For the third time, Metro Vancouver Transit Police Office Clerk Amanda Manzardo will travel to the Special Olympics World Games to represent Canada. In 2007, she was part of the soccer team that won gold in Shanghai. Then, in 2015 she won a bronze in both the 5k and 10k events, as well as a silver in the 4x100m relay. This year, Amanda is once again headed to the Games, which take place in Berlin from June 17 to 25. She will be a member of the 2023 Women’s Soccer Team.

Amanda is looking forward to doing her best to bring gold home again this year. But what she really wants to do is to score a goal that she can dedicate to her grandmother.

“I want to score a goal, and I want to dedicate it to my grandma,” says Amanda. “And my grandpa too, but mainly my grandma because her heritage is German. But just getting to go to Germany and seeing the country means the world to me.”

Amanda has been a Special Olympics athlete for 20 years, and has spent many of those years participating in the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), an annual event that raises funds for Special Olympics. It’s through the LETR that Amanda made connections with police officers and built the foundation that would have her join Transit Police as part of the Facilities team in 2017.

We’re wishing Amanda, and all of the Team Canada athletes, the best of luck next month!

The Games will be broadcast live, on platforms including YouTube, Facebook and ESPN. Read more about the Special Olympics World Games here: https://www.berlin2023.org/en

Join us for the 8th annual Metro Vancouver Transit Police Charity Golf Tournament in support of Special Olympics BC athletes. On Monday, June 5, enjoy a day of golf, while helping to create a world of inclusion where every person is accepted regardless of ability.

Your $150 registration fee includes a sponsored Southern-style bbq lunch from Porkmafia.ca, green fee, shared power cart, and live scoring. The event will feature a banquet dinner, silent auction, 50-50 raffle, and prizes.

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

To register, please send your completed REGISTRATION FORM to Jaemie.Valenzuela@transitpolice.bc.ca

As the school year begins next week, many students will be taking transit to school. If you’re heading off to school on transit by yourself for the first time– or you have a child who is – it can be a bit overwhelming. We hope these safety tips help you feel more confident in your journey.

1. Know how to call for help – save our contact numbers in your mobile phone: 604.515.8300 for calls, and 87.77.77 for texts. Learn about security features on the transit system. Look for transit staff during your journey. Transit Police, SkyTrain Attendants and Canada Line Attendants are often found near ticket machines or on platforms.
2. Be confident about where you’re going – plan your route. Leave early so you’re not rushed. Have another route ready as a backup in case there’s a delay on your primary route. Sign up for Transit Alerts.
3. Keep your personal belongings safe – take your backpack off and put it at your feet. Keep any valuables securely hidden in your bag. Be careful with your phone and other devices, especially when standing near transit vehicle doors.
4. Be aware of your surroundings – stay in well-lit areas. Keep one earbud out of your ear so you can hear what’s going on. If you see someone acting in a way that makes you uncomfortable, quietly move away – go to another part of the platform, sit closer to the bus driver, switch SkyTrain cars at the next station, etc. Share your concern with transit staff.
5. Report problems – whether someone has touched you inappropriately, you see another person being harassed, you’re worried about the well-being of someone slumped over in a seat, or there’s something else causing you concern, please let us know. Text 87.77.77 and someone will respond right away.

Transit is a great way to get to school and back. We hope you enjoy your trip.

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At Transit Police, we often get asked why we can’t have officers posted at every SkyTrain station, or why Transit Police officers don’t regularly ride all major bus routes. The answer is that this is not realistic as our officers respond to calls for service across all modes of transit spread across over 1800 km², from Bowen Island to White Rock to the West Coast Express station in Mission. This includes SkyTrain (55 Stations), West Coast Express (8 Stations), SeaBus (2 Terminals) and buses (200+ bus routes plus bus stops/exchanges). Some simple arithmetic can help provide context.

We have an authorized/budgeted strength of 183 sworn police officers.

