Metro Vancouver Transit Police Officers in Profile: Meet Sergeant Wendy Hawthorne

On November 21, at the Canadian Urban Transit Association Conference in Toronto, Metro Vancouver Transit Police Sergeant Wendy Hawthorne will receive the 2018 Leadership Award in Excellence to acknowledge the benefits our transit system has gained thanks to her specialized expertise in graffiti on transit. We caught up with Wendy for an interview before she heads off into retirement at the end of this year.

Q: What is your role at Metro Vancouver Transit Police?

A: I am one of the Client Services Sergeants, a “Jack of all trades and a master of some”. We work on addressing identified issues and concerns that are reported by patrol members, our partners in jurisdictional policing and within the community, and TransLink Stakeholders. I have been very lucky to specialize and develop an in-depth knowledge on graffiti, safety education, and Crime Prevention through Environmental Design reporting.

Q: When did you first start working for transit in Metro Vancouver?

A: I started with the Metro Transit Security Service in early 1984 as a Transit Security Officer. I worked the graveyard shifts at the Carrall Street Garage, at the Cambie Street Garage, and the False Creek Transit Centre. Our first office was above the tire shop at the rear of the Oakridge Transit Centre with 4 Mobile Patrol Investigators and 4 plainclothes security, which I was one of. We moved to 1296 Station Street, across from Main Street Station after the Skytrain opened and then to 307 Columbia Street in New West before moving to our current headquarters in Sapperton.

I never would have dreamt as I worked at Expo 86 as one of the original Metro Vancouver Transit Special Provincial Constables that 35 years later I would be retiring as a Sergeant with Transit Police, a recognized and respected armed police force and Canada’s only Transit Police.

Q: How would you describe your career path?

A:  It has been an incredible journey of laughter, frustration, joy, pride and challenges.  Community policing and crime prevention have always been my passion and I was fortunate to be assigned to the position of the Client Services Sergeant in May 2012.  I could not be more proud of the fact that as I retire, my position has led to the creation and great success of the Neighbourhood Police Team.

Q: What is one highlight of your career?

A: A few years ago I was training a new bus operator class at Vancouver Transit Centre. After the class, one of the new operators called me aside. The operator said, “Wendy! Do you remember me?”  I didn’t, but there was something familiar about her. She told me her first name….and I knew immediately who she was! As a youth she had been at extreme risk, deeply involved in vandalism on the transit system, and a prolific graffiti tagger whose graffiti was featured in the news, along with many other challenges.

I gave her a hug and said with tears in my eyes, “You Made It!”

She looked at me and said, “You and [a VPD Sergeant] saved my life!”

I had often wondered how her life had turned out. I told her that her success made my work worthwhile. To have someone who was so at risk overcome so many challenges and see the success that she had achieved filled me with gratitude and pride.

Q: Have you learned any important life lessons on the job?

  • The most integral qualities for this career are work ethic and integrity.
  • I never forgot where I have come from. Humility is a wonderful trait.
  • Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Whether they continue to get my respect is up to them…. not me!
  • Never underestimate the power of a smile.

Q: If you won a free vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A: I would love to go to Hawaii in July 2019 with my husband and renew our vows on our 40th wedding anniversary.

Q: What book, movie and TV show would you recommend?

A: Book: The Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement Officers
Movie: A tie between “Shrek” and “The Man Who Would Be King”
TV Show: Little Britain

Q: Any final thoughts?

A: I reflect on my career with great joy and pride. I am so grateful for the relationships I have made and the reputation that I have earned. I am proud of our department and the success that we have seen and to recognize that I was one of the pioneers and ground breakers. It has been a great ride.

Sgt. Wendy Hawthorne c. 1986

MVTP Constable Miles Teitelbaum looks forward to seeing you in North Vancouver this summer

Written by Cst. Miles Teitelbaum, NPO for South Vancouver and Richmond, and participant in the Lower Lonsdale Community Patrol Partnership

I recently took on the role of Neighbourhood Police Officer (NPO) with the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, joining the program on temporary assignment in order to assist Cst. Bruce Shipley in the area of South Vancouver and Richmond, as well as support a new project in North Vancouver over the summer. Currently, Cst. Shipley is assisting vulnerable persons who use the transit system, keeping them safe. Prior to taking on the NPO assignment, I was a patrol officer on the west side for nine years.

