 Recruit Class 117. The dignitaries may be seated. Thank you. Good morning. I'm Sergeant Cindy Vance, and this is Sergeant Christian Olver. And on behalf of the Recruiting Services Unit, we would like to welcome you to the ceremony, swearing-in ceremony for Recruit Class 170. Thank you for joining us here in the Hall of Rembrance, as well as those who attended the website. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered here today on the traditional ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish nations. It is now my pleasure to introduce the dignitaries here with us today. Beginning with the Executive of the Vancouver Police Department, Chief Constable Adam Palmer, Deputy Chief Constable Steve Rye, Deputy Chief Constable Howard Chow, Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Wilson, and Superintendent Shelly Horn. Representing the Mayor's Office, Deputy Mayor Sarah Kirby Young, and Director of Operations, Mr. Trevor Ford. Representing the Vancouver Police Board, Director Comfort Sakoma Fadutpa, Director Mary Lee Robson. And from the Vancouver Police Union, Union Vice President Staff Sergeant Jason Chan. I would now like to take a moment to commend the women and men before us here today. Each of you has been successful in an exhaustive and very challenging selection process that has examined your character, your ethics, and your determination. This process is focused on identifying those who possess the core values of the Vancouver Police Department. Integrity, compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence. These attributes, along with your diverse life experiences, education, and cultural and religious backgrounds will make you fine role models while serving and protecting the visitors, citizens, and business owners of the City of Vancouver. We've been selected based on our trust and expectation that you will uphold these values in your service and do your very best in the course of your duties. You will now turn the ceremony over to Chief Constable Palmer for the Oath of Office. Sir. I will peacefully, honestly, and impersonally perform my duties as a police constable for the City of Vancouver. Congratulations. Thank you, Chief Palmer. We introduced an order of seniority to receive their badge from Chief Palmer. Just so everyone is aware, we have a departmental photographer, Barb Weiss, here, and is able to take photographs for us, but please feel free to come up and take your own photos as well. Constable Katelyn Offrends. Katelyn was born in Abbotsford and rode horses competitively. She attended mental health training, and she has been a part of the City of Vancouver. She has been a part of the City of Vancouver. She has rode horses competitively. She attended Mennonite Educational Institute and graduated from the University of Fraser Valley with a diploma in graphic and digital design. Katelyn was on the varsity rowing team and was a student leader for a Christian sport organization called Athletes in Action. She also attended BCIT and obtained an Associate Certificate in Marketing Management. Katelyn was the operations coordinator for Run Van and has helped organize large races, including the four BMO marathons. Constable Graham Miller. Graham was born and raised in Coquitlam while Graham played soccer for the Metro Ford Soccer Club, where he competed in tournaments across Canada and the United States. Graham excelled playing basketball for which he earned a scholarship to Simon Fraser University. In 2020, Graham graduated from Mesa View with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cognitive Science. In 2021, Graham was successfully hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD and worked full-time as a community safety officer on Team 2. Constable Nicholas Sanchez. Nicholas was born and raised in Ottawa. He attended Immaculeta High School where he enrolled in French Immersion Program. Nicholas attended the University of Ottawa and earned a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree with honors. Following university, he taught English in Japan. In 2019, Nicholas was hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD and worked full-time as a community safety officer. Nicholas speaks intermediate French. Constable Fraser Siemens. Fraser was born and raised in Langley. Growing up, he played competitive soccer and at 16 years old, he represented Canada and Guadalajara. Fraser attended the University of Victoria and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce. After graduation, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces and began a successful military career in infantry with two Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. In 2020, Fraser was deployed to Latvia and upon return was given command of his reconnaissance platoon. Fraser retired from the military as the captain. Constable Benjamin Cadena. Ben was raised in Delta and attended Delta Secondary where he graduated with honors. He served three years as a Royal Canadian Army cadet and exited as a corporal. After graduation, Ben enrolled in the law enforcement studies program at the JIBC and obtained his diploma. While going to school, he worked in the security industry and volunteered at a community policing center. In 2021, Ben was hired as a special municipal constable working in all three roles before obtaining a full-time position as a community safety officer on team one. Constable Martin Dmitrov. Martin was born in Cape Town, South Africa and raised in New Westminster. He swam competitively in place in the top 10 in Canada for the men's 1500 meter freestyle and qualified for the Olympic trials. Martin received an athletic scholarship to UBC and in 2022 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. In 2021, Martin was hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD and worked full-time as a community safety officer on team one. Martin speaks French and Bulgarian. Constable Miguel