General Recruiting Questions
If you live in the Lower Mainland, you can attend one of our monthly Information Sessions, meet our recruiters, and have your questions answered.
If you live outside this region, or if you are unable to attend in person, you can view a previously recorded session. Please review the information on this website to ensure you meet the basic requirements to apply. You can then download the application and questionnaire, and mail the completed package to:
Vancouver Police Department
3585 Graveley Street
Vancouver, BC V5K 5J5
Yes, if you are a Canadian citizen or have Permanent Resident status. You will need to be able to attend various appointments during the process and move within a reasonable commuting distance if you are hired.
You must either be a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident to apply.
No. Please apply after you have obtained your Class 5 licence. Driving is an important part of policing and we need to ensure we have experienced drivers.
No. Colour-blindness is an automatic medical disqualifier. You should have your eye doctor administer the Farnsworth D-15 examination, which is the test we use for visual assessments.
Download an application package.
Once you have been notified that your application has been accepted into our process, you can contact the VPD’s Athletic Therapist to arrange practice sessions at no charge. Please email rebecca.swan@vpd.ca.
Drug use does not preclude an applicant from applying to the VPD. Each candidate’s experimentation is evaluated in totality and on an individual basis. Our selection process is very thorough and includes several in-depth interviews, a polygraph examination, and a background investigation. When a candidate discloses illegal activity, we will discuss the incident or activity with you and an assessment will be made. Complete honesty throughout our process is crucial to a successful application.
If a candidate does not meet the uncorrected vision requirements, he or she may participate in a “mini-selection” process, which includes the written exam, fitness testing, questionnaire, and intake interview. At the conclusion of the interview, the candidate will be advised of his or her competitiveness as a candidate. If deemed to be competitive in the process, the candidate will have to consult with his or her ophthalmologist to explore available options in meeting the visual assessment standards.
Questions About Becoming a Police Officer
If you do not meet the police officer basic qualifications then you may wish to consider applying as a Special Municipal Constable where the qualifications are different. Special Municipal Constable positions can be an excellent stepping stone toward a future career goal of policing.
Educational exemptions for police officer positions are considered on a case-by-case basis.
If you can demonstrate that your training could be transferable to a college or university in British Columbia for academic credits, then we may consider your request. For example, some courses in the building trades might be transferable towards a university level engineering program. We will consider the completion of a Red Seal certification in a trade coupled with work experience.
In the past, we have granted exemptions for areas like military courses and paramedic training. However, these candidates also possessed several other desirable traits and life experience.
If you are still working towards obtaining your 30 credits, consider applying to be a Special Municipal Constable. You will gain relevant work experience and have a flexible schedule where you can continue your post-secondary studies.
If you wish to request an educational exemption, please submit a complete application package to the Recruiting Unit so a complete assessment can be made.
The BCIT Legion Program allows you to submit your military courses and have them evaluated for equivalent educational credits. This is a great resource for military personnel who are considering a career with the VPD.
Education gained at an institution outside of Canada must be evaluated. International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) or World Education Services (WES) can evaluate your education and compare it to Canadian standards. You need to submit your original education transcripts, as well as the evaluation by ICES with your application.
The average age of successful candidates is approximately 27. The minimum age to apply is 19. An applicant should consider applying when they believe they are competitive in the process because many successful applicants are younger than 27. There is no maximum age, however, applicants who are participating in our process at an age well above our average should take into account the competitiveness of our process, which includes rigorous physical testing and a medical examination.
The VPD does not accept POPAT scores from other police departments, as we prefer to meet with you, talk about the process, and see you in action in order to assess your physical fitness and character.
We will consider written exam scores from other police departments from the Lower Mainland. Include a written request to use your written exam score from another Lower Mainland police department along with confirmation of your score and the date you wrote the exam and your request will be considered.
The current tuition, $11,126.44, is set by the JIBC Police Academy. Recruits may qualify for a loan through the Vancouver Police Credit Union. You must also have a laptop computer for classes.
It is not necessary to obtain advanced training prior to your application or attendance at the police academy. For more information, please review the qualifications for the position you are interested in.
Yes, we do make exceptions to out-of-town applicants.
The first step would be for you to indicate your interest by sending your complete application package, supporting documents and integrity and lifestyle questionnaire with a cover letter stating you are an out of town applicant. Once we review them we will contact you with the outcome of your application review.
If successful to move on in the hiring process, we would try to schedule the next several steps in one visit, but depending on scheduling, this may require an additional visit. You would need to be in the Vancouver area for a few days at one time. The steps included in this visit would be the written exam, the physical exam, the recruiter interview, the Polygraph, the Sergeant’s interview and the Medical exam.
Each step moving forward would depend on the success of the previous step. For example, if you did not pass the physical exam, you would not move ahead to the panel interview.
There is no set answer, however, on average it takes between six months and a year to make it through the process. Much will depend on your competitiveness in the process. You will receive timely feedback about where you are at in the process.
There is no minimum number of years of police service required, however, you must have successfully completed your police recruit training.
Questions About Becoming a Special Municipal Constable
You’ll find the qualifications we’re looking for on our Special Constables webpage.
You’ll find that information here.
You’ll find that information here.
The Vancouver Police Department employs Special Municipal Constables as Jail Guards, Traffic Authority, and Community Safety Officers. You will be trained to work in all three positions, starting as an auxiliary employee. If you take a full-time position, you will no longer rotate.
These positions are based on Departmental need and your availability.
There is no waiting period. You can apply whenever you feel ready.
