If you’ve driven over the Port Mann or Patullo bridges lately, the signs are hard to miss.
Vancouver police are in the midst of a major recruiting drive, as they seek to fill 100 or more positions, part of a campaign promise by new Mayor Ken Sim.
“This is the biggest one since the Olympics,” Vancouver police Sgt. Terry Parmar said.
“For us it is challenging, but at the same time I think one of the biggest stigmas is people think it’s the hardest place to get into, but for us, we hire the most officers, compared to a smaller detachment where they might hire only five to six people a year.”
The VPD has gone big on bus shelter ads and billboards, along with those massive signs visible from the bridges — strategically placed at the border with Surrey.
The future of policing in that city looms large as the VPD — and other policing agencies in the province — try to recruit new and experienced officers.
And competition is hot — so hot that Victoria police recently offered a $20,000 hiring bonus to try and snag experienced officers.
The City of Surrey has moved to disband the fledgling Surrey Police Service and keep the Surrey RCMP, but the final decision now lies in the hands of Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth.
Sources told Global News that decision could still be weeks away, and the uncertainty is weighing on movement between the region’s departments.
“How is Surrey supposed to plan, how are the residents supposed to have any sense of confidence if there’s total uncertainty about who’s even going to be their police force,” BC Liberal Opposition Leader Kevin Falcon said Friday.
“It creates a huge amount of uncertainty for RCMP members, for the new Surrey police members, for the public, for the administration, for the mayor, everybody — please, make a decision, govern.”
- 2 teens charged with murder in case of 16-year-old killed outside Halifax mall
- Green Party deputy leader given jail sentence for Fairy Creek old growth protests
- Cars torched, explosions heard in suspected arson in Montreal neighbourhood
- Gas station clerk stabbed several times during violent attack at Ultramar in Montreal
At Thursday’s Vancouver Police Board meeting, VPD Chief Adam Palmer confirmed at least eight experienced officers had recently come over to his department, including RCMP, Surrey Police Service, Delta Police Department and Metro Vancouver Transit Police officers.
The uncertainty around the future of policing in Surrey has had effects elsewhere as well.
The Delta Police Department said it went “over strength” ahead of SPS recruitment efforts, while the Port Moody Police Department said some of its officers had transferred to Surrey.
The SPS itself said it believes it has seen four officers transfer back to their originating agencies since 2021.
Whichever way the final decision over policing in Surrey goes, Parmar believes it will be a net win for the VPD.
“If the Surrey police department stays then RCMP members have the opportunity to come to us, and if SPS folds then those officers have the opportunity to come to us as well,” he said.
“Either way I believe it’s going to be a positive.”
Comments