Guerrero. Miguel was born in New Westminster and raised in Port Coquitlam. He attended Archbishop Carney High School where he excelled in soccer. Miguel was later selected for the Junior White Caps Prospect Squad. He graduated from Douglas College with a criminology diploma. In 2020, Miguel was hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD and worked full-time as a jail guard on team one. Constable Joey Shea. Joey was born at Kaohsiung City, Taiwan and integrated to Canada in 2005. Growing up, he was involved in cadets which had a positive influence on his life and guided him toward a career in policing. In 2019, Joey graduated from SFU with a criminology degree with certificates in police studies and forensic science. He volunteered with the Hastings Sunrise Community Policing Center. In 2021, Joey was hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD and worked full-time as a jail guard on team three. Joey is fluent in Mandarin. Constable Mantez Jassel. Mantez was born and raised in Vancouver. He grew up playing basketball and hockey at the Sunset Community Center. As a student at Air Canberra Secondary School, Mantez participated in the VPD's student challenge. In 2022, he earned a Bachelor of Law Enforcement studies from the CIBC. In 2019, Mantez was hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD. Mantez is fluent in Punjabi. Constable Ellie Caponin. Ellie was born in Helsinki, Finland and at the age of four moved with her family to Beijing. During the course of her childhood, she also lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil in Seattle, Washington. Ellie obtained her high school diploma in Nice, France and graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Arts in majoring in international relations with a minor in Asian area studies. In 2020, she was hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD. Ellie has worked with the VPD Covert Intercept Unit as a Mandarin translator and continues to volunteer as a Chinese ambassador with the Downtown East Side Women's Center. Ellie is fluent in Finnish, Mandarin and French. Constable Eustace, Salyamuna Vicious, sorry. Eustace was born and raised in Shaoway, Lithuania. He started playing basketball at 10 years old, which would turn into his passion with themes of playing professionally. When Eustace was 17, he visited Canada and was scouted by Carson Graham Secondary School, who offered him an international scholarship. He attended Langara College and obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration. In 2021, Eustace was hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD and recently worked full-time as a jail guard on team three. Eustace speaks Lithuanian and Russian. Constable Jackie Sheck, Jackie was born and raised in Montreal. At the age of 14, he and his family moved to Vancouver whereupon he attended David Thompson Secondary. Jackie graduated from UBC where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. Since university, he has been an activity leader at the Grandview Boys and Girls Club and worked with the Kids Safe program as a child support worker. In 2021, Jackie was hired as a special municipal constable with the VPD and worked full-time as a jail guard on team four. Jackie speaks Cantonese and French. Constable David Bai, David was born in Qingdao, China and immigrated to Canada in 1998. David attended Point Gray Secondary and graduated from UBC in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a minor in psychology. Since 2019, David has been working as a fleet attendant for the VPD. David is fluent in Mandarin. Constable Amar Desi. Amar was raised in Syria and developed a passion for the sport of wrestling from a young age. He received a full athletic scholarship to Oregon State University and excelled as an NCAA All-American. In 2019, Amar earned a sociology degree and continued achieving success at international events while training out of Columbus, Ohio. As a five-time member of Team Canada, he competed in the Tokyo Olympics and more recently at the Commonwealth Games where he won the gold medal. Amar volunteers his time with the Cal State Wrestling Club. Amar speaks Punjabi and Hindi. Constable Nav Gill. Nav was born in Richmond and raised in Vancouver. He attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary and graduated from the JIBC with a bachelor of law enforcement studies. Nav recently managed his family business and has extensive volunteer experience working as a reserve constable with the Delta Police Department and with a local animal protection society. Nav is fluent in Punjabi. Constable June Lee. June was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to Canada in 2001. He was raised in Coquitlam and Grand Prairie, Alberta. In 2018, June graduated from the JIBC with a law enforcement studies diploma. He went on to secure a job at a halfway house for federal offenders and was recently employed at the RCMP Federal and Serious Organized Crime Unit and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit. June is fluent in Korean. Constable Gavin Martin. Gavin was born in Newmarket, Ontario and was raised in a law enforcement family with family members working for Toronto, York Regional and Hamilton Police Services. Growing up, he enrolled with the Army and Navy Cadets which helped guide him towards a career in policing. Gavin attended Wilford Laurier University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology. He has extensive volunteer experience with the CBSA Ceremonial Unit, wishes without borders and the 2022 Cops for Cancer Tour to Coast. Gavin recently worked as a Border Services Officer with the CBSA. Gavin is fluent in sign language. Constable Julia McIntyre. Julia was born and raised in Maple Ridge. She attended Douglas College and earned a Bachelor of Recreation Therapy. Growing up, Julia was an active cheerleader and competed on teams at WAN at the Canadian Nationals and in the Worlds