained cast-off DNA from the suspect that eventually led to a conviction for manslaughter.

For his outstanding police skills, his demonstrated compassion for the vulnerable people on his beat and for solving a murder that might well have gone unpun-ished, Constable Chad McRae is awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.



ACTING SERGEANT MARK LOBELCONSTABLE MARINA TRENKELCONSTABLE JENNIFER WEBER

Trying to save the life of a suicidal man who doesn’t want to be saved is seldom easy, but on the night of November 14, 2013, for three Vancouver Police offi-cers, it became a literal bloodbath with their own lives at risk.

When Acting Sergeant Mark Lobel and Constables Marina Trenkel and Jennifer Weber responded to a call of a suicidal male, they were met by a hysterical woman covered in blood, who said her husband was in the tub possibly armed with a knife. While one of-ficer ushered her away, the other two confronted the man who refused to reveal whether he was armed.

Then the man suddenly stood up, bleeding profusely from self-inflicted wounds and shouting at police. Acting Sergeant Lobel fired the beanbag shotgun in an effort to subdue him, but the man shrugged it off, charged at the officers, and the struggle was on.

Now covered in blood, the three fell out into the hallway. The man punched one officer multiple times in the face and made at least five grabs for his firearm. It took all three officers to eventually subdue him, but not until the walls, the floor and the officers were all drenched in blood. The officers, one of whom got blood in his mouth, required extensive decontamina-tion.

For their brave actions that clearly prevented the death of a suicidal man and prevented the disarming and possible loss of life of one or more police officers, Acting Sergeant Mark Lobel and Constables Marina Trenkel and Jennifer Weber are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

CONSTABLE SIMON CRACKNELLCONSTABLE DARREN TELENKO

Police are no strangers to violence and mayhem, but the scene that greeted Constables Simon Cracknell and Darren Telenko on the morning of April 14, 2014, will rank among the most gruesome and macabre ever reported.

They were responding to a call of domestic violence, where a neighbour in an apartment building heard a child crying and a male yelling. She said she saw blood in the hallway.

When police arrived and the elevator door opened on the third floor, they saw a woman lying in a pool of blood who appeared to be dead, a screaming injured two-year-old, and a blood-covered man coming at them with a knife.

Constable Cracknell tried to stop the man with his baton, but repeated strikes were ineffective. Constable Telenko realized that the only way he could stop the attack on the woman and child was to use deadly force. He fired three shots that caused the man to drop the knife, and allowed the officers to get him to the floor and handcuff him.

Constable Cracknell picked up the child and rushed her down three flights to the ambulance. As he did, he cleared her airway and encouraged her to open her eyes and talk. She had been stabbed in the head and face 16 times.

But it was too late to help the woman, who was the child’s grandmother. She had been stabbed more than 100 times and her wounds were fatal.

For their heroic and decisive actions, that without doubt saved the life of a two-year-old child, Consta-bles Simon Cracknell and Darren Telenko are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

CONSTABLE TREVOR KINE

The sight of a hooded, masked man running down the street with a gun in his hand will stir the blood of any police officer -- even if they’re off-duty.

On August 1, 2014, at about 5 p.m., off-duty Consta-ble Trevor Kine, driving in his personal vehicle, spot-ted a man he believed was about to commit a crime. He stopped his car, and turned around to attempt to capture the man, but before he could, he saw the man commit an armed robbery at a pharmacy, then rush back to his waiting getaway car and driver.

Constable Kine followed the pair, all the while phon-ing in a description and location, as the suspects drove in a reckless manner trying to escape.

When they headed down a dead end street, Constable Kine saw his opportunity. Without consideration for his personal safety, he used his own car to disable theirs, causing their airbags to deploy and temporar-ily incapacitate the driver. But the man with the gun



got out and ran. Constable Kine started to pursue, but wisely stopped when the man turned his gun on him.

He returned to watch the driver until on-duty police arrived. The gunman was caught as he attempted to flee the area.

