Beyond the Call Celebrating the Outstanding Achievements of the Men and Women of the Vpd Community
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BEYOND THE CALL CELEBRATING THE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE VPD COMMUNITY Our People of the Year VPD 2019 COMMENDATION AWARDS | 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE JIM AND VICKI CHU COMMUNITY SAFETY LEADER AWARD ................... 4 AWARD OF MERIT .................................................... 6 CHIEF CONSTABLE’S COMMENDATIONS ................................... 11 CHIEF CONSTABLE’S CITATIONS ......................................... 16 2019 CIVILIAN OF THE YEAR ........................................... 24 2019 POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR ...................................... 26 CHIEF CONSTABLE’S CITATION RECIPIENTS: CONSTABLES KYLE HUNT, COLLEEN MCKITRICK, AND SHAYNE VAN DER HIJDE COVER IMAGE AWARD RECIPIENTS: CONSTABLE SHAYNE VAN DER HIJDE, DETECTIVE CONSTABLE ALICE YEE, SERGEANT TYRONE SIDEROFF, MARIA-LISE DHAMI, STAFF SERGEANT LISA BYRNE, CONSTABLE SHAIF MANJI, CONSTABLE KAM LIDDAR, CONSTABLE PETER SWAN, AND ALEYA TROTT 2 | VPD 2019 COMMENDATION AWARDS VPD 2019 COMMENDATION AWARDS | 3 CommunityTHE JIM AND VICKI CHU Safety Leader Award ALEYA TROTT has been the Executive Non-profit volunteer organizations Director of the West End – Coal cannot exist without fundraising and Harbour Community Policing Centre Aleya is well aware of that. Through since July 2010, and has become a grants, sponsorships, donations, and tireless advocate for the safety of fundraising events, Aleya, her staff, and her community. volunteers raised over $172,000 toward the operating budget of the West End Recognizing that volunteers are – Coal Harbour Community Policing integral to the success of a community Centre in 2018. The funds raised policing centre, Aleya has focused on are used for social programs, crime ALEYA TROTT recruiting. In the past eight years, she prevention, and outreach. has grown the number of volunteers at her community policing station from As a strong collaborator and only 45 to 172 – an increase of nearly community leader, Aleya has developed 300 per cent. These determined and lasting relationships in the community. highly motivated people run programs Those who know her describe her as like bike and foot patrols, Speedwatch, a bright and passionate leader who is distracted driving initiatives, and elder dedicated and devoted to the people abuse workshops. Many of them go on she serves. She relentlessly promotes to pursue work in policing and other community policing through social first responder services. events, local sports, and social media. She is highly respected by all who Aleya performs a wide range of know her. volunteer work in the diverse community she serves. For example, For her contribution in preventing she participates in the West End crime and improving safety in the Community Response Network for community, ensuring that everyone vulnerable adults, the West End Seniors has a voice and is heard, and for Planning Table, and the Living in helping make Vancouver a better place Community Steering Group advocating for us all, Aleya Trott is awarded the for sex workers. She is also involved Jim and Vicki Chu Community Safety with the Tenant Resource and Advisory Leader Award. Centre and the BC Crime Prevention Association. In addition, she serves as an after-hours crisis response worker for both the Vancouver Police and Coquitlam RCMP victim services units. 4 || VPD 2019 COMMENDATION AWARDS VPD 2019 COMMENDATION AWARDS | 5 Award of Merit The Award of Merit is presented by the Vancouver Police Board to citizens who, For coming to the aid of others, demonstrating More officers arrived and were ultimately able to on their own initiative and in the face of actual or anticipated danger, have made courage in the selfless pursuit of a dangerous man, stop the attack. Both the staff member and the an attempt at saving a life or have assisted the police in preventing a crime, or in and ensuring the offender was brought to justice, police officer received very serious life-threatening apprehending or attempting to apprehend an offender. Ms. Eleonora Beniamino, Mr. Malik Al-Maamiry, Mr. injuries but survived. Muhsin Al-Maamiry, Mr. Nicolo Mari, Mr. Benjamin For rushing toward danger to assist a critically 1. MR. ZORAN BRANKOVIC 2. MS. ELEONORA BENIAMINO Smith, and Mr. Craig Vandermeer, are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian injured co-worker, and putting himself directly in MR. NATHAN JONES MR. MALIK AL-MAAMIRY bravery, the Award of Merit. harm’s way to help police officers stop a violent MR. MUHSIN AL-MAAMIRY man, Mr. Irfan Elahi is awarded the Vancouver On the morning of April 20, 2018, two strangers MR. NICOLO MARI Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, came together to save