in Florida. After graduation, Julia worked for Coast Mental Health and was recently employed as a corrections officer at the Burnaby Youth Custody Services Center. Constable Angus Mundi. Angus was born in Richmond and raised in Tuasson and Vancouver. After graduating high school from Sir Winston Churchill in 2015, he enrolled in the Law Enforcement Studies Program at the J.I.B.C., where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree. Angus worked as a security supervisor at Vancouver General Hospital and regularly volunteered at the Strathcona Community Policing Center as a speed watch leader. Constable Imanji Tsahoda. Imanji was born in Toronto and raised in Brampton, Ontario. He is a high-level field hockey player currently playing with the Canadian National Team with the goal of one day representing Canada at the Olympics. Imanji attended the J.I.B.C. for the Law Enforcement Studies Certificate Program who has recently employed as a corrections officer at the Surrey Pre-Trial Center and volunteers for the India Field Hockey Club. Constable Brandon Sherwin. Brandon was born in Vancouver and raised in Delta. He grew up playing soccer and attended South Delta Secondary School. In 2020, Brandon graduated from SFU with a Bachelor's of Business Administration. Since university, he worked at the Canada Border Services Agency and joined the military as an infantry reservist with the C-4 Highlanders. Constable Sterling Such. Sterling was born in Vancouver and raised in Richmond. He enrolled with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets and in 2013 was awarded top junior NCO. Sterling attended the J.I.B.C. and graduated with a Law Enforcement Studies diploma. In 2018, he was sworn into the Canadian Armed Forces and was employed as a military police officer. Sterling has been volunteering as a role-player with the J.I.B.C. and the Canadian Armed Forces Sentinel as a mental health support worker. Constable Saeed Hossein Ali. Saeed was born in Com, Iran and lived in Kazakhstan before he immigrated to Canada with his family in 2010. He played football for Centennial Secondary and the Langley Rams where he won several awards and championships. In 2017, Saeed attended UBC on a football scholarship. He won the Courage of Casey Award and was named to the UBC All Decade team. In 2022, Saeed graduated with a degree in political science. Saeed has volunteered with the VPD gang tackle program and worked in the security industry. Saeed is fluent in Farsi and Russian. Thank you everyone. I think we could all agree that this is a very esteemed group of future police officers and I think we can all give them a free round of applause. Turn the ceremony over to Chief Constable Adam Palmer. Thank you, Cindy. It's been a while since somebody called me a sergeant, but it makes me feel younger. It's okay, it's all good. Welcome everybody, our platform guests, family and friends, members of the Vancouver Police Department and our 23 newest members of the Vancouver Police Department. It's a real honor for me to be here today and address you this morning because as Chief of the Vancouver Police Department, there are many events that I attend throughout the year, but perhaps none more important than the swearing in of new members, new police officers into the Vancouver Police Department. This is a big day that you will always remember for the rest of your life. It's another milestone in your life, in your journey because today you're not just becoming police officers, you're becoming members of the Vancouver Police Department. We have a long history dating back 137 years to 1886. We are the economic hub of the province we're the tourism hub of the province and we're the major city in the province of British Columbia. And with that comes a lot of responsibility. And to have those, you know, Vancouver always seen as a major city and as a world class city and always ranked in the top five places in the world to live or visit, public safety is a huge component of that because when we have people visiting our city, we want them to feel safe when they come to Vancouver. So we have a huge responsibility in policing this great world class city. And in that history that we have of 137 years in Vancouver, we do this ceremony in a place of honor where we also reflect on our history. You'll notice that we do have surrounding us memorial for all of our fallen heroes, for our 16 police officers who were killed in the line of duty, for our eight police service dogs who were killed in the line of duty and our 13 VPD officers who went off to war and were killed on the battlefields of Europe. And we do remember those officers forever and we never forget them. But now you coming in today in January of 2023, you represent an important part of our history. You're now part of the thousands and thousands and thousands of police officers who have gone before you. And you're now an important part of our future. And it doesn't matter to me if you've been retired for 30 years or you've got 30 years on the job right now or you're just starting your 30 year career, serving our department and serving our city, you're all part of the VPD family and we have a close connection with one another. And when I run into officers who've retired long ago, sometimes officers who served back in the 50s and the 60s, just yesterday I was talking with somebody about an officer who served back beginning in the 1940s. And I will tell you that even officers from many, many decades ago, when they look back on their life and they think about things they've accomplished, they look back proudly on their service with the Vancouver Police Department and what it meant to them with that career of service. So today, as all your family members saw, I handed you your new badges. They're shiny, they look cool. I know you're gonna go home and look at them, you're gonna show them to your friends and your spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends, and