For his heroic efforts and detailed descriptions that took two violent offenders off the street without injury to the public, Constable Trevor Kine is awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

CONSTABLE ALI GAILUS

The sight of swinging batons, screaming protestors and clouds of tear gas has become a common end-ing for many protests in cities across North America. When protestors occupied Oppenheimer Park in July 2014 many believed this encampment would end the same way. The fact that it didn’t was in part due to the extraordinary efforts of one officer, Constable Alison Gailus.

What started with two tents on July 17th was the beginning of a three month encampment that grew to 240 tents. Policing the protest to ensure the safety of everyone involved became very challenging as the encampment was populated by the homeless, drug ad-dicted, mentally ill, drug dealers and street entrenched criminals. Violence and crime were daily threats and the potential for tragedy was real and constant.

As the homeless outreach and SRO liaison officer for the VPD, Constable Gailus played a key role in help-ing to bring the protest to a peaceful end. From the beginning she approached the protest leadership in a respectful and helpful manner. She built relationships and trust among everyone involved including all city agencies. Those relationships allowed her to consis-tently provide the most accurate and timely informa-tion from the park.

Her communication skills and diplomacy along with her calm, professional demeanour served to diffuse the frequent tensions and conflicts in the park. Van-couver Fire Chief John McKearney would later say that her strategic insight and relationship with many of the campers created the greatest ability for all of us to be successful in our mission. The mission ended on October 16th when police peacefully cleared the park with no violence, no injuries and no tear gas.

For her exceptional efforts in preserving the peace

under the most daunting circumstances, Constable Ali Gailus is awarded the Chief Constable’s Commenda-tion.

SERGEANT MATTHEW BLACKCONSTABLE MARK BRADSHAWCONSTABLE ANNE-MARIE CLARKCONSTABLE JENNIFER OBUCKCONSTABLE RYAN RIDDALL

Police officers are used to life and death calls but on July 24, 2013 they were called to an extraordinary incident where life and impending death were incred-ibly, only minutes apart.

It was dark and close to midnight when police found a mentally ill woman who was having a psychotic epi-sode while giving birth to twins in a downtown park. During and after giving birth the woman was scream-ing at police and staggering around the park.

Officers saw that she was holding one baby that was still attached to her by the umbilical cord. She was re-fusing any help from police or ambulance attendants. She was in obvious pain and was suffering contrac-tions as she stood and delivered a second baby.

As she clutched the two tiny babies to her chest police knew that if the cords were torn that the mother and/or the babies could bleed to death. The woman was hysterical and began holding the babies by their heads and squeezing. The babies were being crushed and smothered and suddenly stopped crying and went silent.

The officers had to act quickly. They managed to safely wrestle the babies away without harming them or the mother. All three were rushed to hospital. Both babies were premature but the 4 pound 2 ounce baby girl and the 3 pound 8 ounce baby boy survived.

For their quick thinking and decisive actions that saved the lives of these two infants, Sergeant Matthew Black and Constables Mark Bradshaw, Anne-Marie Clark, Jennifer Obuck, and Ryan Riddall are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.



CONSTABLE PETER HOOPERCONSTABLE PAUL KEMPCONSTABLE MARK MANNCONSTABLE TREVOR SKATESCONSTABLE RYAN YOUNG

It is sometimes the role of a police officer to make sense of chaos, a frenetic scene that calls for officers to be hunters one minute and caregivers the next.

It was that type of chaos that greeted five Vancouver police constables on January 31st, 2013, when a man went on a bloody rampage, stabbing residents in his apartment building and hitting others with a hammer.

When they first arrived at the building, police could see the man but could not get to him because of a locked security gate. They could also see one of his victims lying bleeding on the ground. They tried to force the gate, but a resident threw down some keys.

With pistols and a Taser drawn, they formed a pod to hunt for the man. They passed victims lying injured and bleeding. Their sense of urgency increased when they saw more blood on the floors and walls of the building. They were keenly aware that this armed and dangerous man could be waiting for them around every corner. The hunt led them over three floors of the building.

On the second floor they saw their quarry fighting with a resident. They moved in and arrested him. Once they had cleared the building for any other suspects, they quickly began to offer care and assistance to the victims.

One officer accompanied a victim to hospital and stayed with her. Another stayed with a resident who was unhurt, but traumatized.