One of the things I enjoy most about my current role is participating in the Lower Lonsdale (LoLo) Project. The program was launched thanks to the hard work of a fellow NPO, Cst. Kirk Rattray, and the pilot project brings together Transit Police NPOs and officers from the North Vancouver RCMP, who jointly patrol the Lower Lonsdale Quay neighbourhood. Each Friday and Saturday afternoon and evening this summer, you can find our team conducting beat-style policing, to make sure that everyone is enjoying the many vendors and businesses in the area in a safe manner. We engage with the public as we patrol, answering questions, giving safety tips and letting people know how Transit Police and the RCMP are working together to provide important safety reassurance to all attendees. During our shift, we make sure to stop by the SeaBus and patrol the nearby Phibbs Exchange bus loop, making ourselves available to both the public and transit employees for anything they might need.

The Lower Lonsdale area is always busy, and sometimes people get separated from their group. A really rewarding part of working on the Lolo Project is when I get to help reunite people who are lost from their family. I also enjoy it when people take the time to thank or acknowledge us for our service. It’s gratifying to see a small child’s face light up when they get a Transit Police or RCMP sticker.

Follow Cst. Teitelbaum on Instagram

Metro Vancouver Transit Police Bike At Work!

It’s Bike to Work Week but did you know Metro Vancouver Transit Police Officers also conduct patrols using bikes at work? In 2017, Transit Police launched a Bike Program pilot project following an invitation to participate in cycle training with The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Bike Team.

Building partnerships with local jurisdictional police is integral to our Neighbourhood Police Officer (NPO) Team and training together for a full week created strong and lasting relationships. However, the project’s main goal is to increase high police visibility in the Community Service Areas, defined in our Service Delivery Model.

What is Transit Police hoping to achieve?

Adding bike patrols into Transit Police’s regular ‘on the beat’ patrol schedule supports the objectives of the Transit Police Strategic Plan, including:

  • Reduce Crime and Disorder
  • Improve Feeling of Safety for Transit Customers and Staff
  • Improve Understanding of Needs of Transit Customers and Staff in Order to Care for and Keep Them Safe
  • Protect and Assist Vulnerable Persons
  • Engage in Innovative and Efficient Methods to Anticipate Transit Growth, Social Change and Regional Community Safety Issues

Becoming more mobile has enabled our police officers to patrol to a greater extent in the surrounding areas of SkyTrain Stations and Bus loops. This has increased police presence, given our officers greater opportunities to interact with the public and also improve community partnerships with local businesses.

Riding bikes in their CSA will also help the NPOs build on their connection with Transit Operators and the Transit Security Bike Patrol team.

By the end of the summer, a total of seven Transit Police Officers are set to be cycle trained.

Learn more about the Transit Police Bike Program this Friday

This Friday, June 1, NPO Cst. Julien Ponsioen will be at Robson Square from 3pm to 6pm. Stop by to register your bike with 529 Garage for free and let your child ride a Transit Police bike.

Our partners at 529 Garage allow you to register your bike along with thousands of fellow cyclists who can keep a watchful eye on your bike if you do experience a theft.

Children will also have the opportunity to ride a Transit Police bicycle (with flashing lights!) through a course that will give them a taste of the training our officers go through. So bring your child down to become a certified junior bicycle officer.

Follow Cst. Julien Ponsioen on Twitter

Follow Cst. Bruce Shipley on Twitter

Transit Police invites you to take part in the 5th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

Join us for the 5th annual Metro Vancouver Transit Police Charity Golf Tournament in support of Special Olympics BC athletes. Enjoy a day of golf, while helping to create a world of inclusion where every person is accepted regardless of ability.

Your $125 registration fee includes lunch and a banquet dinner featuring a silent auction, raffles and prizes.

To find out more about Special Olympics visit  www.specialolympics.bc.ca

For more information and to register, email  Jaemie.Valenzuela@transitpolice.bc.ca

Metro Vancouver Transit Police helps young people succeed in sporting achievements through charitable giving

Support our BC Special Olympics athletes and the Polar Plunge!

Metro Vancouver Transit Police is a proud supporter of Special Olympics BC, since 2005 and has been dedicated to fundraising activities that benefit athletes with intellectual disabilities. This dedication to raising awareness through charitable fundraising events has seen Transit Police officers plunge into the freezing ocean, run up the hills of New Westminster, and putt a golf ball or two.

Every March, Transit Police staff plunge into the icy waters at Kitsilano Beach to raise money for Special Olympic athletes. The event raised over $100,000 last year alone! This is followed in May, when the Transit Police organizes a golf tournament sponsored by local businesses, and then in June as members participate in The Law Enforcement Torch Run through the streets of New Westminster.

The 2018 Polar Plunge takes place on Saturday, March 3, 10a.m at Kitsilano beach.

Consider donating to our team. All donations assist in supporting our BC Special Olympic athletes. Donate to the MVTP Polar Plunge Team.

About Special Olympics BC

Click here to learn more about Special Olympics BC: http://www.specialolympics.bc.ca/.