look what I've got, it looks really cool. But with that badge comes a lot of responsibility. And as police officers, you do have certain powers in society that other people don't have. And you do have the ability to arrest people, you have the ability to take away their freedom and their liberty to search them. And it's an authority that comes with being a police officer that we can't take lightly. But I'll tell you, it's not like television. While there are many dangerous situations that our officers go into, 99% of the time our officers are resolving things through dialogue, their interpersonal skills, and they're calming things down. And one of your responsibilities, which is not easy, is turning chaos and confusion into calm and taking times of trouble and restoring order and making the public and people feel safe again. And I'll tell you, this world is not black and white, this world is full of color. And these situations we've put you in are not easy and they're not situations that anybody could do. We're gonna provide you outstanding training in order to deal with those situations, but it's a very important calling that you're answering today. And you're gonna be dealing with people who have come from very tough situations, situations much tougher than you've probably experienced in your own life, marginalized people who may be homeless, mentally ill, addicted and have a lot of troubles going on in their lives. You'll go from that to dealing with hardcore criminals. You'll go from that to dealing with victims of crime. You're gonna have a wide array of very challenging situations that you're gonna deal with and society and all of us collectively are gonna ask you to do extraordinary things that other people cannot do or wouldn't want to do. And all that while when you're facing those difficult situations, you know, we're not in the business of making computer chips or selling groceries. We're in the business of providing public safety to a major city in Canada dealing with crisis, dealing with calls for service when people are on the worst day of their life. And those are tough situations to deal with, but we're gonna provide you outstanding training and mentorship and leadership to get you through those challenges. But also be aware that when you're dealing with those split second situations that are not clear what all the circumstances are, you will face scrutiny from people from behind a keyboard, from behind a smartphone that have never lived your experience, have never done your career and they could never do it. So what I would tell you simple rules to live by when you're doing your job, always work hard and treat everybody with respect no matter what their lot in life is, treat everybody with respect that you deal with because what you do matters and is gonna make a significant difference in the lives of everybody that you touch. When you think about our values of integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence in everything you do, that is what we stand for at the Vancouver Police Department. And I always think that it's the sign of a person, how you treat somebody that is less fortunate than yourselves, that's the mark of a good person and how you would want one of your loved ones treated if they had an interaction with the police. I see it every single day, the amazing work that our officers do out in the field. Just this morning we had a call like we do every morning at 9.15 in the morning, we were talking about things going on in the city and different investigations and the amazing calls that our officers go to and today being a Friday night, we'll probably respond to over 700 calls for service today from the community calling VPD, asking for assistance because there's some kind of trouble going on. Now this morning we were talking about homicides, we were talking about missing kids, we were talking about arsons, we were talking about property crime, we were talking about violence in our communities and we were talking about all the great things that our officers do every day. Some of them make the news, the vast majority of those 700 calls for service every day, the public never hears boo about them. You don't have a clue. You may hear about one in every few thousand calls is kind of the extent of it. But the things that our officers are doing, dealing with protests, 2022, another banner year like 2021, we had over 800 protests in the city of Vancouver for many, many issues, mostly environmental, but many other issues as well. Dealing with fentanyl on our streets, dealing with the calls of explosive devices, officers jumping in the water, rescuing people who were drowning. But at the same time when they're doing that, just coming up the holiday season, I saw our officers delivering hundreds of presents to underprivileged kids at Christmas time. Then they would go from that to dealing with armed suspects out on the streets. I see our officers in the mosques, in the synagogues, in the temples, with the indigenous community, working to build strong relationships with our community. To all of the new officers standing here today, I will tell you that this Academy Class 170, throughout your journey through the police academy, but throughout your journey in your career with the Vancouver Police Department, you're going to build amazing, strong lifelong relationships. And you will have a special bond that will connect you with the members of your class for the rest of your life. And 25 or 30 years from now, no matter where your life takes you, if you're in patrol, if you're a detective, if you become a supervisor, if you're in the emergency response team, if you're an undercover operator, if you've got a police dog, or you're on horseback, or you're working in community policing, so many different avenues you can take, and you will all take different paths. But whatever paths you take during your career, the members of