I grew up in West Vancouver and attended Westcot Elementary School and then Sentinel Senior Secondary. In my senior year I transferred over to West Vancouver Senior Secondary to play football. After high school I received a football scholarship to Wenatchee Valley Junior College in Washington State. I then returned to Canada and attended UBC to play Canadian University football while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies.

Before I became a police officer I worked at various jobs including landscaping, retail, restaurants, construction, and sports oriented jobs.  I was looking for a challenging and rewarding career that was active, mentally stimulating, and varied.  A career in policing has provided this formula, allowing me to still do the things that I love, from playing with my son to playing sports.

For example, in one previous 12-hour patrol shift I was involved in the following:

• The pursuit of a stolen car that was fleeing from a Break & Enter the occupants had just committed;
• Criminal court attendance to give evidence on a substantial fraud case I had investigated;
• A training session on search & seizures powers;
• Assistance on the execution of a search warrant by our Criminal Investigations Section at a known drug house;
• A high school football practice to help coach;
• And various other patrol calls that day.

This was the formula for a career that I wanted!

Being from the community was the main reason why I joined but I soon realized that the West Vancouver Police Department had so much more to offer. West Vancouver is not just a quiet little community without any crime leaving the police with little to do. It is a diverse and vibrant community where the police must work tirelessly to suppress the criminal threats that enter our community daily or are realized from within. West Vancouver is an affluent and beautiful community that people want to live in and/or visit; even criminals. Thus, the West Vancouver Police Department must be diligent in its watch over the citizens and be resolute in their commitment to be modern crime fighters to maintain this reputation. Through a commitment to training and best practice we are achieving this.

I like many things about working at the West Vancouver Police Department.   I like the community, the people, the beautiful scenery, and the challenge of maintaining a vibrant and safe place to live and visit. While on patrol duty I liked having the responsibility to fully investigate my files and the challenge of self-generating investigations and projects in order to be proactive. There are days when every officer is up to their eyeballs in work; and there are days when the 9-1-1 complaint line slows down, but when it does there is an expectation put on ourselves by ourselves to go and find the “bad guy” that may be lurking in the shadows. Hence, if our officers are not tied up with a complaint we will use that time to concentrate on crime trends realized through Compstat, better ourselves through training, or create innovative policing projects that assist in our vision to make West Vancouver the safest community to live in and visit.

The West Vancouver Police Department's strengths are its employees. Having been raised in West Vancouver and having family still reside here gives me the added desire to ensure that this community has a great police service. I can state unequivocally that the men and women of the West Vancouver Police Department serve the citizens of West Vancouver with honour and effectiveness. The West Vancouver Police Department Administration and the West Vancouver Police Association are equally committed to making the Department a tremendous place to have a career.

I have been working at the West Vancouver Police Department since 1993 and have had the opportunity to serve in many sections. I had a great time in each. The following breaks down my assignments over the years:

• Patrol Section - Constable
• Police Mountain Bike Unit - Constable
• Community Services Unit - Constable
• Patrol Section – Corporal
• Criminal Investigations Section (Surveillance Team) – Detective
• Patrol Section – Sergeant
• Criminal Investigations Section (Surveillance Team) – Sergeant
• Police Negotiating Team – Sergeant
• Training & Recruiting Section - Sergeant

Police Sergeant, 15 years service