The Vancouver Police Regulations and Procedures Manual is the foundational reference that guides how VPD members carry out their duties in a lawful, consistent, and accountable manner. It sets out the policies, procedures, and standards that govern policing operations, ensuring officers and civilian staff have clear direction in everything from day-to-day calls for service to complex investigations and high-risk incidents.
The manual is designed to promote professionalism, transparency, and public trust. It outlines expectations related to conduct, use of authority, investigative practices, evidence handling, and interactions with the public, while also reinforcing the importance of Charter rights, de-escalation, and community safety. By standardizing practices across the organization, it helps ensure decisions are made fairly and consistently, regardless of circumstance or individual assignment.
It is a living document that is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in law, evolving best practices, and emerging public safety issues. As policing environments and community needs change, the manual is revised to ensure VPD policies remain current, relevant, and aligned with modern policing standards and community expectations.
Ultimately, the Regulations and Procedures Manual serves as both a guide and an accountability framework, supporting officers in their work while reinforcing the VPD’s commitment to ethical, professional, and community-focused policing.
Limitation of Information
Sections of this public version of the Vancouver Police Department Regulations and Procedure Manual have been removed to ensure confidentiality regarding specific operational deployment strategies and investigative techniques.
The manual is updated on January 1 each year, with any legislative changes, court decisions, and internal reviews.
Please contact our Information and Privacy Unit if you have questions about the current status of a particular section.
Copyright
This electronic version of the Regulations and Procedures Manual is for private study or research purposes only, and belongs exclusively to the Vancouver Police Department. No person or entity is permitted to reproduce in whole or part these Regulations and Procedures for business or commercial purposes, or the purposes of distribution, trade, sale, rent, or posting on the Internet or on electronic bulletin boards.
Further details about copyright protection over these and other public agency owned works can be obtained by reference to the federal Copyright Act. Any other use of the Regulations and Procedures requires the permission of the Vancouver Police Department’s Planning & Research Section.
Warranty Disclaimer
This website and all of the information it contains is provided as a public service by the Vancouver Police Department and provided “as is,” without warranty of any kind, whether express or implied. All implied warranties, including, without limitation, implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose, merchantability, and non-infringement, are hereby expressly disclaimed.
Limitation of Liabilities
Under no circumstances will the Vancouver Police Department or the City of Vancouver be liable to any person or business entity for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, or other damages based on any use of this website or any other website to which this site is linked, including, without limitation, any lost profits, business interruption, or loss of programs or information, even if the Vancouver Police Department or the City of Vancouver have been specifically advised of the possibility of such damages.