class 170 from the low 3,500 numbers up to badge 3,531, which is now the highest badge number in the police department, you will have a lifelong connection with one another as you begin this rollercoaster of life. And during this journey, I guarantee you that during your police and career, you're going to save people's lives, you will arrest dangerous criminals, bank robbers, sexual predators, you'll be involved in vehicle pursuits, you will rescue women from cases of domestic violence, you'll deal with members of the Hell's Angels and other outlaw motorcycle gangs, you will put yourself in harm's way many times throughout your career to protect and assist a fellow officer or a citizen who needs your assistance at three o'clock in the morning when people are calling for help, you're going to go running to assist them, and these other officers that you see around the room, some are in uniform, some are not, and you don't know them yet, you don't have any idea who they are, but I can tell you your brother and sister officers are going to do the same for you at three in the morning when you need backup, they're going to come and help you in your time of need. But not all of the calls that we go to are crimes. And in the hundreds of thousands of calls for service that we attend in this city, many of them are connected with social issues, and it's important to understand that intersection between the social issues we deal with every day as police officers in the city and criminality because sometimes there is a connection, but not always. You will deal with calls of lost children, you will deal with a hysterical mother who has lost her toddler in Stanley Park or in Pacific Center or downtown somewhere, and is frantic, and you're going to find that child and bring that child back to the child's mother. You're going to deal with a troubled youth, and you're going to have to make a decision because I want our officers to be problem solvers and not work in a black and white world. And you'll have to make a decision on the day with this youth that you're dealing with. Is this a young person that we want to enter into the criminal justice system, or in this case, is it better to find alternative measures where we don't have to expose this young person to that and we can find a better solution without giving them a criminal record? There's a lot of factors involved there and they're not easy decisions, but those are the type of decisions you're going to make. And when you've got an elderly person with Alzheimer's or dementia who is afraid and confused and wandering the streets of our city, that warm hand on their shoulder telling them it's going to be okay and we're bringing you back to your family is going to be you. And I want you to think about the impact that that has if that was your aging grandparent or grandmother, if they were in such a situation and the police located them, the impact that that has on families and the difference that you make in people's lives just not dealing with crimes but dealing with other issues that come across our desk. And in those times of crisis, people will have nobody else to turn to in many cases except the police. And in those small moments, you will make a significant difference in their lives that people will always remember. And becoming a police officer in 2023, there are many challenges facing not only our city but just facing society in general that we have to work through. Counter-terrorism, national security issues, fentanyl, cyber crime, cryptocurrency, 3D ghost guns. And I'll tell you, 3D ghost guns are things that five years ago, police officers never dealt with in the city. Now we've got people printing guns on 3D printers and turning them into real firearms. Social justice discussions, things that we are not going to shy away from. We're going to tackle head on. We're going to make our police department and our city the best we can possibly be constantly improving because society depends on us to keep them safe to look after our city. And I'll guarantee you, no matter what the challenges that come our way, we're not going to let Vancouver or society down. We're going to face them head on and our smart, fit, well-trained, well-equipped professional police officers who are your sons and daughters and the sons and daughters of our amazing country are going to be out there keeping our community safe. I've been doing this job for 35 years now, and I always say, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, that I would do this job again in a heartbeat. I wouldn't think twice. I would redo it all over again. I still love it. I think it's the best job ever. If you're wired for this job, it's a calling that's hard to explain to other people, but it is an amazing career. It's a serious business, but you can also have a lot of fun with it. So I don't want you to think it's all doom and gloom. To the family and friends, I really wanna welcome you, and it's great to see you all here today and let you know, as I mentioned earlier about being part of the VPD family, that all of you are now part of our VPD family as well. And your loved ones have gone through a very vigorous process to get in. And the hundreds of applications that we sort through, trying to find the best possible recruits, we also have many officers applying here from other police services across Canada, experienced officers that wanna become part of the Vancouver Police Department, and we're very selective about who we take. To the parents, I wanna say, you've done a great job raising amazing kids here. And these young men and women before you, they're impressive in their own regard, but the influence you had on them, you keep them on a good path to become the people they are today. The parents deserve a lot of credit, and I thank you so much for everything you did in raising these amazing people. But they will need going forward is your continued understanding, your love