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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.
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