Learn more about the programs the VPD leads and supports to engage and empower Vancouver’s youth.

Working Closely with Educators, Parents, & Youth

School Liaison Program

The VPD School Liaison Unit has been working with local schools since 1972. Their role goes beyond law enforcement – they work closely with educators, parents, and youth to focus on building relationships, providing safety education, and supporting the school community. Officers assigned to the unit deliver presentations on topics like online safety, bullying, and healthy relationships, while also coaching teams, joining clubs, and helping with field trips. By being approachable and accessible, they help students feel safe and supported in their schools.

For many students, School Liaison officers are not just police officers – they are mentors, role models, and trusted members of the school community.

VPD School Liaison Contacts

Vancouver East Side Secondary Schools

Sergeant in Charge
Sergeant Aaron Roed

Britannia
Constable Randy Lee

David Thompson
Constable Marc LaBrosse

Gladstone
Constable Meghan Agosta

Killarney
Constable Kurt Spence

Templeton
Constable Renan Cabrera

Vancouver Technical School
Constable Michelle Rajtschan

Windermere
Constable Mike Hsiang

Alternative School Liaison Officer
Constable Dan Murphy

Vancouver West Side Secondary Schools

Sergeant in Charge
Sergeant Nathan Gock

Eric Hamber
Constable Davor Tolja

John Oliver
Constable Hardeep Sahota

King George
Constable Vivian Quach

Kitsilano
Sergeant Nathan Gock

Lord Byng
Sergeant Nathan Gock

Magee
Constable Josh Cheng

Point Grey
Constable Eric Burrell

Prince of Wales
Constable Eric Burrell

Sir Charles Tupper
Constable John Dizon

Sir Winston Churchill
Constable John Cheng

Looking for More Information?

Please email youthservices@vpd.ca, call 604-717-3144 or speak with your School Liaison Officer.

Active Alternatives to Crime, Gangs & Drugs

VPD Youth Outreach Programs

Learn more about programs that the VPD leads or is involved in with Vancouver’s youth.

Recognizing that not everyone has an interest in participating in athletic programs, Engagement Through Art was created as an outreach opportunity for youth with varying interests, strengths, and passions. The program partners with community centres in the city, offering classes in different art mediums. They also provide workshops for immersive, performance-based arts experiences.

Gang Tackle brings together professional athletes, UBC Thunderbird alumni, police officers, and at-risk youth to play flag football. Following the games, athletes give strategic talks, and former gang members discuss the myths and realities of gang life. The goal is to show students the consequences of poor choices, and to build bridges with kids who rarely talk to police or participate in school activities.

Each summer, the VPD runs the Indigenous Cadet Program. Cadets, aged 19 to 29, have Aboriginal ancestry, and spend time working in the Department’s fleet services, and other sections. The hope is that cadets may one day become VPD officers. The program is funded by the Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS).

Students in Grades 8 through 12 at Churchill Secondary can take part in an after-school strength and resistance training club aimed at developing lifelong health and fitness habits. Participants learn the importance of motivation, hard work, and perseverance by working toward individual goals and personal bests, rather than promoting unhealthy comparisons to others. In March of 2024, the Iron Bulldogs hosted the first inter-school weightlifting competition, with students from Churchill, Lord Byng, and Kitsilano Secondary. The Club intends to expand to Magee, Lord Byng, and Kitsilano in the coming year.

The Vancouver Girl’s Basketball Association has partnered with Langara College Women’s Basketball, Vancouver Secondary Schools Athletic Association, the Lower Mainland Independent Secondary Schools Athletic Association, the Vancouver Police Foundation, and the Vancouver Police Department to host the Langara Challenge each January. The top eight teams from the senior and junior leagues are invited to participate, where the focus is on development of basketball skills and the importance of gender equality and representation in youth sports and athletics. Competitors also have a chance to receive scholarships.

High school is tough enough – especially in a new country, with a new language and social customs. These vulnerabilities can sometimes put teen refugees and immigrants on the wrong path. The Diversity, Community, & Indigenous Relations Section and the Vancouver School Board, with funding from the Vancouver Police Foundation, developed a program to help kids navigate through this difficult transition.

The program focuses on educating and creating awareness around law enforcement through peer and police mentorship to prevent the risk of gang recruitment or criminal involvement, or kids falling victim to bullying or harassment.

In sharing their experiences with other youth like themselves, newcomers and refugee youth are given a chance to form positive relationships with police and peers in the program, and to develop a sense of identity and belonging.

The program unites youth through fun and engaging experiences that promote social justice, healthy lifestyles, positive issues of identity, integration and adaptation, along with preventing bullying and violence. The NewKids Program is more than just a program for these youth: it is a life-changing experience.

At-risk youth are offered a chance to grow and learn in a supervised and supportive environment, taking part in late-night basketball programming. VPD officers volunteer to participate in the games and mentor the youth. The Vancouver Police Foundation funds the program.