and support, and it's important as well to keep your outside interests because policing, especially when you're new, can be all-encompassing, all-absorbing 24-7, and it's important to keep that balance with the interest that you had before you came on the job. You'll find new interests, but keep connected with your friends and family because they can't overstate the importance of family, support, friend support to keep officers mentally balanced, physically well, and in a good headspace. I promise you as chief that my commitment to all of you as the family members that I will do my best to ensure that these officers receive strong and thoughtful leadership at all levels throughout the organization. They receive the best training and equipment, and when they go to those tough calls and those calls that will be outside of what they've experienced in their life and they will see some real tragedies of humanity during their career, but I'll tell you when they're exposed to those unpleasant things, we do have really good supports in place to make sure that we're looking after our officers to keep them healthy and well because employee wellness is a significant focus and important part of what we do at VPD. So to the family members, welcome and it's great to have you in the fold of our VPD family. To our platform party, I just wanna thank my executive, Steve Rye, Howard Chow, Fiona Wilson, the three deputy chiefs, superintendent Shelly Horne, our VPU vice president, Jason Chan, Staff Sergeant Chan. Vancouver has the oldest police union in Canada. It was formed in 1918, and I will tell you that in that over 100 year period, they have established themselves as a very progressive and strong union and we're proud as a department to have a very good relationship with our union and that holds us in good standing. We work very well with them on dealing with issues that affect our members. From the Vancouver Police Board, I wanna thank Comfort Sakoma Harupa, who will be speaking in a moment, and Merrily Robson from our board of directors. Thank you so much for being here. It has been an extraordinary challenge in a couple of years. I think all anybody had to do was turn on the TV and see what was happening in policing the last couple of years, but our board has been very supportive and appreciate that support as we work forward through these challenges together. Deputy Mayor Sarah Kirby Young, who is actually, that's her day job, but in her personal life, she's also a member of our VPD family as her husband is a member of our department. I wanna thank you so much for being here and Mr. Trevor Ford, who's the director of operations for the mayor's office. I can't tell you how happy we are at the Vancouver Police Department to have strong support from the city of Vancouver, and we see things heading in a positive direction, and we really appreciate the support coming out of City Hall, so thank you both so much for being here today. Just in closing a couple of other things I want to mention, we do have two VPD family members who have their siblings joining our ranks today. Recruit Constable 3523, Amarvir Desi. His brother is Constable Parm Desi, who works in District 4, standing back there. A well-respected member of our department, and great to see your brother coming on board with us. Recruit Constable 3516, Miguel Guerrero. His sister, Ashley Guerrero, who I see seated over there. There's another well-respected patrol officer working in District 3. I know both of your family members, and I know you will serve proudly beside them and following their footsteps proudly as they serve our department. They're well-respected members of the department, and we're glad to have you on board with them. To our recruiting staff, Deputy Chief Steve Rye, Superintendent Shelly Horn, Inspector Colleen Ye at the back there, Staff Surgeon Chris Burnham, and our recruiting sergeants, Cindy Vance, Christian Olver, Terry Parmar, and all of our recruiting detectives, my thanks to all of you for recruiting and hiring a class with such impressive qualifications. The education level, the languages. In this class, there are 13 different languages spoken amongst our new officers. The diversity, the very high-level athletes that we have in here at the national level, we have a Canadian Olympian amongst our ranks. The volunteer service, our community policing center, volunteers that have become police officers, those that went through our continuum of hire with becoming special municipal constables and who we're now regular members, officers that have worked in CBSA, military corrections, private sector, but most of all, they're just really good people. But I have to also note that in this class, I'm not gonna point out who, but we also have now the youngest member of the Vancouver Police Department. And when I was preparing a couple of notes today, we have one officer born in 2001, so that made me feel a bit old. But that's the new generation of police officers coming in and we'll be serving our city proudly for many, many decades to come. Our Sergeant Major, Ray Gardner, thank you as always. Our ceremonial unit members, Mark Boucher, Brian Lacane, our community safety personnel, Mercado and Officer Lau, and from our Vancouver Police Pipe Band, Constable Anthony Lowe, thank you to Barb Weiss and Fred Oldendorf for the photos and the videos today, thank you so much. Congratulations everybody, and let's have a big round of applause to the newest members of the Vancouver Police Department. Thank you, Chief Palmer. I'm glad you have a good sense of humor, sir. Now from the Mayor's Office, Deputy Mayor Sarah Kirby Young. Good morning, good morning everybody. The Chief's always a hard act to follow, but it is an honor and a privilege to be here on behalf of Mayor Sim and all of Vancouver City Council. I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded and traditional territories of Muscovites, Squamish, and Slay