the life of another stranger MR. BENJAMIN SMITH the Award of Merit. in need. 3. MR. JOE DE JESUS MR. CRAIG VANDERMEER For resisting the efforts of a dangerous man clearly Zoran Brankovic and Nathan Jones were driving MR. IRFAN ELAHI When Eleonora Beniamino and Nicolo Mari intent on obtaining a firearm, and despite suffering their cars across the Powell Street Railway On November 10, 2016, a man entered the Canadian returned to their parked car in a downtown serious, life-altering injuries, Mr. Joe De Jesus is Overpass and spotted a man standing on the Tire Store on Bentall Street and caught the attention Vancouver parkade on the morning of September also awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest outside of the railing, leaning precariously out over of Irfan Elahi, the store’s loss prevention officer. The 21, 2018, little did they know a crime spree was award for civilian bravery, the Award of Merit. the tracks 30 feet below. man was dressed in camouflage and immediately about to unfold. went to the hunting and firearm section of the store. Zoran and Nathan had never met, but they They found their sunroof smashed and a man immediately began to work as a team. Nathan The manager of the section, Joe De Jesus, saw the 4. MR. JONAS DOW removing a backpack from the trunk. Craig called 9-1-1, as Zoran began speaking to the man and quickly locked up a rifle he was working Vandermeer was driving by as the couple confronted As Crown Counsel, Mr. Jonas Dow is dedicated to distraught man. on. The man began smashing the glass cabinets. the thief. He pulled over and got out to help. As he finding justice for victims of crime. Outside of the Joe confronted him and was pepper-sprayed, but The pair managed to convince him to come back called 9-1-1, the thief bolted. When Craig ran after courtroom, he has proven to be equally committed. still persisted in trying to stop the assailant from over the railing, and helped him to do so – despite him, the man turned and released bear spray. obtaining a rifle. Joe was then slashed with a heavy the fact he was significantly larger. They positioned On November 6, 2017, as he headed up the stairs knife from the back of his neck, along his throat, themselves between the man and the bridge The thief jumped into Craig’s vehicle and took of the Main Street Skytrain station at the end of and up to his chin. railing, gently restraining him until police arrived. off, exiting the parkade and hitting parked cars the day, Jonas noticed a commotion on the street along the street. He struck a pedestrian, causing below. He witnessed a man grab a bag from the He was apprehended under the Mental Health Act People were screaming and yelling for help, as Irfan serious injuries, then abandoned the vehicle and shoulder of an elderly male victim and flee. and taken to hospital. called 9-1-1 and rushed to Joe’s side to render aid. fled on foot. When the suspect removed a rifle from the smashed The man later told a police officer he was just Jonas ran down the stairs to check on the elderly cabinet, Irfan feared he was about to go on a shooting waiting to get the courage to jump. Father and son, Malik and Muhsin Al-Maamiry were man, then quickly took off after the robber. He sitting in their van as the events unfolded. They rampage. He left Joe in another co-worker’s care chased him across a busy street and through For saving the life of a distraught man intent on leapt out and took off after the suspect. As they got and followed the man, giving real-time updates to the a parking lot, and tackled him on a grassy ending his life, in an unpredictable and potentially closer, the man turned around and again released 9-1-1 operator. embankment. Another man stepped in to help dangerous situation, Mr. Zoran Brankovic and Mr. bear spray, completely incapacitating the two. Jonas hold on to the fighting suspect until As he was leaving the area, the suspect grabbed an Nathan Jones are awarded the Vancouver Police police arrived. elderly man and forced him out of the store, just as Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Ben Smith, who was working in construction in the two police officers arrived. The constables fought to Award of Merit. area, rushed to the aid of the injured pedestrian. For his quick action in apprehending the offender, Seeing what had happened to the Al-Maamirys, he apprehend the assailant, who produced a knife and with no thought to his own safety, Mr. Jonas Dow TRIGGER WARNING: THIS STORY INCLUDES THE SUBJECT took up the chase. He crossed West Georgia Street began stabbing one of them. As the officers struggled is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest OF SUICIDE. IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CRISIS CENTRE OR CALL 9-1-1. through rush-hour traffic and tackled the suspect to to break free, Irfan began kicking the suspect award for civilian bravery, the Award of Merit.