For their high professional ability to quickly shift from tactical to investigative mode, as well as demonstrating caring and compassion, the following officers are awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation: Constables Peter Hooper, Paul Kemp, Mark Mann, Trevor Skates, and Ryan Young.

SUPERINTENDENT MIKE PORTEOUSINSPECTOR BRAD DESMARAISSERGEANT ROB FAORODETECTIVE CONSTABLE MIKE KIMDETECTIVE CONSTABLE BESNIK DOBRECICONSTABLE KYLE DAVIESCONSTABLE BRODIE HAUPTCONSTABLE SHARON HUNTERCONSTABLE STEVEN POWELLCONSTABLE BYRON TAGUIAMCONSTABLE MIKE WHEELERCONSTABLE LISA WUCRIME ANALYST PEGGY IRWINPROJECT ASSISTANT CATHERINE DRIVER

When we think of tyrants, it is the thought of third world countries, banana republics and war-torn backwaters that first come to mind. We don’t think it could ever happen here.

But in 2011, many residents of the Downtown Eastside knew better. They were being terrorized by a ruthless tyrant who ran an organization that supplied drugs and ensured payment with violence, head-shavings, fear and intimidation.

With violence at this level, it called for a special response. A team of investigators, patrol officers and civilian members of the Vancouver Police came together, and Project Rescue was born.

In a complex six-month operation involving a variety of police tactics, officers infiltrated the gang at the highest level and were able to link the street-level drug dealers and enforcers to the group’s leaders. Project Rescue would culminate in a series of simultaneous search warrants, vehicle stops and arrests, including those of the leaders and underbosses.

The leader was convicted and received a ten-year sentence, along with another sentence of seven years for a manslaughter conviction. Four of his underbosses received a total of 20 years.

For their dedication and commitment that removed a deadly scourge from our city, the following members of the Project Rescue team are awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation: Superintendent Mike Porteous, Inspector Brad Desmarais, Sergeant Rob Faoro, Detective Constables Kyle Davies and Besnik Dobreci, Constables Brodie Haupt, Sharon Hunter, Mike Kim, Steven Powell, Byron Taguiam, Mike Wheeler and Lisa Wu, Crime Analyst Peggy Irwin and Project Assistant Catherine Driver.

CHIEF CONSTABLE UNIT CITATIONS


SERGEANT RICHARD AKINDETECTIVE CONSTABLE BRENDA BURRIDGEDETECTIVE CONSTABLE KATE CAPRARIEDETECTIVE CONSTABLE JIM FISHERDETECTIVE CONSTABLE ADAM KINGDETECTIVE CONSTABLE COLIN MCLACHLANDETECTIVE CONSTABLE DAVIE MOEDETECTIVE CONSTABLE ROBIN SHOOKDETECTIVE CONSTABLE KATHLEEN TCHANGDETECTIVE CONSTABLE NANCY YINGLINGCRIME ANALYST LINH RIDDICKINVESTIGATIVE ASSISTANT ANDREA FLEMINGVICTIM SUPPORT WORKER SHANNON GUIBOCHE

Among all the heinous crimes, human trafficking of young girls into forced sexual slavery ranks among the worst. But while the law against such activities has existed for a while, there has never been a conviction for it outside of Ontario or Quebec. Beginning in February 2011, that would change.

That was when the Vancouver Police Department’s Counter Exploitation Unit began a three-and-a-half-year investigation into an operation that was forcing young girls and young women into prostitution.

Their investigation revealed a man who was forcefully recruiting girls as young as 14, burning them with cigarettes to control them with fear, moving them between cities to keep them isolated and drug-addicted, and forcing them to service several clients a day, seven days a week.

Over the years, the Unit developed rapport and trust with the victims, executed six separate search warrants, obtained hundreds of credit card and banking records, and conducted more than 30 interviews with family and witnesses.

Their efforts and dedication led them to a bawdy house, where they were able to free some victims and arrest the man who was their pimp.

Eventually he was convicted on 29 counts involving a total of 11 victims, ranging in age from 14 to 19 years old. He would also be convicted on a charge of trafficking a person, a first in B.C.

