In Memoriam: VPD OFFICERS killed in the line of duty
The Vancouver Police Department has been in existence since 1886. Since that time, 16 officers have been killed in the line of duty. They were husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons, and their sacrifice will not be forgotten.
In September 2009, Vancouver Police Constable Bill Taylor drove by a small cemetery outside Ottawa and saw four police officers laying a wreath at a grave. He learned this was an annual event to honour members from their police force who had died in the line of duty.
When he returned home, Constable Taylor researched the final resting places for the 16 Vancouver Police officers who have been killed in the line of duty, and discovered that some were buried in long-forgotten locations. Over the next two years, he made it his mission to find out where those unknown final resting places were.
Once the gravesites were located, Constable Taylor visited each one, and noticed that none of the headstones acknowledged the ultimate sacrifice of the fallen officers. He sought funding for additional grave markers, with approval from family members, and thanks to a grant from the Vancouver Police Foundation, he was able to purchase the headstones, giving the officers the honour they were due.
We will never forget.
Video: Police and Peace Officers' Memorial
VPD Officers Killed in War
When duty called in time of war, many Vancouver Police officers joined the Canadian Armed Forces to serve their country.
Some of them did not return, giving their lives to protect their country. We pay tribute to their sacrifice.
The research and original writing of the profiles of the VPD's fallen officers was done by now-retired VPD Sergeant Steve Gibson and Constable Tod Catchpole.