From those 183, some placements are taken up by:

1. Vacancies – not all of our positions are filled and we are currently hiring. If you’d like to join us, you can learn more here
2. Leadership team – a number of officers are on our senior leadership team. This includes the Transit Police Chief Officer, two Deputy Chiefs and several Inspectors.
3. Specialty units – these are officers who are assigned to areas such as recruitment, professional standards or investigations.

Of the officers that remain:

4. Divide them into four patrol squads.
5. Subtract officers who are sick, in training or on leave.

Of the officers on patrol duty:

6. Following their response to a police incident, officers will be busy completing the necessary paperwork or conducting investigative follow-up.
7. If a mental health apprehension has taken place, officers will need to remain at the hospital until people in their custody are assessed by doctors.
8. Other officers will be working on special projects based on reports we receive from the public and identified trends in crime and disorder.

So, how do we ensure such a large transit network stays safe?

Transit Police officers are deployed strategically, based on where crime statistics and intelligence reports tell us they are most needed. We work closely with our municipal policing partners to provide seamless policing across the region, with a focus on our four operational priorities:

• Reducing sexual offences
• Reducing frontline workplace assaults
• Helping vulnerable people in crisis
• Building system resiliency

Recently, we have also been giving attention to the ongoing opioid crisis and Lower Mainland gang conflict.

If you need Transit Police during your transit journey, please let us know. We can be reached 24/7 by phone at 604.515.8300 or by text at 87.77.77 (always call 911 in an emergency).

Join us for the 7th annual Metro Vancouver Transit Police Charity Golf Tournament in support of Special Olympics BC athletes. On Monday, May 30, 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 a sponsored Southern-style bbq lunch from Porkmafia.ca, green fee, shared power cart, and live scoring. The event will feature a silent auction, 50-50 raffle, and prizes.

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

To register, please send your completed REGISTRATION FORM to Jaemie.Valenzuela@transitpolice.bc.ca

Metro Vancouver Transit Police is pleased to announce that the successful Blue Eagle Community Cadets program, launched in 2021 in partnership with Vancouver Police Department’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenous Relations Section and the Aboriginal Policing Centre, will expand to Surrey.

The program, free for youth ages 12-15, focuses on Indigenous culture while building leadership skills in a safe and supportive environment. Currently operating out of Britannia Community Centre in Vancouver, the program has offered unique experiences to the young participants with the help of community partners, including a tour of Vancouver by airplane, camping and survival skills, attending local sporting events and participation in many activities that celebrate Indigenous culture.

In partnership with the Surrey RCMP, Surrey Schools, Options Community Services, and Surrey Crime Prevention, we are now proud to announce that the program will launch in Surrey at A. H. P. Matthew Elementary School on Thursday nights, starting with an Open House on January 27, 2022, 5:00-7:00pm. Everyone is welcome, and we hope to see you there!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BLUE EAGLE COMMUNITY CADETS

Many of you are spending the holiday season connecting with friends and family, taking advantage of holiday events throughout Metro Vancouver, enjoying the snow, or giving back to your community. And so are we. Here are some highlights of what Metro Vancouver Transit Police has been up to this holiday season.

Thank you @TransitPolice for the unicorn stuffy. She’s happy! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! pic.twitter.com/j8ELJjnA3t

— Janice E. S. (@ecinaj26) December 24, 2021

But what really fills us with holiday cheer is the well-wishes we’ve gotten from all of you. Every holiday greeting and act of kindness is very much appreciated. Notably, we especially appreciated the serenade from a former music teacher and talented singer.

https://twitter.com/MVTP_Media/status/1473732105289056264

From all of us at Metro Vancouver Transit Police, we hope that your holiday season has been as rewarding as ours and we wish you all the best in 2022.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police is excited to announce that RCMP Superintendent Anita Furlan has accepted the position of Deputy Chief Officer with our department, beginning on January 4, 2022. She will be the first female officer appointed into the Deputy Chief position since Transit Police was created in 2005.

Over the past 12 months, Superintendent Furlan has served as a senior leader within Transit Police during a one-year secondment. She has overseen a number of teams such as the Operations Communications Centre, Community Engagement Team, Crime Suppression Team, Police Dog Service and Criminal Intelligence Unit.