For their extraordinary dedication, the following members of the Counter Exploitation Unit are

awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation: Sergeant Richard Akin, Detective Constables Brenda Burridge, Kate Caprarie, Jim Fisher, Adam King, Colin McLachlan, David Moe, Robin Shook, Kathleen Tchang and Nancy Yingling, Crime Analyst Linh Riddick, Investigative Assistant Andrea Fleming and Victim Support Worker Shannon Guiboche.

VANCOUVER POLICE PIPE BAND

PIPE MAJOR CAL DAVISPIPE STAFF SERGEANT SANDY MARSHALLPIPE SERGEANT BOB MURPHIE PIPE CORPORAL MATT REID DRUM MAJOR BRUCE EBURNE DRUM STAFF SERGEANT SCOTT VALLANCEDRUM SERGEANT ED WAGSTAFFCONSTABLE DAVE CAVENCONSTABLE MARK MCEVOYDAVE ANDERSONMICHAEL BEECH JOHN BRIGGS TREVOR CALDWELL NOEL CHALMERS JIM DIPALO PAT FANNING TIM FANNINGCAROL FRASERKATIE FRYEDAVE GLOVER DARYL GRAHAM STUART JOHNSTON MICHAEL MACNEILMIKE MACDONALD COLIN NICOL BRIAN POWELL GLEN RICHARDS WAYNE ROGERS CARTER SMITH BILL SNEDDONDAN SUTHERLANDJULIE WINSTANLEY

For more than 100 years, the Vancouver Police Pipe Band has brought honour and recognition to the Vancouver Police Department.

In 2014, to celebrate that achievement, the Band set its sights on what many considered to be an unattainable goal: to play at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. No non-military band had ever been permitted to take part in that historic and traditional ceremony.

CHIEF CONSTABLE UNIT CITATION


But the Band was determined. Beginning in 2012, they launched a massive effort to obtain permission, endorsements and support from various levels of government in Canada and the United Kingdom. The bureaucracy involved and the hurdles that needed to be jumped were tremendous. The Band persevered.

Finally, in February 2014, the Band received permission to be the first non-military police pipe band to play at this royal ceremony in its 350-year history. They would appear not just once, but four times.

Now the challenge was to overcome the daunting logistics. The Vancouver Police Foundation contributed major funding, and the band members committed hundreds of volunteer hours to the task.

On the day that the Band marched through the gates of Buckingham Palace, the pride of the Vancouver Police Department marched with them.

For demonstrating more than 100 years of exceptional skill, judgement and dedication to duty, the 34 members of the Vancouver Police Department Pipe Band are awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation:

Pipe Major Cal Davis, Pipe Staff Sergeant Sandy Marshall, Pipe Sergeant Bob Murphie, Pipe Corporal Matt Reid, Drum Major Bruce Eburne, Drum Staff Sergeant Scott Vallance, Drum Sergeant Ed Wagstaff.Constable Dave Caven, Constable Mark McEvoy, Dave Anderson, Michael Beech, John Briggs, Trevor Caldwell, Noel Chalmers, Jim Dipalo, Pat Fanning, Tim Fanning, Carol Fraser, Katie Frye, Dave Glover, Daryl Graham, Stuart Johnston, Michael MacNeil, Mike MacDonald, Colin Nicol, Brian Powell, Glen Richards, Wayne Rogers, Carter Smith, Bill Sneddon, Dan Sutherland, and Julie Winstanley.

CHIEF CONSTABLE UNIT CITATION

BEYOND THE CALL IS A PUBLICATION SHOWCASING THE OUTSTANDING

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE VPD.

TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF BEYOND THE CALL,

GO TO VPD.CA.

BEYOND THE C 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 DV A N C O U V E R P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T V O L . 1 1 |

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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

V A N C O U V E R P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T V O L . 1 1 | J A N U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 5

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Vancouver Police Pipe Band celebrates 100 years by playing the palace PAGE

Left to right: Drum Major – Retired VPD Sergeant Bruce Eburne, Drummer – Constable Dave Caven, Pipers – Carter Smith and Constable Cal Davis.

2015 award ceremony

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