with Youth People, and I wanna thank everybody for the opportunity to participate in this very important ceremony today. The Chief mentioned that 137 years of a fine tradition of serving the city of Vancouver, and if you look at the sign above the door that you walk through today, it says, through these doors, walk Canada's finest, and that is the legacy that Class 170 is entrusted with upholding today, and that is no small responsibility, but when I listen to the background and the resumes and the experience and the dedication, volunteer time, and commitment that each and every one of you and every member of this class has put in to being part of today to become a Vancouver Police Officer to serve our city, I am inspired and I am confident that you will step up to that challenge, and for that we are incredibly grateful. I would also say that policing is probably one of the professions that receives the most criticism. There's a lot of armchair quarterbacks that will sometimes second guess things that you do that are not in those situations where you have to make split second decisions. There are other professions that politics might be one of them. It doesn't, I would say, carry the same degree of personal risk and sacrifice that this one does, and I think that's really important to be aware of and to respect. I will also say it's a tremendous responsibility that you undertake to step into upholding that because that 137 year legacy rests on how you take that responsibility, how you disclose your duties with integrity and with compassion and that you navigate through some very complex challenges in our city. There has been debate, obviously. Anybody who reads the news would see it with respect to the role of policing today in modern society and with the very significant social issues that we face. But I can say unequivocally that public safety is one of the core services and the most essential services that we deliver in the city of Vancouver. And the job that you do is one that people will rely on in a way that they rely on no other service because you show up when people are in some of their worst moments. You show up in some of the most challenging situations and we are incredibly grateful for that. I do get to wear two hats today, so I'm not only here as deputy mayor on behalf of Mayor Sim, but I am also a family member. My husband, Terry, is an inspector in the VPD. And so to all the family members that are there, I will say thank you in advance because I can attest to the fact that your mind, sometimes you'll think that, oh, there's a serious incident happening in the city. I wonder if your partner, family member, as part of that is working on it. You are grateful when they come home on time. Sometimes you have them leave before Christmas dinner starts. That's happened to me on a number of occasions or you celebrate your birthday on different days and you find ways to do that. And that is all part of what being sort of a family member of a police officer means. And so I'm really grateful for that. I will also just say too that I think that we don't say thank you enough. And so if there's one, and I'll keep my remark short, if there's one thing that I want to leave you with is to say thank you for undertaking this challenge and stepping up for our city. It's really important that our police department continue to grow and evolve and reflect the citizens of Vancouver. And so when I see the languages that you speak, the diversity of your backgrounds, I think that stands our city in good stead and it will enable you to connect with the people that you are serving. So for that, we're incredibly grateful and to the family members and the members of Class 170, congratulations. And we look forward to having you serving our city. Thank you so much. Thank you, Deputy Mayor. From the police board, Director Comfort Sakoma Fadupa. I wish I had something memorized. Now that's, you should have gone first. Oh, all right. Good morning, everyone. Such an honor to meet everybody. My name is Comfort Sakoma Fadupa and I'm here to wholeheartedly welcome you to this organization on behalf of the Vancouver Police Board. I'd like to begin by acknowledging, of course, that we are on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Swayla II nations and we give thanks for their generosity and hospitality on these lands. For everyone's information, the police board is a group of eight volunteer citizens plus the mayor of Vancouver who chairs our board. Our role is to provide oversight and governance as the employers of VPD sworn and civilian staff. We hire the chief, oversee the finances and strategic direction and provide an important link between the department and the community. We will continue, as we can see here, to build a diverse and compassionate workforce that reflects the needs of our community. And I'm so honored to stand before such a remarkable and accomplished group of individuals. I did have a chance to read some of your biographies and I have to say that this is such an impressive group. This is an incredible time, both difficult and also full of opportunity to join policing. As the employers of the department, know that we stand behind you and will ensure that your health, wellness and safety remains our priority during these difficult times and beyond. We are truly indebted to all of you who have made it through a rigorous recruitment process to become valued members of the department and trusted public servants. We welcome you to this challenging and very rewarding career. I'd also like to acknowledge your families, of course, who are also now part of the VPD family and recognize the sacrifices that each of you make to support your loved ones who have chosen a career in policing. The board wishes you the very best and we look forward to following your careers as you go forward. Good luck, thank you. Thank you, director. Finally from the Vancouver Police Union, Staff Sergeant