“A lot of change has occurred over the past year, while Anita was working with Transit Police and it’s exciting to have her become a permanent part of our team as we continue to grow and meet policing needs throughout the Lower Mainland region.” – Chief Officer, Dave Jones

Superintendent Furlan has been a regular member of the RCMP since 1998.  She has held a variety of posts, including being part of the Border Integrity Team (two years), being one of the first members of the Integrated Gang Task Force at its inception in 2004, spending six years with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) – Organized Crime section, where she was engaged in a number of international drug investigations, and four years with the provincial Major Crime Section in an administrative capacity. 

In 2016, Superintendent Furlan was commissioned to the Inspector rank. Her first post was as the Officer in Charge of the Real Time Intelligence Centre-BC (“RTIC-BC”) where she implemented a number of changes, with a focus on real time service delivery to frontline policing and increasing the profile and awareness of this unique unit.  In 2018, she was promoted to the rank of Superintendent as the RCMP “E” Division Intelligence Officer, where she oversaw the RTIC-BC, Criminal Intelligence Section (CIS), Division Analyst Intelligence Team (DIAT), and the Analytical Support Unit.

Things at Transit Police are going to get a little “hairy” this month as, once again, members of our organization grow facial hair to raise money for Movember, a charity that supports men’s health.

Setting the bar for all of our participants is Transit Police dog Strider who, as a As a Deutsch Drahthaar sports an enviable red mustache year-round.

Movember funds projects that aim to prevent premature death among men due to reasons related to suicide, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Since Transit Police has an operational priority of helping vulnerable people in crisis, Movember Foundation’s focus on tackling mental health challenges is something our department is proud to support.  

Support the human and canine members of the MVTP K9 Team

Support the Waterfront Community Policing Centre Team – if they reach their goal of $2,000, Sergeant Julien Ponsioen will shave off his trademark beard!

Support the members of A Squad

Halloween weekend is almost here and, for many of us, that means dressing up in costume, gathering with friends or trick-or-treating. If you’ll be using transit to get to any of your Halloween events, Transit Police has tips to keep you safe.

Take extra care when choosing Halloween costumes. Face masks are mandatory on transit, so consider incorporating one into your costume. Put some thought into your props before stepping on transit. Costume weapon props, such as replica handguns, hatchets, knives, swords, etc., can be a problem. Ask yourself, “is there any chance that this item could be mistaken for the real thing?” If the answer is “yes” and someone calls the police, it might put your safety at risk. If in doubt, leave the prop at home or pack it away out of sight securely for the entire duration of your transit journey.

Consumption of liquor in public is illegal. This includes on board all buses, trains, and the SeaBus. If you are carrying liquor on transit, ensure it remains closed until you arrive at your destination. The fine for consuming liquor in public is $230. Vaping or smoking Cannabis anywhere on the Transit system is prohibited and can result in a $230 fine.

Tips for staying safe on transit:

• Familiarize yourself with TransLink safety features.
• Stay alert to your surroundings. Avoid being engrossed in your electronic device. Consider removing one earbud to stay in tune with what’s going on around you.
• Plan your journey ahead of time and make sure you appear confident and know where you’re going. Check the time that service on your route stops for the night, to avoid being stranded; know which NightBus will get you home, if needed.
• If travelling in a group, establish a meeting place in the event you are separated. (Mobile phones can get lost and batteries can die)
• Be visible as you make your way to and from transit. Wear bright costumes or include reflective tape, glow sticks, or other articles that improve visibility. Get more pedestrian safety tips from ICBC.

Use Text Code 87.77.77 to discreetly send us information regarding non-emergency situations on the bus, train or SeaBus. Save the text code in your phone contacts in advance, so it is ready to use if you need it.

By working together, we can ensure that your experience on our transit system will be a safe one. Have a safe and Happy Halloween on our system! Text us directly and discreetly at 87.77.77 or call us at 604.515.8300. Always call 911 in an emergency.

See Something, Say Something!