Founded in 1886, the first Chief Constable, John Stewart, is appointed to run the

Vancouver Police Department. The early 1900s, the department had grown to a 31 member
police force. In 1912, Vancouver Police hired its first two female officers in its history. At the
moment, the chief of police is Chief Constable Jim Chu. The department’s vision is to make
Vancouver the safest major city in Canada with a combination of innovative crime prevention
techniques and old-fashioned police work. The Vancouver Police department has 389 civilian
employees and 1,327 sworn officers. The officer in charge of recruiting is Sergeant Steve Olsen.

At the moment, the positions that stand out for me are sworn Police Officer and Traffic
Authority officer. The basic requirements are achievable, and they include minimum age of 19,
physically fit, Canadian Citizen, first year of post secondary, no criminal record and proper eye
sight. The VPD also place importance on assets like computer and keyboarding skills,
community volunteer experience and work experience that involves responsibility or
interaction with the public. A second language is all considered as an asset. As an officer, I will
have to respond to burglar alarms, console victims of traumatic events and assist people in
getting their lives back on track. I will also be in charge of collecting and logging evidence at
crime scenes, apprehend dangerous criminals and testify in court. There are also various other
aspects of police work including technical, physical, challenges and risks, career diversity and
advancement. I will be expected to familiarize myself with the Criminal Code of Canada, the
Motor Vehicle Act, and other laws that pertain to the province and municipal. There are also
physically demanding tasks, but I am not too worried about that because my physical health is
great. Regular police officers work 4 days straight with 11 hours and 4 days off. Their salary is as
follows:

 Probationary Constable – $55,350

 4th Class Constable (after 1 year) – $59,316
 3rd Class Constable (after 2 years) – $63,261
 2nd Class Constable (after 3 years) –$71,171
 1st Class Constable (after 4 years) – $79,081

The Traffic Authority of the VPD is also an interesting position to apply. VPD Traffic
Authority positions are non-union, sworn special municipal constable appointments under the
Police Act. Traffic Authority members have restricted peace officer status and are not police
officers. They are limited to performing specific authorized duties, primarily directing traffic.
The qualifications are similar to those of the sworn officers, except for few less restrictive
requirements such as the need for only a high school diploma. The officers get hourly pay rate
as opposed to the regular officers’ salary.

Rate of pay for Traffic Authority

  Probationary: $26.03 hourly
 4th Class (500 hours): $27.89 hourly
 3rd Class (1,000 hours): $29.75 hourly
 2nd Class (Supervisor): $33.45 hourly

To be qualified for this position, one must pass several stages of the selection process including:

 police entrance exam with a passing score of 50%

 completion of a personal disclosure form and questionnaire
 physical test consisting of the POPAT completed in under five minutes
 interview with a Recruiting Unit investigator
 polygraph examination
 medical exam conducted by the city physician (paid for by the candidate)
 background investigation by a Recruiting Unit investigator (you will be asked to submit
an autobiography and list of 20 references)
 a file review conducted by a Recruiting Unit Sergeant

Questions to ask.

1. If the position is not available, is there any other way I can be part of the VPD to
contribute to my community?
2. What is a typical day of an officer like?
3. Can you tell me a little bit about the canteen culture? I’ve read about it in books so I
would to know the reality of it.

Source (http://vancouver.ca/police/index.html)