Jason Chen. Does everybody mean a two second stretch? Very good, okay. I promise you, this is a two pager and it's really big font because I'm actually fighting the fact of trying to get glasses. On behalf of the Vancouver Police Union, I wanna thank and welcome everybody here today and especially to our newest recruits, the, our president, Ralph Kaisers, out of town and sends his regards. My speech will be quick or so they tell me. This where today speaks to the acknowledgement and recognition of how important the new recruits are to us and how important our family is, I'm sorry, how important your family is for the beginning of your quest to become a police officer and through your careers. Once again, speaking of family, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the families and friends here today. Thank you for supporting these new recruits. I'm sure their decision to join the Vancouver Police Department is a direct result of the influence that you've had in their lives. Family and friends, the support that you have provided these recruits is critical. It is right upon at the, at the begin their training at the just do and tested throughout their entire career. You will always be very proud of these new recruits, but at times your support will be threatened as they meet and overcome the many challenges that will be faced with during their careers. Your support must not waver. Recruits, you must cherish this support and not take it for granted. You must repay the support that you receive from your family and friends and the community by being the very best that you can be. Remember, you are and always will be our greatest asset. To the citizens in our community, expect the police to keep them safe and to protect them and their property. There will be many times we'll be criticized for doing just that. So remember this. I saw this on TikTok, so I'm gonna refer to it here. And it's actually true. Tough times create strong people. Weak people create tough times. We must always, always stand up for those that need us the most in our community. You're beginning your careers at a time of great change. There has never been more scrutiny, oversight, and accountability for the policing profession. Some see this as a threat. I like to think of this as an opportunity, an opportunity to become better police officers and a better police organization. To communicate to the community importance and value the police department provides. A wise friend who may very much be in this room here today. I remember them discussing this actual topic. And it is, when we go to a call, the person that you're serving may very well not remember anything that you say and anything that you've written down for them. They will always remember how you treated them. I am confident recruits that you will treat our community with professionalism, respect, and compassion. As I see it, the role of the police executive in the police union is to work together to create an environment that will allow all of you to perform your duties in a way that ensures that the community receives the very best service from the police. And that allows us to overcome any and all challenges. I believe now more than ever we are committed to this objective in closing. And I'm sure everyone's happy about this. As you begin your service with the Vancouver Police Department, I wish you all the very best. The Vancouver Police Union looks forward to supporting you throughout your careers. Recruits, for making this to this stage of your life and your career is the accomplishment. For this, I applaud and welcome you to the DPD family. For accepting the call to service which the chief has alluded to, during much of these challenging times that we've gone through over the definitely the last several years, I want to personally thank you on behalf of the union. Appreciate your time. Thank you, Jason. Before we conclude, I would like to thank everyone who has assisted with today's ceremony. And I would also like to give a very special thank you to the members of the recruiting team. Your devotion, professionalism and tireless efforts are truly appreciated. Once again, your hard work and dedication has resulted in another group of exemplary DPD recruits who are now part of our VPD family. I'm going to go a little bit off script here at the moment and just reiterate as well the importance of the family and friends who are here today and who are watching remotely and who are all part of your families and your support system. Thank you very much for helping them get to this point that all the hoops that my team has put them through over the last several months. And then that's just the beginning. They will be moving forward and very much needing your support as all of our speakers have mentioned. I would also like to tell that Recruit Class 170 appreciate that support and lean on it when you need to and appreciate it when it's given. You will need it and it is so important. And that brings me to my own personal situation, my mom and dad and my wife are here today and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their support and love. I was sworn in 28 years ago and they have been with me every step of the way and I would just like to take the moment to thank them for all of their love and support. Esteemed guests, family members and friends, thank you for participating in this morning's ceremony. We do have some light refreshments for you from our friends at Canual Caterers. So please join us at the completion of the official ceremony. And also I would like to take this opportunity to let you know that there is a condolences book out just outside of those glass doors for Constable Purchalla from the Ontario Provincial Police who paid the ultimate sacrifice of losing his life in the course of the line of duty. And please, if you can, participate in signing that book. Class 170 will now be piped out. Sergeant Major, not to wrap.