The Pulling Together Canoe Journey is a program that aims to eliminate prejudice and stereotypes between government agencies, including the VPD, and Indigenous Peoples. The annual summer canoe journey aims to recognize the past and enhance understanding by having participants “pulling together” along traditional highways, strengthening future relationships.

This program supports youth with individual athletic, recreational, artistic, or resilience-based programming needs – from tutoring and driving lessons to volleyball camp and acting lessons. By encouraging youth to take part in activities that they are interested in, the hope is to decrease engagement and/or escalation in anti-social attitudes and behaviour. By emphasizing individual strengths, interests, and attributes, SAFARY aims to highlight the characteristics that make each youth unique, providing an opportunity to take part in community-based activities and programming that foster growth, learning, and resiliency.

Safety City educates elementary school kids about road safety. They learn the rules of the road through in-class and hands-on learning. Officers set up an interactive display of a mini city, complete with kid-sized roads and traffic signs, and the kids safely navigate the “city” as pedestrians, cyclists, and even drivers.

This program promotes informal relationship building between police and at-risk youth through the simple act of sharing a meal and getting to know each other. Share-a-Meal provides an opportunity for seemingly unremarkable moments to transform into a catalyst for connection.

The program is funded by the Vancouver Police Foundation.

This anti-gang program provides education and strong alternative choices for at-risk youth who are vulnerable to becoming involved in the drug trade or gangs. Students are given real-life examples of how drugs and gang life can negatively impact their lives.

This youth crime prevention initiative uses athletic, recreational, and educational programs to foster positive rapport and trust between police officers and youths. Current VPD Police Athletic League activities throughout Vancouver include basketball games, soccer camps, running clubs, and rugby camps.

The VPD Basketball Association has been active in the community since the 1950s. VPD players promote teamwork, sportsmanship, physical fitness, and fun.

As part of the VPD Police Athletic League, the Association participates in dozens of community-based games throughout Vancouver every year.

These events help to foster a positive relationship between police officers and youth, and include weekly lunch-hour games at local elementary schools, the BC Wheelchair Basketball Hoopfest, the Strathcona Hoop-A-Thon, and the Night Hoops program.

Every December, a 16-team high school senior basketball tournament is held, with approximately 240 students competing in 26 games over three days in Vancouver. Thanks to generous community partners, 57 graduating high school seniors have been giving scholarships – a total of $28,500 toward post-secondary education in recognition of outstanding academic achievement.

Gil Puder Community Award

Constable Gil Puder was an 18-year veteran of the VPD when he passed away from cancer on November 12, 1999. During his career, he patrolled the Downtown Eastside on foot, and he was a use-of-force instructor at the Justice Institute of B.C., and a member of the VPD’s Emergency Response Team.

Gil was known for his smooth jumpshot from 20 feet, his aggressive slashes to the hoop, and his tenacious rebounding, but he is best remembered for his outstanding commitment to the community.

To honour Gil’s dedication to the community, a $500 scholarship, provided by the Vancouver Police Union, is awarded annually to a graduating senior at the VPD Winter Invitational. The recipient is awarded this scholarship based on the values and attributes Gil possessed:

  • exemplifying the meaning of student-athlete
  • demonstrating outstanding performance in the classroom
  • acknowledged by coaches as a leader on the basketball court
  • demonstrating commitment to his community through volunteer work

Competitive Teams

The VPD Basketball Association also has competitive basketball teams, both men’s and women’s. These teams have played in competitive leagues locally, tournaments throughout North America, and the World Police Fire Games.

This program was a creative response to an unsafe situation after several unsanctioned boxing matches took place on school property. It is a means to support youth interest in combat sports by providing onsite supervision and skills development. Focusing on early intervention and crime prevention, while making connections and building relationships, the program actively engages vulnerable and at-risk youth through no-contact boxing. Participants foster athletic skills, strengthen their resiliency, and experience personal growth and development.

Being a teenager in today’s world isn’t easy. Teens have to constantly make decisions that could affect them their entire lives – and sometimes it may be difficult figuring out which way to turn. The VPD Cadet Program is a year-long mentorship program aimed at helping youth build the skills necessary to handle conflict and become a leader in their community. The program is funded by the Vancouver Police Foundation.

This club provides a supportive and welcoming running environment for Grade 8 to 12 students from six different schools across the city. The core principles of the Club are community, participation, inclusion, teamwork, and health living. In providing youth with a safe, supportive environment to improve their physical and mental well-being, participants are encouraged to set and achieve personal running goals. Club members also take part in marathons and other runs.

The Vancouver Police Foundation funds the VPD Running Club.

The VPD Titans Swim Club recognizes that many youth grow up without learning the necessary swimming skills to full enjoy aquatic activities. Club members are Templeton Secondary students, who meet at the Templeton Pool to learn and practice swimming techniques, stroke proficiency, and endurance. As the participants become more comfortable in and around water, they will build confidence with the introduction of new skills and challenges, fostering courage, determination, and resiliency.